Our Communities
We live our mission—improving the wellbeing of people—in numerous ways in communities where we live, work, and operate. Volunteering is an additional way, beyond our work, that Abt employees promote our mission, backed by financial support from Abt for causes that are meaningful to our company vision and teams. Equity remained at the heart of all we did.
Giving Financial Assistance
In FY2023, starting April 1, 2022, Abt and our staff funded a variety of crisis efforts, from water test kits in Jackson, MS, to earthquake relief in Syria and Turkey. Staff in our Brisbane office participated in the four-day Trek for Rights, sponsored by UN Woman, across Cradle Mountain in Tasmania to raise money for the work of UN Women in Bangladesh with Rohingya refugees. The Papua New Guinea staff raised funds for Movember, the men’s health charity, and for our colleague Florence Momoa’s cancer treatment. We donated to help those affected by Hurricane Ian, which devastated the Fort Myers, FL, area, where we have a call center and staff. We made donations to the Colorado Healing Fund after the Club Q shooting, which targeted LGBTQIA+ patrons on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Abt Global Australia was a finalist for the Queensland Corporate Volunteering Award. “The award said, “The program has been able to demonstrate the significant positive outcomes brought about in the Queensland community.”
Giving Our Time
Abt staffers helped those in need around the globe, including people in communities where we live who were facing severe challenges. Abt policies such as a social impact floating holiday encourage volunteerism, which took many forms.
Volunteer activities include mentoring women on career skills, distributing food, assembling safe sex kits, environmental cleanups, and helping people experiencing homelessness transition to secure housing.
A D.C. native, Daisha Johnson is always conscious of giving back to her community. When she learned about a volunteer opportunity at the Women’s Collective from her Employee Network Group, Women@Abt, and heard a presentation about the collective’s history, she knew it was the right place for her.
Women’s Collective founder Patricia Nalls was diagnosed with HIV shortly after her husband and child died from AIDS. In 1990, Patricia set up a private phone line in her home for women living with HIV to share their struggles and concerns and advertised it with flyers in her doctor's office. As the number of women grew, she transformed the effort into a confidential support group for women to come together to laugh, cry, share resources, and gain strength from each other.
“Patricia's story about her strength and perseverance really resonated with me and made me grateful for the opportunity to help and listen to others,” Daisha says.
After the presentation, she got straight to work. Volunteers split into groups and packed hygiene bags, helped with administrative tasks, assisted with the food pantry, and helped clean up the office. “Everyone was appreciative of our help, and it was a joy to experience,” Daisha says.
Pro Bono Work
Each year, we carry out one pro bono project in partnership with a community-based organization aligned with our goal to embed equity into all that we do. This annual effort is designed to use our resources to strengthen the impact that the nonprofit organization already has in its community. We ensure our support is sustainable and scalable by the nonprofit. This past year, we worked with the Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC), which promotes systemic equity and educational excellence for all children. We devoted 375 hours to position WEC to strengthen its partner relationships and measure its impacts for people, community, and systems.
Mobilizing Support for Colleagues
It wasn’t Maria Claudia de Valdenebro’s first brush with climate change. The Abt graphic artist had been through this before in their Cape Coral Florida, home, where ubiquitous canals make sure no homeowner is far from water.
But 2022’s Hurricane Ian was different. “Water was coming everywhere,” she says. Then the wind picked up. “It was like we were inside a washing machine” as gusts reached 155 mph, Maria Claudia added. Water submerged all but the roof of her car. Furniture. Books. Appliances. Clothing. All destroyed. Power and phone service were out for three weeks.
Was there a little good news? Yes. Metal slats on windows kept debris out. Most walls were plaster and withstood the water damage. The Red Cross came. Neighbors helped each other out. And her Abt colleagues provided a lot of support—through fundraising, administrative support while she was unable to work, and other assistance.
“It lifted my spirits,” she says. And it helped her husband, who had had four strokes and couldn’t help Maria Claudia with the cleanup and other tasks. Seven months later, Maria Claudia is still dealing with the effects. “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she says. Whatever does happen, she knows Abt and her colleagues have her back.
MISSION IMPACT REPORT 2023: Explore
OUR WORK: Overview | Good Health | Economic Security | Effective Governance | Equity & Inclusion | Thriving Environment
OUR PEOPLE AND OPERATIONS: Overview | Employee Wellness | Financial Health | Ethics & Governance | Equity as Our Cornerstone | Environmental Responsibility
OUR COMMUNITIES: Overview
