GiveLab Volunteer Initiatives
About GiveLab
Throughout the course of the year, GitLab encourages team members to take part in various sponsorship and volunteer initiatives that support and ultimately uplift their local communities. As with our unique ways of working, GitLab and its team members have identified and sought out opportunities for impact that speak back not only to our values but our all-remote nature.
Along with documenting our active programs within the handbook team members can create awareness and initiate a call to action through the #givelab Slack Channel, extending awareness to our team member community which spans over sixty-five countries!
Global Volunteer Month
Though many of the GiveLab initiatives are ongoing, December is Global Volunteer Month at GitLab and an opportunity for everyone to contribute in a socially meaningful way.
Team members are encouraged to take part in an initiative within their local community whether it be serving at a local soup kitchen; offering to support the build of a website for a non-profit organisation; arranging the clean-up of your nearest park or compiling a small box of much needed items for children in an underprivileged community.
Taking Part
- If you would like to take part in
Global Volunteer Monthplease be sure to join the#givelabSlack Channel by mid-November and share information around the initiative you have in mind. - Be sure to highlight the location of the inititative along with the unique needs that may apply - once you have posted, be sure to share the thread in your location channel if one is available (this is a great way to gather support and additional hands).
- Communicate with your Manager! Be sure to let your team know when you will be OOO (Out of Office) supporting your cause.
- Showcase the initiative and your contributions by sharing feedback and images both in #givelab and on social media - it is important to tag
@gitlaband use#givelabwhen doing so though as posts may be shared from time-to-time taking into account current demands. - Give yourself a pat on the back. Thank you for taking part and helping to spread some love!
GitLab Donation Drives
The first GitLab Donation Drive in 2020 started as an internal challenge to GitLab team members to donate 5,000 meals to US Food Banks over the course of a week. This initiative quickly gained traction and saw over 100,000 meals being donated across 19 countries. 2021’s campaign expanded to include any type of donation, including donations of time as part of Global Volunteer Month.
Upstream Diversity Working Group
Having identified a talent gap in both the technology and the university system which speaks predominantly to Underrepresented Groups, the Upstream Diversity Working Group was established.
Geared toward knowledge sharing, the recently piloted program sees GitLab team members extending their technical skills and time to those in Underrepresented Groups (URGs) with a view to creating future career opportunities for them within the technology sector. The program mobilises GitLab team members to serve as coaches in partnership with Latinitas; FreeCodeCamp and re:Learn.
Trusted Interns
As a pioneer in the all-remote space, GitLab is uniquely leveraged to prepare youth around the globe for the future of work. Recently, GitLab Alumni Jean du Plessis, in collaboration with Trusted Interns as part of The Knowledge Trust which places a focus on making jobs more accessible to South African Youth, presented a webinar around Preparing for your First Remote Job.
This was a springboard for around 650 South African Youth from within the Trusted Interns program to complete the GitLab All-Remote Certification.
Rails Girls
On multiple occasions, GitLab has supported Rails Girls an organisation geared toward providing tools and creating a sense of community for women in the technology space - enabling them to grow their knowledge base and build out their ideas. The most recent event supported was the Rails Girls Kumasi Ruby on Rails Workshop - be sure to check out this GitLab Unfiltered video to see our very own Abubakar Siddiq Ango, Developer Evangalism Program Manager in action!
Recent Team Member Participation
GitLab encourages team members to set time aside to take part in local volunteer initiatives within their respective communities. Here are a few of the of projects our team members have lent hands or resources to of late:
Operation Warm providing warmth, confidence and hope to children in need through the gift of brand-new winter coats. Over the last 20 years, Operation Warm and our partners have used the coat as a bridge for families in need to access everything from flu shots to new books.
Fontanus Research Center which aims to create new, efficient and interdisciplinary educational methodologies.
National Charity League a multi-generational philanthropic organization of mother and daughters who volunteer close to three million hours annually to over 6,000 charities in the United States.
Hack for She, a completely virtual hackathon aimed to find solutions to Women’s problems.
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