As all businesses around the globe were forced to rapidly set new priorities in response to the impact of coronavirus, corporate responsibility was put to the test.
At Wirtek, supporting our community is deeply rooted in who we are and in our long-term strategy of building a common purpose throughout the whole team.
Our first objective was to protect our employees, as well as make sure we continue delivering services and value to our customers. Wirtek’s agile work-frame is precisely what was needed to accomplish this first goal.
Beyond protecting the people closest to us, we knew this was the time to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate. These unprecedented circumstances sent shock waves through all NGOs dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable amongst us.
House of Joy Children’s Home
“Casuta Bucuriei” (House of Joy) is a non-profit organization, offering residential services for children, located in Cluj-Napoca. They created a family environment for 10 girls and boys, where they can develop their skills, have access to education, and find their passion through different activities, such as arts, sports, education, sightseeing, camps, etc.
Casuta Bucuriei is cultivating a philosophy of independent living and personal growth by developing the children’s social and communication skills. We believe that this alternative to the state’s care system is a very effective way for the children to learn, to have fun, and to appreciate being in a beautiful place with people who care for them deeply.
We looked at different ways to contribute and decided to support them with a donation because, as one of the volunteers stated, a story can only have a happy ending if the main character successfully overcomes all the difficulties placed ahead.
Getting involved in helping the community, even from a distance at the moment, will create a sense of belonging within the team, that can benefit the company as much as it does the receiver. This is why we hope that our actions encourage other businesses to get involved in building a culture of “doing the right thing”.
A Hot Meal Association
In 2013, a group of volunteers from Cluj understood the necessity for gathering donations to secure a daily meal for people living on the streets. Thousands of poverty-stricken children and adults, who had no other place to turn to except for the day centers, started receiving hot meals prepared in the community kitchen. Since then, over the course of the past 7 years, more than 150 hot meals are cooked and distributed every day by the “O Masa Calda” (A Hot Meal) volunteers. They’ve compiled a list with the places where these people can be found, and ride their bike or drive there day-by-day to deliver the cooked meals to them. The volunteers are their everyday heroes.
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The organization is now confronted with higher demand, a reduction in donations, and volunteer shortages, as the current situation made it impossible for companies to enlist for a one-day teambuilding activity, cooking the meals in the kitchen. Despite these challenges, they continue to work just as hard to feed the growing vulnerable community. Our goal was to focus on helping them keep the meal costs covered, so that’s why we’ve decided to support them with a donation.
We also hope to raise awareness for their cause and encourage other companies to help the “O Masa Calda” NGO keep these people safe during this time of need.
