Bloomberg interns give back for annual day of service

Bowery Mission Tribeca
Interns assisted in a professional clothing drive and served lunch to 400 participants.

“Volunteering at the Intern Day of Service provided me with the opportunity to bond with others from the Bloomberg family. When applying for internships, I was drawn to the company because the employees genuinely care about service. Assisting a client in picking out a suit for his interview was the most rewarding part of the day. During our conversation, I learned that he was embarrassed to interview in the past as he lacked the proper attire. It was incredible to witness his demeanor transform as the suit caused him to feel empowered,” Austin Bates, Cornell University, Sales and Analytics Intern.

Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Interns threw a party for 200 patients at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.

“In comparison to past volunteer experiences, volunteering at Montefiore was unique and gave me the opportunity to be creative. We worked together to create a Western BBQ Party for children who are facing life-threatening illnesses. I assisted the kids in creating their own Build-A-Bear. Since I am fluent in Spanish and Arabic I had opportunity to connect with children and families, who have traveled around the world for treatment, in their native languages,” Toqa Badran, Columbia University, Financial Products Intern.

Bowery Mission
Interns prepared 1,000 lunch for Bowery Mission attendees.

“The Intern Day of Service deepened my understanding of the culture at Bloomberg LP, as 85% of the company’s profits are donated to philanthropy. At Bloomberg, we live by the phrase “work on purpose.” This reminds us that our work is impactful. Volunteering with one of the Bloomberg sponsored organizations provided me the opportunity to see firsthand how our work positively influences the world around us. At the Bowery Mission, one of our assignments was to serve soup. At work, soup is also offered to employees at lunchtime, but, seeing how grateful everyone at Bowery Mission was, I realized that I had previously taken the soup at Bloomberg for granted. This experience changed my perspective and as a result I am more grateful,” Omar Alhagiko, Wagner College, Sales and Analytics Intern.

Ronald McDonald House
Interns prepared and served lunch to 75 children and their families.

“At Bloomberg, employees choose to make a difference by donating their time and money. In high school, I served at the local Ronald McDonald House (RMH) because I wanted to volunteer with an organization focused on ensuring that sick children can grow up and have the same opportunities I had. For this event, Bloomberg LP provided lunch for patients and their families and we distributed the meal. The Team Captain for our project had been working at Bloomberg and volunteering with RMH for the past 25 years. The director of RMH approached to us and explained that the staff are always confident that the patients and their families will have a delicious and nutritious meal whenever a group from Bloomberg volunteers,” Ahmad Bakrin, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Sales and Analytics Intern.

Common Pantry
Interns served 400 families and packed 100 to-go meals.

“What affected me the most about Common Pantry is the impact they have in the community. They will help serve over a hundred thousand meals this year, and are still growing. Service is important to me, and seeing how Bloomberg is so committed to helping the surrounding communities is inspiring, because I wasn’t aware of that part of the company’s culture at first. Whether through the Intern Day of Service, Bloomberg training programs, or conversations with my manager, I have had the opportunity to grow and learn from so many people,” Betsy Ramirez, Hamilton College, Corporate Communications Intern.

Habitat for Humanity Newark
Interns helped construct a home for a local family that was affected by Hurricane Sandy.

“My favorite part of the Intern Day of Service was the teamwork. Coming into this project, I didn’t really know too many other interns. Bloomberg’s culture is all about congregating and getting to know people from every part of the business. We found a way to collaborate and work together toward a common goal, despite not knowing each other before that day. In BCS, we’ve been assigned projects that have made me step outside of my comfort zone and collaborate with different people. This has not only helped me grow a lot as a person, but also as a professional,” Emmanuel Bakou, Union College, Bloomberg Customer Service Intern.

The River Fund
Interns packed 1,200 backpacks with school supplies.

