Employee involvement in volunteering noticeably translates into increased social capital in a company. Moreover, it supports employee relations, builds trust and strengthens the airport brand as an employer.
The idea of corporate volunteering is based on the company undertaking and supporting employee activities that care carried out for non-governmental organizations and institutions defined by law. Volunteering can take various forms, such as participation in national social-charity campaigns or creation of own social programmes. Employees can also initiate their own projects or participate in team building trips, during which voluntary work is performed for those in need.
EMPLOYEES-VOLUNTEERS
Since 2016, Kraków Airport has been implementing the “Support for Volunteers” corporate volunteering programme, whose aim is to award grants to the best volunteer projects submitted by the airport employees. Projects can be dedicated to children in care of public institutions (e.g. schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, hospitals, shelters, hospices, educational care facilities), non-public educational institutions (e.g. private schools and kindergartens) or non-governmental organizations (associations, foundations). This initiative has already been recognized and described three times in the “Responsible Business in Poland. Good practices” report. The new, changed formula of this year’s 4th edition of the programme assumes the recruitment and evaluation of applications in three monthly stages. This is to facilitate the application procedure and increase the attractiveness of submitted projects.
THE OLDER FOR THE YOUNGER
As many as 15 projects have been implemented during the three previous editions of the programme, which have brought together over 100 volunteers. One of the last projects was the metamorphosis of the counselling room of psychological office in the Department of Oncology and Hematology of University Children’s Hospital of Cracow. Bright, beechwood furniture with colourful equipment replaced dark shelves that already showed signs of wear. The aesthetic cork board was decorated with pictures made by children during sessions. Everything was completed with refreshed yellow walls and blue wallpapers with colourful birds. After the transformation, the room not only meets modern ergonomic standards, but also positively affects the mood of small patients and their carers. The action was possible thanks to the involvement of the employees of Kraków Airport and a grant awarded to the Association for Children with Cancer “Koliber”.
