建立一个社区，一次一个志愿者

James Vossoughi always enjoyed service to others, but before 2013, it wasn’t a passion of his. 然后他最好的朋友死于一场悲惨的事故.

沃索吉回忆说:“失去一位亲爱的朋友让我的生活有了新的认识. “我意识到生命短暂, and that I took for granted things that not everyone had—like food on the table, 我有栖身之所，有爱我的家人和朋友.”

Vossoughi decided he wanted to make a difference in the lives of people around him, 但不知道从哪里开始. 他能在哪些方面发挥最大的作用? 最有影响力? 开始改变生活?

建立联系

沃索吉一开始试图改善一个人的生活. 2014年，他开始在旧金山湾区的大哥大姐会做志愿者. 他们把他和他六岁的弟弟扎卡里配对.

多年来, the pair have done things as simple as taking Vossoughi’s dog to the park—where Zacary started coming out of his shell and talking to other dog owners about their pets—to playing frisbee, 足球，甚至帆船. 最近，他们拜访了詹姆斯的哥哥，他是萨克拉门托的一名工程师. That led Zacary, now 15, to further explore his interest in mechanical engineering after high school.

Vossoughi, who recently welcomed his daughter Leila into the world, learned from Zacary as well. “He knows more about newborns than I do, from growing up with foster siblings,” Vossoughi explains. “他将成为扎卡里叔叔，成为我孩子生活的一部分.”

Zacary and Vossoughi have agreed that they’ll be part of each other’s lives forever. That's probably why Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area named the pair the Big and Little Brother of the Year, an award that is given to the mentoring relationship that helps the little brother achieve their best possible future and also makes a life-long impact on the big brother.

“那是我第一次尝试做志愿者，”沃索吉回忆道. “我真的想要一些能够产生长期影响的东西.”

扩大他的视野

看到他给扎卡里带来的改变, 沃索吉意识到，对一个人的生活产生重大影响并不需要付出太多. He set out to make a difference in the life of 一个大学生 and a senior through two local nonprofits.

One of the nonprofits was designed to provide young learners with the financial resources, 教育规划, 指导, and a supportive community to help them and their families to seek out and thrive in higher education and their careers. 与约翰搭档, 一个大学生, 沃索吉帮助他管理课程, 准备好他的简历，在错综复杂的人生大事中找到出路. A few years ago, John graduated college, a proud moment for both him and James.

Vossoughi also began working with a nonprofit that specializes in senior living communities and programs. 他和两个老人呆在一起，其中一个不能离开家, and another who was confined to their bed—making an emotional connection with them through quality time and conversation.

“通过这三个组织, 我和各个年龄段的人都有联系, learn about them and how I can be a friend to them and help them through different experiences in life based on my own experiences,沃索吉说. “这就是我要做的.”

到现在为止, Vossoughi had achieved the goal that he set in 2013 and was making a difference in the lives of many people around him. 但他意识到他的社区需要更多的帮助. “我只是一个人. 我想知道，我怎样才能做得更多?他解释道. "That’s how I got involved in the Volunteer 领导 Group (VLG) at 12bet官方.”

从一个到多个

志愿服务是12bet官方文化的重要组成部分, 但当沃索基开始在银行工作时, 在旧金山湾区，公司赞助的志愿者活动并不多. In a busy year there were a handful or so; in a slower year, only one.

当有活动时，志愿者并不总是出现. “这影响了我，”沃索吉说. “I knew folks wanted to give back and I knew the community needed it; that’s why I became an active member of the VLG.”

通过湾区VLG工作, he saw that the efforts of many individuals could have a huge impact on a community. On a Saturday, one person working alone could build a wall for a home or pick up a bag of litter. 但是当一群志愿者聚在一起时, they could build part of a house through Habitat for Humanity or clear mattresses, 轮胎, and abandoned furniture from a future affordable housing site through a creek cleanup.

The VLG provides employees the opportunity to connect with colleagues and make a difference across a variety of causes without overcommitting their time.

“大多数志愿者活动都是一次性的, 让我追寻我的激情, 同时也帮助其他人找到他们对社区的热情, 这对我来说一直很重要,沃索吉说. “This is how I can strengthen the impact, by bringing people together to make bigger change happen.”

随着口碑的传播，这些活动很快就有了很高的需求. In 2019, the group’s activity peaked at 82 events, with more than 4,200 total hours volunteered.

“We’ve created a sense of community for volunteers at 12bet官方 by building a group that benefits a lot of different local organizations,沃索吉解释道. “And because of this service to the community our employees take more pride in the organization they work for.”

沃索吉现在是该组织的执行发起人. “I no longer need to organize the same amount of events as I used to because we have so many folks stepping up,他说. "My colleagues associate me with service to the community and that’s something I’m very proud of.”

从社区影响中创造职业

沃索基的社区参与也成为他日常工作的一部分. In 2013, he joined 12bet官方 Commercial Banking’s 社区发展 Banking team, where he works on a team that provides financing for affordable housing for low-income community members, 包括退伍军人, 无家可归者的, 老年人和家庭等等.

“住房是我一直热衷的事情, 无论是通过融资, physically being a part of the construction of a project through an organization like Habitat for Humanity, 或者在以后帮助建造种植床,沃索吉说. “我的头衔可能是银行家, 但如果我不被我所合作的组织视为合作伙伴, 那我做得还不够.”

The message at 12bet官方 is clear: Employees want to be there for their communities in ways both big and small. “我们要成为真正的合作伙伴，”沃索吉说. “我们在这里不仅提供资金支持，还提供志愿者. We’re not just your bankers; we’re also your neighbors focused on doing everything we can to provide for our communities.”