More than 2,600 BBVA employees donate their time during Week of Service
More than 2,600 BBVA USA employees participated in the bank’s annual Week of Service during the week of Oct. 7. Employees across the bank's footprint participated in 227 events, including Habitat for Humanity projects, food bank initiatives, community clean up efforts, and financial education workshops for individuals and small businesses. Their efforts generated more than 8,000 volunteer hours across the bank’s footprint.
This year’s volunteer efforts focused on opportunities to support the bank’s commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Teams and individual employees were encouraged to select a volunteer activity that aligned with the SDGs, in much the same way the bank’s global strategies align with the goals.
For example, teams in a number of markets served meals at homeless shelters and worked with area food banks in support of Goal 2, “Zero Hunger.” Some groups provided financial education workshops to both children and adults to achieve Goal 4, “Quality Education,” while others staged area clean-up activities in support of Goal 13, “Climate Action.” In all, employee volunteer teams and individuals participated in volunteer activities that supported the majority of the 17 SDGs.
BBVA USA San Francisco employees supported UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 ("Zero Hunger") and 3 ("Good Health and Well-being") by donating time to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank during the bank's 2019 Week of Service, helping to provide meals for hundreds of low- to moderate-income seniors and community facilities throughout the Bay Area.
Since the approval of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda in 2015, BBVA has worked to align its corporate management and business with the SDGs, contributing to the fight against climate change and committing to sustainable development.
Ocañas: By aligning our volunteer efforts around the same goals that drive our organization as a whole, we can multiply our impact.
“By aligning our volunteer efforts around the same goals that drive our organization as a whole, we can multiply our impact,” said Reymundo Ocañas, Director of Communication and Responsible Business. “We want to show employees how they can make a difference -- both through their efforts with the bank and as individuals -- and create volunteer opportunities for our employees to give back to their communities.”
Volunteerism is nothing new to BBVA employees in the U.S. In 2018 alone, more than 4,000 team members logged 110,000-plus volunteer hours.
“As a company, BBVA recognizes the value of giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Ocañas. “But we also appreciate the positive impact it has on our employees. Many studies show that people who volunteer experience greater fulfillment, better health, and improved overall well-being.” Ocañas added that volunteer opportunities also encourages and improves team collaboration and clearly demonstrate a company’s brand values in action.
In addition to its annual Week of Service initiative, BBVA also provides its employees 16 hours of paid time off to support their own passion projects and volunteer efforts.