Several Hundreds Help Society with Voluntary Work

The National Museum of History in Boyana hosted for the first time the official opening of the AmCham-BCAF Volunteer Day on May 28th, 2011that is organized for a fourth year. The media and the volunteers were welcomed warmly by the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick, Dana Leff-Niedzelska, co-chairman of the committee on corporate social responsibility of the Chamber and manager of PPD, Valentin Georgiev, Executive Director of AmCham Bulgaria, Elitsa Barakova, Director of Aid Foundation Charity in Bulgaria (BCAF), and Nadezhda Angelska, chief coordinator of Program Europe at the Sofia municipality.

“This day is an opportunity for the American companies to return some of the profits made in Bulgaria back to the Bulgarian society and through voluntary work to help his country to become a better place to live”, said Ambassador James Warlick.
“Our message is that more employers will follow the example of those companies that go to volunteer”, Elitsa Barakova said.

The working Saturday gathered about 900 employees of AmCham and non-AmCham member companies in Bulgaria who worked on 23 projects in Sofia, Stara Zagora, Varna, Shoumen, Blagoevgrad, Gabrovo and Sliven. Projects included cleaning of parks, painting of garden facilities, aid in homes for children without parents and the elderly, centers for children with disabilities, centers for environmental protection. Volunteers helped repair and renewal of equipment in homes and maintenance of parks.

New projects in the campaign this year included: National Museum of History, National Museum of Military History, National Museum of Natural History, City Library, State Archives Agency, and eco-village in Kamenica. The most attractive activities were: painting of benches and equipment in Sofia Zoo, activities in the park of Vitosha, planting flowers in the Alexander Hospital.

Thirty Five Companies Took Part in Volunteering

119 Secondary School

American College of Sofia

Astra Zeneca Bulgaria

AVON

BCD Travel Bulgaria

Boyden

C3i

Carlsberg Bulgaria

Chelopech Mining

COLLIERS International Bulgaria

Deloitte Bulgaria

DEVIN

Dexia

Enel Maritza East 3

Eurobank EFG Bulgaria (under the brandname of Postbank)

Experian

French Language Secondary School

Hotel Park Inn Sofia

IBS

Johnson & Johnson Doo.

Johnson Controls Electronics Bulgaria

Melrose

Merck Sharp & Dohme Bulgaria

Microsoft Bulgaria

National Gymnasium of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Neochimichi

Oplus

PPD

PWC

Radisson Blu Grand Hotel

Siemens

TBP

Toastmasters Club

Top 100 Research

Vector Management Bulgaria