POALIM DOING GOOD
A conversation with Ofer Samo, Manager of Employee Volunteering at Bank Hapoalim
T he social banking division of Bank Hapoalim has been operating in the utmost inspiring way. Under its wing many incredible projects are taking place such as: 'Poalim in the community' - which is responsible for gathering donations and sponsorships, as well as cooperating with organizations, and financing events for community welfare. The Financial Growth Center focuses on imparting free financial knowledge to the general public. The accessibility and integration unit strives to promote equal opportunity for underrepresented segments of the population and people with disabilities within the labor market, as well as collaborates on this effort with local authorities and regulators. In addition to the above-mentioned programs, they are also managing the employee volunteering unit. Ofer has been working for the bank for 32 years, of which 27 years were in the retail division (he managed 6 branches). About 4 years ago, he decided to change his professional direction and connected the business with society itself, whenhetransitionedtomanageprojectsofsocial- business significance: solar energy, assistance and support programs for small businesses, etc. "I took it upon myself to manage the unit for employee volunteering. We estimate that Bank Hapoalim has about 4,300 employees who regularly volunteer during their personal
time in a wide variety of fields." In 2021, over 4,300 employees volunteered as part of the annual program, while over 100,000 beneficiaries received direct or indirect assistance as part of the various activities. How does employee volunteering fit into the organization's annual plans in terms of corporate responsibility? The employee volunteering unit has an annual work plan in which volunteer activities are organized for the bank's employees. Examples of activities include: distribution of approximately 40,000 holiday gifts to children and the elderly around the holidays of Purim, Eid al-Adha and Christmas. In addition, thousands of employees participated in annual 'Good Deeds Day' (in 2022 we held a whole week of activities for the community with the participation of 3,150 employees), in activities and games with children and adults with special needs, establishment of community gardens in rehabilitation institutions, food packaging and more. We also partake in distributing food boxes on Passover and Rosh Hashanah to approximately 5,000 Holocaust survivors and families in need. We collect and distribute employee donations - school bags in August (about 800 children received school bags in 2021) and books over Hanukkah - (over 1,100 books collected for them in 2021).
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