A Season of Giving at Sophos – Source: news.sophos.com

During the month of November, the team donated toys and non-perishable food items before getting together in the Vancouver office to wrap the toys.

They were then donated to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau who work to support low-income families who are given the opportunity to select gifts for each of their children aged 18 and under, so that they can experience a happy holiday season.

Food items were donated to Food Banks BC who distribute food to people across British Columbia who face ongoing food insecurity. 

Over in Weisbaden, Germany, the team supported two charitable projects. First, numerous donations of food and hygiene products were collected for Die Tafel Wiesbaden who support people in poverty ensuring that they have enough to eat during the festive season.

The second project saw the team collect donations of children’s books that were then packed up and handed over to the Klarenthal Parent-Child Center. The team wanted to promote reading and contribute to ensuring that children in poverty also receive a Christmas present.

In Cork, Ireland, the team volunteered at the PACE meals on wheels service which enables older people to remain living in the community or to return to their own homes after hospitalisation.

The team got to work at 9am preparing vegetables, cooking meat and making dessert before packing up the meals and delivering them to 32 people across the local area.

The Sophos Team in Manila supported local organization, Upskills+ Foundation, who provide livelihood programs, education, vocational and college scholarships, and welfare support to local residents.

The team volunteered distributing Christmas food baskets of rice, groceries and snacks to senior citizens. They also gave out hygiene kits containing sanitary pads, vitamins and toiletries to women in their teens, and attended a seminar held by the foundation on reproductive health.

A ‘market day’ gathered new and used clothes, shoes, bags, and toys donated by the team which were then organized into racks for local beneficiaries to choose up to five items.

The UK team took part in the annual Christmas Jumper Day in support of Save the Children UK, raising over £1,400 (US$ 1,770).

The team donated to wear Christmas jumpers, sold homemade cakes and some of the site leaders in Abingdon ‘volunteered’ to have cream pies thrown at them for a donation to this great cause!

The team also packaged up Christmas Eve gift boxes for local charity Be Free Young Carers which will be distributed to young carers in the Abingdon and wider Oxfordshire area.

Other volunteering activities included a litter pick in the vicinity of the Abingdon office, resulting in seven bags of rubbish collected from the local environment.

Overall, the number of volunteering hours committed across the UK and Ireland teams has increased by 43% compared to last year, with over 160 days donated in 2023. 

In Dallas the team organized three campaigns: collecting school supplies; collecting men’s and women’s gently worn work clothing for adults re-building their lives; and finally, supporting the Angel Tree Adopt a Child toy drive.

Working with Community Partners of Dallas, the team supported kids in need with school supplies so they could enter the new school year fully prepared.

The team also worked to collect clothes for people rebuilding their lives by providing them with professional attire. The office partnered with two non-profits: One Man’s Treasure, which focuses on empowering men recently released from Texas prisons; and Dress for Success who empower women to achieve economic independence through a network of support, and providing professional attire and development tools.

Finally, the team collected clothes and toys for 30 children as part of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program which provides Christmas gifts for children in need.