Signavio Social Day: The Beginning of a Tradition

Written by Lucas de Boer | 7 min read
Published on: February 18th 2020 - Last modified: December 2nd, 2020
Signavio Social Day header image - smiling group painting

On February 12th this year, Signavio took a further step along our corporate social responsibility journey, by launching the Signavio Social Day. The first edition brought together more than 70 Signavians who, for one afternoon, took the time to take part in various social projects, and make a difference in their communities.

The first-ever Signavio Social Day

The concept of Signavio Social Day is simple: it offers Signavians the opportunity to commit an afternoon’s work to different non-profit projects. Following the success of our Movember initiative, we were on the lookout for another way to support some charitable causes. Fortunately, Serve the City was on hand to help us out! Serve the City is a global not-for-profit association founded in 2015, with the goal of connecting willing volunteers to worthwhile organizations, creating the bridge between good intentions and real action.

In addition to providing practical support, the Signavio Social Day gave employees a chance to become more closely connected to colleagues, and to the environment in which we live and work every day. More than 70 Signavians were present and engaged in various projects (primarily in our HQ in Berlin, with our other global offices to follow), including our CEO, CFO, and other C-level staff. No matter where they fit in the company or around the world, each person had in common a sense of sharing, respect, and awareness of others. As our CFO said on the day:

"A big thank you to all Signavio staff who gave their time! It was a great experience for me personally, while also serious and sad as I spent time at the bedside of a person who was unable to respond in any way. But at the same time, I know everyone involved, from the care staff, to the Serve the City team, and our group, had an enjoyable and worthwhile day." Daniel

Signavio Social Day activities

As a quick summary, here are a few of the Signavio Social Day activities we took part in.

Top chefs

Some of our team got together in the kitchen and prepared a meal together, which was served the very same evening to homeless people in Berlin.

"This experience was really touching. Small actions can make a big difference." Valerio

Activities in a retirement home

Signavians spent an afternoon with elderly people and participated in different activities.

"We listened to their stories, gave them a hand massage, and showed that we were there for them. I was so happy with the experience." Merieme

Painting in a refugee centre

Berlin has many centers for refugees. Our apprentice painters went to one of them to redecorate the premises.

"It's nice to do something together that's beneficial. Spontaneously, children living in the center came to us and wanted to interact with us. They sang us a song, it was very touching. “ Fabio

Waste collection in Berlin

Not far from our headquarters in Berlin, a group went to the vicinity of Zoologischer Garten and Tiergarten for a waste collection session.

"To all smokers, don't throw your cigarette butts on the floor!" David

Fun activities with people with disabilities

Sharing and listening were the two watchwords for our group of Signavians who visited people with disabilities.

"We made masks for the approaching carnival, played board games and talked together. " Philipp

Breaking the ice

A few of our team strapped on their skates and took to the ice rink, to share a moment of happiness with refugees.

"We were with two children aged eight and nine who were skating for the first time. At the end of the afternoon, the two little girls were skating alone. A great success!" Erica

User-friendliness at Moabit Hilft

Moabit Hilft is a Berlin-based association that helps refugees and is well known to Signavians; we have an established relationship with the charity and donate regularly each month. As part of the Signavio Social Day, a staff group went to learn more about the history of the association and its focus on shared humanity across borders and cultures. In a lovely twist, the staff at Moabit Hilft actually made lunch for the Signavio visitors!

"Through the meal they prepared for us, I think we received a beautiful proof of love". Tinne

Going green in Amsterdam

Staff from Signavio’s Netherlands office spent time helping out in the outdoors.

Here’s Siham with a summary of our team’s efforts in Amsterdam:

“We helped an elderly woman with her garden— that hasn't been touched for two years. We got a heartwarming welcome upon arrival, then together with the organization that makes these projects happen, we discussed what needed to be done and sorted out the tasks among ourselves. Before we knew it we had our gloves on and our shovels in our hands! The garden was overgrown, and there was a lot of trash, so we kicked off by reshaping the bushes and getting rid of all of the rubbish.

Together with the homeowner, we made sure we knew what she really wanted to have done. At first we thought it was an easy task, but by the end of the morning we were all craving a nap! It was so satisfying to help someone out and give back to the community. It was such a pleasure to see her happy face and at the end of the afternoon she couldn't wait for the sunny weather so she can sit there with her neighbors, which she hadn’t done for years.”

The future of Signavio Social Day

The first edition of the Signavio Social Day has left its mark on people's minds, and we are already making plans for the next time we can get out and about to support our communities. Count on us to organize a second edition soon, and stay tuned for updates on future efforts from our other offices around the world.

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Published on: February 18th 2020 - Last modified: December 2nd, 2020