In September Percent Pledge hosted the first Community Volunteer Event. During the event members of our community from different employers joined forces to give back together at a virtual map-a-thon. The energy and excitement was contagious as those who joined were united by their passion to do good and give back to a great cause.
The event was expertly planned by Percent Pledge’s team of social impact managers as a great way to leverage technology to virtually get together and give back to an important cause. During the event participants created maps of unmapped areas in Pakistan making it easier for those areas to receive aid during disasters. In all 4,073 buildings were mapped by 70 participants, in total over $7,500 in in-kind value was donated.
Social impact managers pick mapping events because accurate maps play a critical role in understanding communities, particularly for populations at risk. Much, but not all, of the United States has been mapped with incredible detail. This is not the reality for billions of people in vulnerable areas, however. These individuals are often less visible to decision-makers because their communities do not exist on any maps. During disasters or epidemics, unmapped communities may receive less assistance because first responders have less information about them. Further mapping events are just impactful when done in person as they are virtually making them a perfect fit for dispersed teams.
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