A glance into our office's charity day: LHi Group New York
Each year, every LHi office selects a charity to support and raise awareness for, allowing us to give back to the community. This year, our New York office partnered with the incredible nonprofit education charity, GO Project for the second consecutive year. The GO Project aims to address a crucial need in the largest city in the US.
The GO Project serves public school students who experience significant learning gaps early in their education. It provides young learners with a high-quality academic, enrichment, and family support program, equipping them with the skills necessary for future success. The organization offers extra support to under-resourced areas of New York City.
Throughout the school year and the summer, they organize out-of-school-time programs to provide academic and social-emotional learning support, welcoming hundreds of students each year at five independent host-site schools in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Their classes consist of education-focused sessions in the morning and activity-based sessions in the afternoon.
This year, our New York office actively participated in the summer program for a week in July. We aimed to prioritize donating not only our finances but also our time. Approximately 30 employees volunteered during the week to assist with the afternoon summer classes.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Ian Pope, the Chairperson of the LHi New York Office Charity, to hear more about their experiences during the week at GO Project's Summer Program:
Ian, what did you get up to on your volunteer day at GO Project?
My coworker, Mursal, and I volunteered with a group of second graders for three classes. We had a blast, but I forgot the limitless energy kids have.
As we met the kids, one told me, “You look like the guy from the Titanic”, I hope he was talking about Leonardo DiCaprio and not the old balding captain. Our first class was Martial arts. There are not many things scarier than 20 kids in a Muay Thai class. However, the teachers were excellent and now I have some bodyguards if needed. It felt like we were in the movie “Karate Kid” as we learned how to move our feet, breathing techniques, and correct stances. The kids had a great time.
Next, we moved to the Storytelling class. It was incredible to see the imagination of 8-year-olds as we created our own superheroes. These kids would have made Stan Lee proud as they created the backstory, superpower, and even catchphrase for their made-up character. One kid’s catchphrase was “Be Courageous” and another was “Go Fire”. My favorite character was made by a girl who made a hero with the power of “kindness”. I asked if there was anything special about the kindness. She replied, “No, she is just really kind and then the bad guys just stop fighting”. It is awesome seeing the world through the eyes of a child.
Our final class of the day was Nutrition. We learned about the main food groups. Moreover, to make it fun, we made puppets with the food groups on them. The kids then did a puppet show with Mursal and me as the audience members. After the showstopping performances, I now know that I need to eat a little healthier and that these kids might be winning Tony Awards in a few years. The parents came and picked up the kids. As they were leaving many asked if we would be back the next day. It was a sweet reminder that there is much more volunteering I could be doing but I usually push it off with excuses of a busy schedule.
What did you take away from the day?
Even though I was only there for a few hours, I could see the importance of the GO project in helping guide future generations. Seeing these kids wanting to learn and having fun at the same time highlights the great work the GO Project is doing.
After speaking to all the volunteers, everyone had great stories about the experience and was eager to help again. I saw the importance for us to invest time and see how charities are making a difference in the communities we live in.
If you would like to donate to our office charity, click here or to donate your own time and see more about their programs, visit their website, and follow the link here.
Get in Touch.
We are a company that wants to make a difference, so if you’re ready to take your career to new heights while making a meaningful impact on the world? Reach out to recruitmentUSA@wearelhi.com to hear more about how you can build a career and create lasting change.