Goodera bridges the gap between nonprofits and corporate volunteers who need human resources and financial assistance to improve people’s lives with Down Syndrome.
Goodera launched its global campaign for World Down Syndrome Day, #JustLikeYou- Broaden your understanding of inclusion, build a better world.
Goodera interviewed philanthropic leaders of various nonprofits working for the betterment of people diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
“Many people believe that children with Down syndrome might not be able to do things their peers do. One of the main things most people think about people with Down syndrome is that they’re always happy. And yes, they are very, very happy. But they do experience a full range of emotions. Many children could have temper tantrums in our Center, and they cry to let the family know what they want”, says Lisa Donovan, Center Manager, The Down Syndrome Center Cork. “People with Down syndrome can achieve so much. And the higher expectations I have for people, the higher they will succeed. There will be more opportunities, and they will get more employment. We will see them working for companies, and our misconceptions will change.”
The campaign #JustLikeYou – Broaden your understanding of inclusion, build a better world, enable nonprofit organizations and corporations to lock arms, and create a sustainable impact in the lives of people with Down Syndrome. Teams of corporate volunteers and nonprofits choose the volunteering experiences from Goodera’s catalog of over 4000 activities, schedule a time that works for them, and volunteer to make an impact.
To celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, Goodera partnered with twelve nonprofits to:
Design 10 virtual volunteering opportunities for corporate volunteers: These experiences range from volunteers recording audiobooks of stories, poems, and fables to lightening people with down syndrome to encompassing tips and guidelines regarding the topics of leadership skills and communication skills.
Inform people about Developmental Disorder: Goodera had a chance to interact with many nonprofits and its beneficiaries to create helpful guide books that center on the process of job search, interview preparation, and more.
Goodera’s nonprofit partners who work to uplift the people with Down Syndrome booked 1,000 volunteer hours engaging 100 corporate volunteers.
“The biggest myth is that people with IDD can’t contribute to society. People think they have nothing to add, which is not valid. They have so much to add, and it is about unlocking that potential. And that’s why I love what we do here at Best Buddies. We’ve seen people go from non-verbal to verbal through our ambassador leadership program. People who had no one to hang out with at lunchtime are surrounded by friends in the class, celebrating World Down Syndrome Day.” says Jaclyn Clark, Director of Programs, Best Buddies International. “You should start by educating yourself to learn more about Down syndrome, which is huge. There are a couple of resources; one is chromosomes RS, a short film by actors with Down syndrome, explaining how Down syndrome occurs, which I thought was insightful in my learning journey.”
After successfully implementing the campaign #JustLikeYou, Goodera has launched its plans to focus on Earth Day and Autism Awareness Month in April.
About Goodera
Goodera is an employee volunteering, CSR, and ESG management company that enables corporations, foundations, governments, non-profits, and employees across 90+ countries. Goodera empowers companies to provide engaging and impactful virtual volunteering experiences to their employees globally and achieve volunteering goals.
Through curated volunteering opportunities, end-to-end program management, and impact measurement, Goodera offers a seamless volunteering experience. Goodera enables non-profits to create a sustainable impact by raising money, increasing visibility, and building long-term volunteers for causes they support. Goodera is co-headquartered in San Mateo, CA, and Bangalore, India. For more details, please visit https://goodera.com/us/non-profit/