Avaya’s Heart in Action: Our 2024 Month of Giving

In the scenic coastal city of Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, lies Fujiazhuang Beach. The 500-mile stretch of sand is one of the world’s most beautiful but polluted coastlines–a challenge that Derek Gao has been dedicated to addressing for nearly a decade.

Gao, who works out of Avaya’s technical service support center in Dalian, volunteers annually during Avaya’s Month of Giving to help clean Fujiazhuang Beach following its peak season. After four years of dedicated efforts, the local government recognized the issue and allocated staff specifically for maintenance, resulting in a much cleaner beach.

In India, Soumya Verma joins fellow Avaya employees at a bustling intersection near Sahaydri Hospital in Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra. Alongside a team from the Local Municipal Corporation, they work to pick up scattered litter for a cleaner and safer environment.

In Galway, Ireland, Avaya employees help spruce up the grounds and facilities of a local charity that supports adults with intellectual disabilities. In Argentina, employees gather warm clothing, school supplies, food, and hygiene items for children in need.

There are countless other stories of Avayans that highlight the critical role of corporate social responsibility in fostering a brighter future. As part of Avaya’s Month of Giving campaign, they have chosen to take action.

Since 2015, Avaya employees have logged thousands of volunteer hours and raised over $1.4M USD as part of our Month of Giving.

Avaya begins each fiscal year with its annual Month of Giving, rallying employees worldwide to dedicate their time, resources, and energy toward making a positive impact. Avaya’s 10th Annual Month of Giving campaign is currently underway, running from October 1-31, 2024, with a strong emphasis on volunteering and social impact.

In addition to local community initiatives organized by Avaya teams, we have partnered with several charitable organizations that are doing important work to address global environmental and social challenges. Here’s how we’re supporting these foundations during our 10th annual Month of Giving.

Save the Children

Avaya has a longstanding relationship with Save the Children, having helped raise over $530,000 since our first Month of Giving in 2015 which supported the construction of classrooms, offices, and other infrastructure, as well as book banks, summer learning programs, and initiatives aimed at improving agricultural efficiency and sustainability. We will continue our fundraising efforts to support Save the Children’s transformational work in the U.S. and across the world, ensuring children can grow up healthy, educated and safe.

Code.org

Code.org is a nonprofit that’s focused on educational innovation, advocating for computer science education in every K-12 school. Here’s how Avaya employees can get involved:

• Hour of Code: This one-hour introduction to computer science raises awareness and inspires students, particularly young women and those from historically marginalized groups, to explore the field. Avaya employees can host their own “Hour of Code” events.
• Translation Project: Code.org is looking for volunteers to help translate educational modules into various languages. Volunteers can create an account on Crowdin.com, where they will be assigned content for proofreading.
• Fundraising: Employees can donate directly to Code.org as part of our Month of Giving.

Magic Bus India Foundation

Access to quality education and training is essential for promoting job equity on a global scale. India is a key growth engine for Avaya with a staggering unemployment paradox, which is why we have partnered with Magic Bus India Foundation to provide unemployed young people in India with education and skills training around customer experience.

The Magic Bus program offers critical training around life skills, work readiness, financial literacy, and interview preparation with the promise of placement in a paid, sustainable, customer-centric job. As part of our partnership, Avaya is making the following commitments:

A donation of 5 million rupees to establish a youth skilling center in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana and a boon for the technology industry. Through this Avaya-funded youth skilling center, the Magic Bus program is:

• Providing education and skills training to 200 adolescents from underprivileged backgrounds who have completed grade 12. As of September 2024, 207 youth have been trained.
• Assisting these trained individuals in securing employment with the goal of placing 150 in well-paying jobs. As of September 2024, 114 of these youths were placed in positions.
• Offering placement support specifically in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) roles. As of September 2024, 82 of the 114 youth were placed in these sectors.

Join Us in Making a Difference

Explore how Avaya is driving positive change through our corporate social responsibility initiatives and discover ways you can contribute to a more sustainable future. Together, we can create a lasting impact – it all starts with us.

Learn more about Avaya’s corporate social responsibility initiatives

Learn more about Avaya’s 2023 Month of Giving