With help from TimeHeroes, Bulgarian soft- ware company Ontotext found the perfect opportunity: they cleaned and secured an area in the Western Rhodope Mountains. The ex- perience not only brought the team together but also furthered the company’s commitment to supporting nature conservation. “In the past, we tried everything we could think of, but before this initiative, it wouldn’t have occurred to me that cleaning could be more energizing than engaging in extreme sports or indulging yourself in other ways. Volunteering is magic; it could transform a bored consumer into a satisfied helper. That’s what happened to us!” said Ontotext CEO Atanas Kiryakov. His words are echoed by user experience spe- cialist Yordanka Bogdanova from communi- cation services provider A1, a company that actively works with TimeHeroes to develop a corporate culture of service. “The fact that the volunteering initiatives are carefully selected and that family and friends can join is a big plus. Everyone who has attended one of the initiatives with me is enthusiastic and ‘hungry’ for more. Children have fun and at the same time learn about solidarity and giving,” she says. 2 Volunteering creates a sense of common purpose and a better work environment. “Team-building events have established them- selves as a successful means of building closer relationships in a team. Adding to that collab- orative work in support of a cause changes the team dynamic completely, adding an element
of comradeship,” says Nikola, who organizes team-building experiences with a cause for TimeHeroes’ corporate partners. The Bulgarian division of food giant Mondelez relies on its partnership with TimeHeroes to in- volve its employees in the magic of volunteer- ing. Tree planting in Sofia, soil conservation in a protected area near Burgas, and a park cleanup in Plovdiv are some of the missions that united more than 70 company employees. Their contribution not only improves life for people and natural ecosystems but also builds stronger teams. 3 Volunteering improves a company’s rela- tionship with its employees. According to a 2022 TimeHeroes survey among 190 employees at four companies, the company’s service record is important to 94% of its staff. Every third respondent said that participating in volunteering opportunities provided by their employer makes them proud to work there. Personal satisfaction is an employee’s stron- gest motivation for getting involved in cor- porate volunteer initiatives. “I was especially happy and proud to find out that in helping the elderly from villages near Pravets through the collection and donation of food prod- ucts for Easter, Mansion Bulgaria emerged as the largest contributor to the initiative,” says Boyka Dzhartazanova, an employer branding specialist at international gaming company Mansion Group.
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