| 2008 Re-cap: How Far We've Come |
Happy New Year! As we embark on 2009, we would like to thank you for your generous support and dedication in 2008. The tremendous growth of Hands on Tokyo over the past year would not have been possible without the contribution of each and every one of you, and we are sincerely grateful. Here is a look at the accomplishments you helped bring about:
- Provided more than 2,000 volunteer service hours to the Tokyo community
- Quadrupled our registered volunteer base to approximately 800 volunteers
- Increased our regular projects to 7 ongoing programs with 4 NPO partners
- Renewed all 2007 corporate sponsorships and expanded our total number of corporate sponsors to 15 organizations (see sidebar for complete list)
- Were featured in major Japanese and English publications including The Nikkei, Harper's Bazaar, Financial Japan, The Japan Times, Weekender, Seven Hills, Tokyo Families, The ACCJ Journal and Metropolis
- Organized our 2nd Annual Day of Service deploying over 260 volunteers on five large projects
- Held our first Taste For Volunteering Dinner & Auction raising over 10 million yen to benefit HOT's work to provide quality volunteer opportunities for Japanese and foreign nationals
- Hosted two fundraising luncheons featuring best-selling authors Min Jin Lee and Andrea Sarvady
- Organized a holiday party, generously donated by State Street Bank, to thank NPO partners, corporate sponsors and key volunteers and raise funds for specific items needed by our project partners
- Formed our Advisory Board of distinguished individuals from the Tokyo business community
- Hired two staff to manage the ongoing activities of HOT
It was quite a year, and there is much more to come in 2009. We look forward to your continued support and hope to see you soon at one of our regular projects or events.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Mark Giltinan
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 Mark Giltinan, a recruitment consultant from Michael Page, is a bowling fanatic. Most weekends he can be found at his neighborhood lanes bowling between 5 - 10 games in an afternoon. Lately Mark has found a way to put his passion for bowling to work giving back to the Tokyo community as the co-project coordinator for Hands On Tokyo's bowling project with Special Olympics Nippon-Tokyo. Mark grew up in Australia in Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast. During high school he was an avid volunteer spending time teaching field hockey to younger students and volunteering at local retirement homes. After coming to Tokyo five years ago, Mark hoped to continue his community service, but had a hard time finding opportunities to volunteer, despite being completely bi-lingual in Japanese and English. Then the right opportunity came along when Mark happened to meet HOT board member Sheree Hsu, who was also the spouse of one of his co-workers. Upon learning of Mark's passion for bowling, Sheree knew she had found a perfect volunteer for the Special Olympics bowling project. Mark now helps to coordinate and orient the volunteers on the project, attends every project date, and many of the athletes know him by name. HOT is fortunate to have found such a dedicated volunteer in Mark, and Mark says he has found much satisfaction in spending just a few hours on the weekend with the Special Olympics athletes. When asked what he likes most about volunteering, Mark replied, "Its great seeing that you can make a positive impact on someone's life. You don't get that chance very often even in your own life." |
Sponsor Spotlight: Shinsei Bank, Limited
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 Shinsei Bank is well known in the Tokyo business community as a leader in corporate philanthropy. Its commitment to community is part of the company's core values, and it applies a rigorous due-diligence process to all of its philanthropic activities. Employees are encouraged to participate in community-based volunteer projects through such initiatives as a volunteer leave program and the Shinsei Community Steering Committee, an internal volunteer organization led by employees tasked with developing volunteer activities in which large numbers of employees and their family members can participate.
Shinsei Bank was an early corporate sponsor of Hands On Tokyo supporting the first Day of Service in September 2007. In renewing its sponsorship in 2008, Shizuyo Eguchi, deputy general manager in the Corporate Value Division, says, "We began our relationship with Hands on Tokyo this fiscal year aiming to provide more opportunities and make it easier for our employees to take part in volunteer activities." Approximately 40 Shinsei employees took part in the 2008 Day of Service, and the After-Party was held at Shinsei's Tokyo headquarters.
According to Tom Pedersen, head of Shinsei's People and Communications Group, "We support HOT as it provides valuable and tangible benefits to multiple stakeholders in need of assistance in Japan. It also offers our employees and their families important opportunities to participate in volunteer activities. In 2008, several of our senior executives participated in HOT's Day of Service. We filmed the event and produced a short video clip for our intranet. Many of our employees and executives commented on the richness and meaning of the experience. This is a great way to involve our employees in giving back to our community."
Like HOT, Shinsei Bank serves both the Japanese and international communities in Tokyo, and that is another appealing aspect according to Shizuyo Eguchi. "The unique volunteer opportunities that Hands on Tokyo offers are very rewarding for our staff, particularly because of their multicultural dimension. We look forward to continuing to support HOT and creating new value for society through participating in its activities." Thank you, Shinsei, for the example you set for the Tokyo corporate community. We are proud and honored to be among your partners.
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Upcoming
Volunteer Opportunities
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New Project! Hakujusou Senior Home, 2:00-4:00 February 21 (families and children of all ages welcome) Special Olympics Basketball, Weekends, 1:00-3:00 January 25, February 1, 8, 14, 15, 22 SON Advanced Basketball, Weekends, 3:00-5:00 January 25, February 1, 8, 14, 15, 22 (Must be able to play basketball) SON Bowling, Weekends, 9:40-12:00 February 7, 14 (For ages 18 years old and above) SON Motor Development, Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 January 24, February 7, 21 (For ages 18 years old and above) Sponsored by:
Wakaba-ryo Children's Home, 10:15-1:30 February 7, 28 (For ages 10 years old and above) Sponsored by:
English Conversation with Blind Adults, Saturdays, 9:45-Noon
February 7
To volunteer for any project, e-mail us at: info@handsontokyo.org
or call: 03-5404-3563
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Save the Date!
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Hands On Tokyo
Taste for Volunteering
Dinner & Auction
April 3, 2009
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Sponsors
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For further information on sponsorship opportunities with Hands On Tokyo,
please contact Yumiko Tategami or Marcela Campos at info@handsontokyo.org
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| Board of Directors |
Dawson Steven Lin, Chairman
Hiroshi Amemiya
Alana Remy Bonzi
Wynne Callon (student adviser)
Marjorie Dewey Chiba
Chisa Fujita
Michael Heidemann
Aya Higa
Sheree Hsu
Roger Jasek
Michael Khoo
Judith Ravia-Hajdenberg
Asha Pai Sethi
Staff
Marcela Campos, Director
Yumiko Tategami, Program Manager
Tel: 03-5404-3563
e-mail: info@handsontokyo.org
www.handsontokyo.org
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Advisors
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Deva Hirsch, Founder and President, Emeritus
Advisory Board
Yoshiki Otake, Founder and Chairman
AFLAC Japan
HOT Advisory Board Chairman
Akie Abe
Wife of former Prime Minister Abe
Tetsuya (Ted) Fujita. President
AXA Financial Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Fred Harris, Founder and Chairman
The Design Studio
Yuichi Katoh, Chairman
Asia Pacific Land
Hideo "Joe" Morita, President
Morita Asset Management
Parker Simes, President-Emeritus
Capital International K.K.
Paul Yonamine, President and CEO
Hitachi Consulting Co., Ltd. |
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