Coupa Employees Celebrate Second Annual Global Volunteer Day

To celebrate Coupa’s annual Global Volunteer Day, Coupa teams across the world galvanized the Power of We to give back to their communities through the Coupa Cares program. On Thursday, June 14th, Coupa employees in 11 locations around the globe volunteered hundreds of hours to help local organizations further their missions.

The Coupa Cares program drives change on a global scale, funding donations to nonprofits through Coupa Advantage savings, providing VTO (Volunteering Time Off) for Coupa employees, and giving back for the greater good through employee, partner, and customer philanthropic initiatives.

Coupa Cares supports and runs volunteer events throughout the year. The highlight of these events is our Annual Global Volunteer Day, when the Coupa Village gives back as a worldwide team.

Here’s a snapshot of all the 2018 Global Volunteer Day events around the world:

Coupa HQ (San Mateo)
At Coupa’s California headquarters, 40 Coupa volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty, spending three hours in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on beautification efforts. In total, they removed 3,600 pounds of dirt, debris, and invasive weeds from the expansive Peacock Meadow. The team partnered with the city’s Recreation and Parks Department to prepare the park for its 14+ million annual visitors.

Coupa Atlanta
Coupa volunteers in Atlanta, Georgia, spent the day helping Senior Connections, a local group with the mission to provide essential home and community-based care that maximizes independence for older adults. The team sliced, diced, and chopped their way to success to assist with the 3,000 meals the organization distributes daily. A staple of the Atlanta senior community for 40 years, Senior Connections also provides over 60,000 hours of in-home care throughout the year.

Coupa Chicago
In Chicago, Illinois, Coupa employees volunteered at the Lake View Food Pantry, one of Chicago’s largest and longest-operating food pantries. The team had their hands full, managing over 1,000 pounds of food items through their work. They distributed food to clients, stocked shelves, unloaded deliveries, sorted donations, and donated funds to fuel 4,000 additional meals.

Coupa Reno
In Reno, Nevada, the Coupa team continued their relationship with St. Vincent's Food Pantry and Thrift Store, volunteering to help manage food and clothing donations. St. Vincent's is part of the Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada network, which provides food resources, affordable housing, and clothing services to more than 32,000 people.

Coupa London
To support refugees in Lesvos, Greece, the Coupa team in London packed 1,000 backpacks with clothing, shoes, and other essentials for those awaiting migration to Europe in overcrowded detention centers. They partnered again this year with the organization Donate4Refugees, which supports migrants by filling in the gaps left by larger NGOs. Donate4Refugees sent the backpacks on to Greece, and they will arrive next week.

Coupa Dublin
Celebrating the start of summer, Coupa volunteers in Dublin sold almost 1000 ice creams to raise over €1,400 in support of DEBRA Ireland. For four hours, the Coupa team cycled ice cream carts around their community to serve frosty treats and collect donations. (They even managed to avoid taste-testing the merchandise!) DEBRA supports individuals and families affected by the rare yet debilitating genetic skin disorder known as Epidermolysis Bullosa through advocacy, research, and support.

Coupa Basel
In the same week as National Refugee Day, the Coupa team in Switzerland continued the spirit of community support by donating 1,000 CHF and several volunteer hours to the Soup&Chill organization. Soup&Chill provides homeless and lower-income individuals with a free warm supper every evening. Coupa’s 10 volunteers spent three hours preparing over 30 kilograms of vegetables and tending to the association’s garden by planting 75 flowers and herbs while removing 5 boxes of weeds.

Coupa Pune
In Pune, India, the Coupa team had a blast volunteering with the Seva Sahayog Foundation to create 515 school kits, including Coupa-sponsored notebooks and pens, for underprivileged students. The Seva Sahayog Foundation has served the Pune community for the past decade, connecting socially conscious groups and individuals with local NGOs to improve the welfare of urban slum populations.

Coupa São Paulo
Coupa volunteers in São Paulo, Brazil, delivered food and clothing to newly homeless individuals after a devastating apartment fire left more than 300 people without homes. Despite the distressing conditions, the displaced community’s spirits were high. The Coupa team received warm welcomes and sincere gratitude for their efforts, including “thank you” offers of hot coffee.

Coupa Stadthagen
Coupa Stadthagen In Stadthagen, Germany, the Coupa team supported Jägerhof day care and learning center for children, including those with special needs. The group donated and set up play structures, refurbished wooden toys and furniture, and painted the school’s walls. Of course, the children helped as well in constructing the new play equipment and testing it out. The verdict? Enthusiastic approval!

Get Involved!
If you have suggestions for future Coupa Cares events, we’d love to hear them! Reach out to us at [email protected]com.