Around eighty corporate volunteers worked together with the little inhabitants on refurbishing the gardens of the Bolyai Children’s home in Budapest on Saturday, October 3.
It was still quite chilly in the morning when the volunteers gathered in the gardens and were briefed on the day’s tasks, but by mid-morning, everyone was busy working in just t-shirts in the 11th district of Budapest. Some worked on sanding and painting the new wooden furniture, some planted fruit trees, while others busied themselves cleaning up the street along the fence or tending to the spice gardens, and a last group was responsible for cooking lunch in three large kettles on campfires.
The kids of the children’s home who spent the weekend there split their time joining the different groups and helping them. They were so enthralled with the work that they hardly cared for the face painting and the other activities planned just for them.
The American Chamber of Commerce Foundation (AmCham Foundation) has been organising it’s corporate volunteering day entitle A Day to Make it Happen for 15 years now, and has been supported by the devoted, enthusiastic employees of many AmCham member companies.
The volunteers of Tata Consutancy and Lexmark were the among the first to answer the call this year, and being joined by peoople from Alcoa-Köfém, Oracle, NCR Hungary, Budapest Hilton, Circular Foundation, Mapi, Gléda, Urmet and AmCham Office – close to a hundred corporate volunteers pitched in.
Thank you for the support of participating companies with providing the tools needed for the work: fruit trees, fertile soil, flowers, seedlings, flower bulbs, pallets, tools, paints, pastry.
They refurbished the gardens to create a space to enable the kids to actively and usefully spend their free time. Many arrived together with their children, setting an example in helping those in need at an early age.
In line with the mission of the Bólyai Children’s home, we hope that the new community areas enable the children to feel a sense of achievement. Taking care of the plants and gardens, becoming conscious of the imortance of a healty diet, doing work and having conversations outdoors should serve both their individual mental health and the building of a good community. Sustainability, self-sustainment and protection of the environment were also important for the project.
by Márton Magócsi
