Critical issues that the world has to immediately tackle, including the ongoing pandemic, have pushed the welfare of youth to a lower priority. Having to spend their academic years in such an unusual setup and their socialization being limited, it is such a pity how the holistic development of children is stifled. This isolated period, psychologists purport, will eventually lead to a mental lag among children which will persist even years after this pandemic is over.
We have witnessed how businesses still managed to give back to the community when they themselves have their fair share of insurmountable problems they could save their resources and energy for. We saw how manufacturers that, in no way are related to PPE, sanitary product, and disinfectant production, were able to transition to making masks, face shields, hand sanitizers, social distancing signs, and droplet barriers.
If not, despite the slowdown of sales, they were still able to raise funds to not cut their streak of donations to their partner non-profits. Small and big businesses alike demonstrated how solutions are within grasp if you put your mind to it.
These types of organizations that exempts no excuse did not underwhelm when it came to the results they sustain in terms of youth development. And, as they owe their landslide wins in business as well as in CSR to their incredible teamwork, it is worth discussing how much they are transforming the landscape to better reach young beneficiaries to their programs amid the road obstructions dropped by wide-ranging issues:
Engineers
Manufacturing companies that are reliant on plastic molding and are heavy on innovation are well aware of the importance of knowledge succession. Product researchers and innovators are, after all, mortal beings who can only pass on accumulated data resources and know-how to next-in-lines. Technology has to evolve, too, with the passage of time, and only when companies adapt to new ones can they stay in the game.
That is why many of them increasingly shun the idea of prioritizing the hiring of degree holders. Instead, they are becoming more receptive to having engineering students on board and are willing to give them more than just an apprentice or intern role.
Rather, they give these young talents, especially those promising ones, the free hand to apply the up-to-date scientific principles they learned in the academe in developing proprietary technology. Some companies even go beyond as to not only offering to absorb brilliant talents but also to reward them for the value-adding machinery they manage to put together. Wise ones bank on the potential benefit this has for them and the chance to hone a future industry expert that they could take pride in.
Scholarship Grants
Granting scholarships have been a youth-oriented CSR model for decades now. But, more than ever businesses, with the help of their respective foundations or social equity arms, are instituting more stringent qualifications for candidates.
To help them narrow down their choices, they ensure to limit applicants to students or youth leaders who reside in the same county or state. That way, verifying their background through family, acquaintances, and affiliations would be more fruitful. Also, qualifying a child who is, through and through, a faithful citizen of the same locality guarantees them that he is aware of specific issues. Therefore, they could be assured that investing in him would be worth it as he is certainly inclined toward alleviating these issues and, in turn, improving the lives of the members of his community.
Chronic Illnesses
The needs of the chronically ill, especially of children with cancer, were indefinitely pushed aside when the pandemic hit. Many companies, then, shifted their focus to raising funds to spread awareness and donate to hospitals and other care facilities.
Some even went the extra mile to launch commemorative products like blender company Blendtec with their pink blender in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.
On the other hand, some companies tapped onto common health issues that are not often discussed. Mattress company Tempur Sealy, for instance, funded Kentucky Children’s Hospital to help them build a Pediatric Sleep Center to aid kids who were experiencing sleeping troubles. In some cases, these sleeping disorders were triggered by changes they underwent during the pandemic.
At the end of the day, businesses that have a genuine heart are blessed ten to a hundredfold for their unconditional kindness. They set an example of how the youth should be nurtured to face the unique challenges of today and tomorrow.
