NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citi employees, alumni, family and friends around the world will reinforce the company’s commitment to supporting and improving communities by turning out in force today during Citi’s eighth annual Global Community Day. In the days leading up to and including Global Community Day, more than 66,000 Citi volunteers will gather in 95 countries around the world to participate in more than 1,200 service projects to benefit local communities.
Volunteerism is a central part of the Citi employee experience, with Citi volunteers regularly engaging in community service year-round. Global Community Day spotlights and reinforces a shared commitment among Citi employees, clients, alumni, family and friends around the world to collaborate and dedicate their time and expertise to local community needs, including literacy and education, housing, environmental stewardship, health and human services, and disaster relief.
Last year’s Global Community Day on June 16, 2012, was a cornerstone of Citi’s year-long 200th anniversary celebration, and resulted in an extraordinary demonstration of the company’s commitment to service. Continuing that enthusiasm, this year Citi volunteers are contributing more than 325,000 hours of service in 473 cities. As part of Global Community Day, among other efforts, Citi volunteers will serve more than 14,200 meals to the hungry, build 240 houses, and revitalize more than 200 parks, beaches and green spaces.
"Since our first Global Community Day in 2006, this company-wide initiative has quickly become a Citi tradition," said Citi CEO Michael Corbat. "Last year’s Global Community Day saw the largest participation to date, and we are excited to carry that momentum into this year as we work side-by-side with local organizations to strengthen the communities where we live and work.”
In addition to rolling up their sleeves, Citi volunteers and community partners around the world will be communicating about their Global Community Day experiences on Twitter using #CitiVolunteers.
Working throughout North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Citi volunteers will lead hundreds of community projects. Notable activities across Citi’s regions include:
Asia Pacific
Buoyed by a strong culture of service, Asia Pacific will again have the largest turnout of volunteers across Citi’s regions. In Singapore, more than 5,000 volunteers will work with 12 community partners to host a wide range of community service and fundraising activities for the elderly, underprivileged children and families, and other underserved groups. Approximately 3,000 volunteers under the theme ‘One Team, One Goal, One Community’ will participate in 17 events across Hong Kong, including a charity football tournament to raise awareness and funds for homeless services organizations. In the Philippines, 3,300 volunteers will participate in 19 activities, including many where Citi employees will utilize their professional skills by providing pro bono legal services to microentrepreneuers and financial education to underprivileged youth. In India, more than 1,200 volunteers will support a variety of events focused on youth causes from mentoring to greening learning spaces. In South Korea, under the slogan ‘Green Citi Clean City,’ 4,000 volunteers will participate in 51 environmental protection activities in eco-parks and river areas.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Across 52 countries throughout the region, colleagues are taking part in a combination of skills-based and hands-on volunteering activities. In the United Kingdom, 1,500 volunteers will take part in 22 different service projects including career mentoring, job skills development, and park revitalization. Additionally, CEO Michael Corbat will participate alongside colleagues in the Citi Cycle Challenge, a fundraiser to benefit Shooting Star CHASE, a local children’s hospice. In Morocco, approximately 30 Citi employees will be involved in financial literacy and mentoring sessions for young people. In Nigeria, 600 Citi volunteers are collaborating with the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) to provide educational aid to a junior public secondary school. In Kenya, 350 volunteers will return to Karura Forest to tend to the trees they planted as part of Global Community Day 2006. In Spain, colleagues will be working with the Food Bank Foundation of Madrid to deliver food to the homeless. In Czech Republic, nearly 200 Citi volunteers will be working in partnership with Junior Achievement to organize a youth personal finance competition as well as disaster relief efforts.
Latin America and Mexico
In Colombia, more than 2,000 volunteers will be working on various projects in 13 cities, including public school restoration, financial education workshops, park reforestation and recreational activities for at-risk youth. In Costa Rica, 800 volunteers will work in various reforestation activities, including in the Paso de las Lapas Biological Corridor. More than 300 Citi volunteers in Venezuela will donate clothing, food and manpower to revitalize the facilities at hospices across the country. In Mexico, more than 2,000 volunteers in more than 40 cities are dedicating a day to environmental activities, including reforestation and park revitalization. In Argentina, 400 volunteers will be working in 22 cities, dedicating time in orphanages, soup kitchens, and public schools. 1,200 Citi volunteers in Brazil will participate in events in 10 locations across the country, focusing on infrastructure refurbishment, supporting food banks, and recreational events for underserved communities. 50 volunteers in Jamaica will partner with Junior Achievement to deliver basic financial education to 300 primary school students.
North America
In New York, more than 3,000 volunteers will be involved in 70 service events including park revitalization, student mentoring and post-disaster rebuilding efforts. Throughout Florida, more than 2,000 Citi employees are volunteering their time on a variety of events, including preparing meals for the homeless and helping food banks sort and distribute food to low-income families. In California, approximately 300 Citi employees are involved in seven different events, including organizing food for distribution to needy families and seniors. In Chicago, 100 Citi employees are working with Chicago Cares in a citywide Serve-A-Thon to beautify Chicago Public Schools. In several cities including Jacksonville (FL), Columbus (OH), Tampa (FL), Johnson City (TN), Buffalo (NY), and Wilmington (DE), Citi employees are volunteering their time to support military veterans. Volunteer activities include landscaping and repairing disabled and elderly veterans’ homes, visiting veterans’ hospitals and nursing homes, and working with dogs being trained for military duty. Across Canada, more than 500 Citi volunteers will build homes for low-income families, landscape and clean up community parks, deliver meals, and help sort and package food at local food banks.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
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