Our culture of care and giving back to our communities is evident throughout the year. Through our two signature employee engagement programs — the Vertex Foundation Matching Gift Program and the Vertex Volunteers program — Vertexians can contribute their time, talent and resources to the causes they care about most.
In 2024, we launched a voluntary Community Champions program to bring together a global network of more than 100 Vertexians who are passionate about giving back to the communities where we live and work. And our Champions met the moment, helping us achieve our most impactful Global Week of Service to date, sharing their stories of why they give back, and sustaining the spirit of volunteerism throughout the year.
Take a moment to meet a few of the Community Champions who are helping us make a difference!
Sophie: Champion for socially responsible urban farming
Sophie led the search for an organization in Paris that matched her teams’ volunteering objectives. “For me and my team of volunteers, it was all about doing something for the environment while giving back to individuals within the community,” she said.
During our 2024 Week of Service, she led a dedicated group of 55 volunteers at Le Paysan Urbain, a network of agro-ecological and socially responsible urban farms that provides the city with multiple services, from responsible agriculture to promoting social inclusion by creating jobs for people in difficulty. The farm also makes organic bar soap to distribute directly to people in need throughout Paris.
“I think it’s a blessing to have a program like this at Vertex and to be able to give your time. My colleagues and I take it seriously and do it with all our heart,” said Sophie. “It was so beautiful to see everybody there, giving their positive energy and helping make soap for people in need. It was just a bundle of joy for me. You feel like what you’re doing has a purpose.”
Anne: Champion for local schools
Anne, who’s currently celebrating 13 years at Vertex, began volunteering over a decade ago, making kits for kids with supplies like backpacks, crayons and notebooks.
“It felt wonderful,” she said. “It was really a sense of community — even within Vertex itself. I didn’t always get to meet people outside my work group. Volunteering gave me the chance to get to know other colleagues better, which was great.”
As a passionate volunteer, Anne was excited to sign on as a Community Champion. Her preferred niche? Giving back to local schools, particularly the Boston Public Schools system, where she first helped create an outdoor classroom years ago.
“Week of Service is not only about giving back, but also about living our values,” she said. “‘We’ Wins happens when communities win too, no matter whether that community is made of patients, children in an afterschool program, cancer patients getting meals delivered or veterans getting a ‘Hand Up’ with a freshly detailed vehicle. When I think about the amount of lives our annual Week of Service has impacted, it is truly moving.”
Roger: Champion for protecting nature
Roger recently joined Vertex as a senior research scientist, relocating from New Jersey to Boston for the opportunity, and jumped right into volunteering.
“I had just joined when the call went out for volunteers for Champions,” he said. “Since I was new to the area and the company needed us, I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet new people and explore the surroundings.”
Roger joined one of three Vertex teams that volunteered onsite at the Massachusetts Audubon, which protects the state’s nature for people and wildlife, focusing on resilient lands; access to nature; climate change; birds and wildlife; and global conservation beyond state lines.
“We cleaned up the land by the trail and removed all the invasive species to give a chance for native species to grow,” he said. “We were the last of the three groups, so we just started ripping out everything we could. I think we accomplished a lot — the groundskeeper was very impressed with what we did. This gave us the chance to roll up our sleeves together for the community.”
Our Community Champions network is strong, and growing! We hope to expand in year two to create even more positive impact in our communities all year round.