Sharing Talent, Technology, Time

Asia is getting hit with natural disasters.  First the Myanmar cyclone which is estimated to have affected 1.5 million people.  MILLION.  On Monday, China was hit with a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, killing an estimated 9,000 people.  Eighty percent of the buildings in Beichuan county collapsed.

China and Myanmar need our help.  How do we help?  Financial contributions are the best way.  This insures that the right supplies get to the right places.  And charities that buy these supplies typically get wholesale prices. 

The Sun online drive benefits organizations that help disaster victims, and makes giving so easy.  Try it.

It's now several days after the devastating cyclone hit Myanmar.  It is estimated that over 22,000 lives have been lost and possibly one million people left homeless.  And these numbers are most likely going to increase in the coming days.  Continued flooding and outbreak of disease will contribute to already incredible suffering.

The Sun community rallies in times of crisis.  This is the reason we have a partnership with the nonprofit organization Aidmatrix.  Through Aidmatrix, Sun has a year-round, online disaster relief drive where employees can easily make financial donations to worthy nonprofit organizations.  Charities working to aid the people of Myanmar have just been added.  This drive is open to everyone, not just Sun employees.  But employees are eligible for matching funds from the Sun Microsystems Foundation.  Just check the box at the check out page of the drive.

I just found out about a really neat project that maps directly to our Open Doors initiative. I read about it on the blog of summer intern Mike Coe. 

Last month, in Colorado, a group of high school kids came in to spend the day with us.

They are in a program run by the Colorado School of Mines for students who might not necessarily be on a track to going to university. The program aims to get them on those rails and expose them to engineering. 

About 35 kids came in and spent some time with us last week to do just that.

There are more details about what they did on Mike's blog.

We're developing a template around this kind of engagement, to make it easy for Sun employees to host these kinds of events.

The objective is to extend a hand of partnership -- across sectors, across generations -- to expose young people to who we are, what we do, and the causes we believe in.

I think it's a great program. Initial feedback has been very positive. We're all really excited about what's ahead.

Women@Sun Colorado just sent out an alert to their community.

I don't live in Colorado so I'm not a member in the strictest interpretation. But I like to hang around and they haven't yet scooted me off. 

:-)

They're organizing a back-to-school supply drive for needy children in the region. They're collecting backpacks, school supplies and monetary donations to benefit Broomfield Family and Children's Services, and Girls, Inc. of Metro Denver. 

The Sun Foundation will match employee charitable giving dollar for dollar up to $1,000 per employee per year.

Back-to-school drives like this one are also being organized by employees in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Georgia.

We'll likely see more as we get closer to the start of the school year here in the US.

It's neat stuff.

:-) 

Mary
 

I just got off the phone with the Volunteer Director at RSVP Boulder, a non-profit organization that provides safety-net services to elderly people in need. 

She called me to discuss involving people RSVP Boulder serves into our Open Doors program. I think prospects are reasonably good and we're going to continue working that to see if there's a fit.

Just as we were concluding the conversation, she shared a story with me.

And I want to share it with you.

For years, Sun employee Pam Morgan ....

 
... has set up a giving tree at the holidays. Employees in the office have donated gifts to be given to people in need -- including the elderly served by RSVP Boulder.

The non-profit director told me that in many cases the need is dire. "For some of them, the only social interaction they have is with their doctor. Many of these people are completely alone"

When the gifts that the Sun employees -- organized by Pam -- arrived they were greeted with much joy and gratitude.

"One elderly lady was literally jumping up and down. She said: 'I feel like I've just won in BINGO. No one has given me a gift in years.' "

I am proud to call Pam Morgan -- and the dozens of Sun employees who have given so generously over the years as part of this program -- my colleagues.

This story is the first Christmas gift I've ever received in July.

I treasure it.  

Mary