As many of you know, I’m a passionate volunteer – I love being able to give something back to my friends, colleagues, and community. Â Volunteering doesn’t have to be difficult, and is incredibly rewarding! And, IBM has written an article about me!
My Volunteering History
Over the years I’ve done all sorts of volunteering, some examples include:
- Charity Fund Raisers
- Door-knock appeals (eg. Cancer Council of Australia)
- Shaking buckets (eg. CRMF Crumlin)
- Family Fun Raising (eg. CRMF Crumlin)
- Volunteer Rescue
- IT Support
- St. Patrick’s National School (StPNS)
Just a couple of weeks ago, while at a family reunion in France, my family all banded together to help raise funds for my daughter’s diabetes clinic!
Why Volunteer?
Why do I volunteer?  Because I love being able to help people!  I love the camaraderie of a team from different walks of life all pulling together with a common purpose.  I love the feeling I get from knowing that I’ve been able to make a difference in someone’s life.
Yes, that is me on the top right!
Whether it be raising money for my daughter’s diabetes clinic, or helping the school where my children are students, or saving someone’s life as part of a volunteer rescue organisation… There is something very special about being able to step into a situation bringing specific skills, experiences, and knowledge to help someone, when they most need it.
Volunteering as an IBMer
My employer, IBM, provides an amazing framework and support for IBMers to be able to volunteer.  We are able to record our volunteer hours and get recognition using the Acclaim badge system.  More than that, it also provides a grant system based on a combination of factors including number of hours spent volunteering, and skills/assets used.
From my last year’s volunteering, IBM generously made a donation to the Parents and Teacher’s Association at my kid’s school for the work that I have done there in revitalising the IT infrastructure.
This year I was also honoured to be one of the finalists for the 2017 IBM Volunteer Excellence Awards – specifically my work with St. Patrick’s National School, Greystones, Ireland.  I’m really excited, and humbled, about the way in which the team captured and recognised my volunteer rescue work, and then linked into the work that I did for the school where my children are students.
My Article
The article published by IBM brings you a long some of the highlights of the journey that I, and my fellow ICT Committee Members (made up of both parents and staff) went through as we brought about dramatic changes to the school’s internet infrastructure.
Rather than repeating the details, You can read IBM’s article about me here!
I hope you enjoy 🙂
How can you help?
Volunteering doesn’t have to be complex. Â It doesn’t have to be time consuming. Â It doesn’t have to be dangerous. Â Find something you’re passionate about, something that fits your interests, and your lifestyle, and go for it… it’s absolutely worth it!
Some Photos
Yes, that is me on the top right!