“I joined 40 of my fellow Bloomberg interns to volunteer for the day at the River Fund New York. Their  mission is to empower communities to move beyond the lines of poverty. We all split into groups of seven or eight to help pack backpacks for students getting ready to head back to school. My team was working with preschoolers, placing markers and crayons into brightly colored backpacks that were probably just as big as some of their future owners. It was heartwarming to think of the roughly 1,000 students who would start school in August, their new bags bouncing on their shoulders, excited about the things they would learn.  But it was equally rewarding to know we were supporting an organization that addressed not just the symptoms but also the systemic causes of poverty. Even more assuring was the realization that many Bloomberg employees don’t limit themselves to one day a year to give back to the community; many sign up to volunteer for the same organizations week after week, often maxing out spots available and effectively becoming part of the communities they serve. This commitment to service is part of what makes working at Bloomberg so special, and I’m so proud to be part of a company that is committed to bettering the city it calls home,” Ramya Prabhakar, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Philanthropies Intern.

Citymeals- on-Wheels
Interns packed 7,502 meals to be distributed among the community.

“Having lived in New York City my entire life, I felt I had became desensitized to the large numbers of New Yorkers living in poverty. The Intern Day of Service reminded me that my daily contribution at work supports Bloomberg’s expansive mission of doing the most good for the greatest number of people. This day of service helped me appreciate my privilege a lot more and made me realize a need for the help we provided. As a result, I hope to engage in more service opportunities. The most valuable learning experiences during my internship involved learning from the people that work here. Before I started interning at Bloomberg, I didn’t know where to begin or how to talk to professionals, but I learned about the need to participate in order to make connections last,” Terence Marshall, LaGuardia Community College, Information Systems Intern.

Food Bank for New York City
Interns sorted and packed 10,468 pounds of food which will provide 8,723 meals for those in need.

“The Intern Day of Service took me outside the office environment and provided a perspective of what goes on in the city outside of my own day-to-day work. I learned about the multitude of opportunities Bloomberg provides to give back to the community. I think that my experience as an intern has always centered on broadening my perspective through engaging with others, which I think the Bloomberg culture really emphasizes. The intern program has also given me so many opportunities to listen to tech talks/speakers, get to know my intern connector, and integrate into the Bloomberg community as a whole,” Nina Wang, Princeton, BLAW Intern.

 City Harvest
 Interns sorted and packed 10,000 pounds of food.

“In my time as a Startup intern, I found that Bloomberg does a great job of paying it forward and giving back to the surrounding community. Participating in the Intern Day of Service solidified this idea for me and allowed me to connect with other interns from diverse backgrounds and offer my time to City Harvest. Being able to help out by providing people in need with fresh fruits and vegetables was rewarding. Collaborating across the spectrum of peers within my department while also giving back to the community really defines what Bloomberg is all about,” Andy Hernandez, Dickinson College, Bloomberg Tradebook Intern.

“Bloomberg’s Intern Day of Service was a day away from our desks to learn and make a collaborative difference in the New York City community. We spent the day sorting through sweet potatoes and packaging them to be distributed to food kitchens and farmer’s markets throughout the city. Taking part in a meaningful volunteer experience like this allowed us to realize the impact that Bloomberg and their partners have on people’s lives. While all we did was package potatoes, we packaged 10,000 pounds of them: 10,000 pounds of food that will feed families, that otherwise would have gone to waste. This year alone, City Harvest will help feed more than 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling with food insecurity. I, along with the rest of the Bloomberg interns, am extremely lucky to have had a part in this fight against hunger,” Sydney Boal, University of Wisconsin Madison, Bloomberg Philanthropies Intern.

Clean Ocean Action
Interns helped clean up trash along the Sandy Hook coastline.

“The Intern Day of Service allowed me to share in the wonderful experience of giving back to the community with the rest of the interns. It also enhanced my internship because more of us began to understand why service matters, making us more excited to participate in future Philanthropy events. As a Startup Intern, I always knew that Philanthropy was a core part of the Bloomberg mission, and after participating in the day of service, I feel honored to be a part of a team that is helping to improve and revolutionize how we make a difference in the world,” Shraiy Gupta, Carnegie Mellon University, Philanthropy and Engagement Intern.

The Whitney Museum of Art

The Intern Day of Service culminated with a visit to the Whitney Museum of Art and a welcome from Chief Operating Officer, Beth Mazzeo, who reminded interns of the company’s philanthropic principles: “Giving back is a vital part of our culture at Bloomberg,” Mazzeo emphasized. “It is in our DNA and at the core of our commitment to excellence in service in our products and in the cities in which we live and work.”  Last year, more than 12,000 employee volunteers contributing 145,765 hours of service across 92 cities worldwide.