Solidarity and growth: the power of volunteering

Imagine starting your day knowing that you have the opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life. How would you feel?

“Helping others fuels my motivation and positive energy” states Enrica Lipari, People & Culture Director at Growens.

At Growens, caring for others is one of the core principles that define our corporate culture. As part of our people-centered initiatives, the Group offers employees paid hours to engage in volunteering activities, thereby contributing positively to society.

Why Growens has volunteering at heart 

Growens embodies four core values: Passion, Caring, Open-Mindedness, and Trust. The value of caring, in particular, reflects the commitment to taking care of both talents and the community in which the company operates. Employees have the opportunity to make a difference during work hours, thanks to eight paid hours per year for volunteering activities. 

This project not only enriches employees’ lives both personally and professionally, but also allows them to feel part of something greater. Moreover, it increases satisfaction levels and fosters a sense of belonging to the community.

Volunteering: a benefit for everyone 

Allowing employees to take time off work for charitable activities brings several advantages to both companies and employees. 

It helps create a positive work environment, improves staff morale and motivation, and attracts new talents looking for socially engaged employers.

For individuals, it is an opportunity to grow, develop soft skills and make a real impact on the community. Growens is aware of this and supports socially valuable projects, while also committing to nurturing the motivation and sense of belonging of its employees.

Here are some of their experiences.

Flavio Sartori, QA Engineer – Volunteer for I Baskettosi 

“My experience with I Baskettosi, a unified basketball team where athletes with mental disabilities play alongside able-bodied players, began about ten years ago when a teammate, already a volunteer with the association, asked me to join a tournament because they were short a player. From that moment, I fell in love with this world and never left it.

I used the volunteer hours provided by Growens to participate with the team in the third edition of the Körmend Unified Basketball Cup in Hungary, a tournament featuring six teams from Italy, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia. It was an intense experience, and being in contact with the players is always something magical. 

In these moments, you truly appreciate the team spirit and the bond between the athletes (those with mental disabilities), the partners (able-bodied players), and the staff, living together closely for 24 hours a day, not just on the basketball court.

Such experiences make you come home physically tired but happy. Their smiles after a basketball match are always rewarding, and the physical fatigue becomes secondary.

The paid volunteer hours allow me to support these players even more, and it is greatly appreciated by both myself and my association. This benefit is a very important plus.“

Agostino Molinaro, Backend Engineer – Volunteer for Lamezia Comics & Co 

“My experience at Lamezia Comics & Co, the comics fair in my city, was my first volunteering activity. Having always loved and attended these fairs, I decided last year to contribute to the event by volunteering.

I am sure that I will soon undertake a similar experience again. Contributing to this initiative allowed me to participate in the fair organization and gave me the opportunity to meet many other people involved in volunteering.

It was a valuable experience where I made new friends and connected with other organizations, such as Plastic Free, where I would like to volunteer in the future.”

Tory Del Favero, People Business Partner – Volunteer for a Golf Tournament

“I don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t volunteering. I come from a service-oriented family, and helping others was something we did together. I grew up in an environment where it was clear that for the community to thrive, everyone’s help was needed.

This is the third consecutive year that I have used the eight volunteer hours provided by Growens. One year, I participated in a school beautification project, another year I hosted a fundraising event for scholarships for young people, and this year I worked at a golf tournament. This experience aimed to raise funds for teacher grants and supplies for children, such as scientific calculators.

I find a lot of beauty in volunteering, and having time provided by the company allows me to be present and be part of something that adds value to my community. I am certain that I will continue to volunteer because doing good feels good.

The opportunity to step away from daily tasks, gain perspective, and contribute to the community is beneficial for everyone!“

Enrica Lipari, People & Culture Director – Volunteer for Skillando Digital Volunteering 

“I have dedicated myself to volunteering on various occasions throughout my life because helping others fuels my motivation and positive energy. As a teenager, I helped clean the mountains around Cava de’ Tirreni, the town in Southern Italy where I lived, and assisted the elderly with their errands. During my university years in Rome, I helped immigrants navigate the local bureaucracy.

However, it was late last year that I felt a stronger call towards a specific mission. This led me to enroll in Digital for Humanity in January 2024. Considering the professional skills I have acquired over time, my lifestyle, and flexible work, I found the Skillando Digital Volunteering project to be the perfect channel for my availability and desire to help. Promoted by Digital for Humanity, this project aims to reduce the digital divide by educating and raising awareness among citizens to minimize social, economic, and cultural differences.

Thanks to the volunteer hours provided by Growens and its flexible work model (WoW program), I took part in two internal projects within the organization: the onboarding process for new volunteers (buddyship) and the organization of the annual volunteer meetup. 

Recently, I also joined the first mission with the Refugees Welcome team, working on the Organizational Design stream to improve the organization’s operations and create a scalable model for the welcome initiative. This experience had a significant impact on me. Working alongside the Skillando Digital Volunteering team, composed of skilled and kind professionals in several fields, I also acquired new skills and awareness.

I believe that companies play an important role in supporting and taking responsibility for their people and the environment around them. Therefore, especially for companies like ours that operate on an international scale, with the ambitious goal of democratizing content design, it is important to encourage our professionals to embrace enriching and rejuvenating experiences like volunteering.

My journey with Skillando DV is still ongoing, and I hope to participate in many more initiatives with them, while at the same time embrace new initiatives focused on my local area”

Wrap up

The volunteer hours offered by Growens provide a significant opportunity for growth and connection. 

Through volunteering, employees can make a tangible difference in their community, gain new perspectives, and strengthen their sense of belonging to something greater. These testimonials show how a company can turn values into concrete actions, creating a more satisfying and cohesive work environment.

At Growens, caring is not just a value but a daily practice.