2,000 Telefónica Volunteers celebrate a Christmas packed with solidarity, inclusion and companionship

Sharing a Christmas meal and evening, ensuring that everyone has hot food on the table, promoting family leisure initiatives, making it possible for all children to receive Christmas presents and providing company for lonely people are just some of the activities that will be carried out during the Telefónica Volunteers Christmas campaign in partnership with social organisations such as Cooperación Internacional, Fundación Down Madrid, Fundación Balia, Fesbal and Fundación Inocente Inocente, among many others. More than 2,000 Telefónica volunteers throughout Spain will share moments of hope with people in vulnerable situations. Moreover, specific proposals will be made this year to provide aid for the victims of the DANA.

One of the proposals that’s not to be missed each year is the A smile for Christmas initiative, a gift donation campaign that’s still being held after nine years of success, during which over1,200 children in vulnerable situations receive a Christmas gift from Telefónica employees, in partnership with Cooperación Internacional. This year, some of the gifts will also go to children in the areas most affected by the DANA in Valencia.  Movistar stores throughout Spain are also joining the initiative, with their employees publicising the initiative among their customers.

Christmas in company 

This year, in addition to all the initiatives to help people affected by the floods in Valencia, Fundación Telefónica is focusing its Feeding Solidarity initiative on the DANA by helping the families affected by it with donations of lunch vouchers and financial aid from the group’s employees. And the Telefónica volunteers will prepare 1,000 Christmas food packs, which will be delivered to vulnerable families via the Food Bank in Madrid.

As a new feature this year, Telefónica Volunteers is joining the I invite you to dinner initiative on 22 December, a charitable event that brings together 1,000 people in vulnerable situations and 500 volunteers from different organisations and foundations. In addition, the traditional charitable dinner will be held on 18 December with Mensajeros de la Paz and Down Madrid for people and families in vulnerable situations.

Sharing experiences and hope

Another of the aims of the Telefónica Volunteers Christmas campaign is to accompany social organisations such as Fundación Balia, Asociación CEPRI and Mensajeros de la Paz during inclusive leisure initiatives for different collectives. Cultural outings, magic galas, craft workshops, decorating and Christmas parties are just some of the activities that will be carried out in different parts of Spain during the Christmas weeks with people with disabilities or in situations of social exclusion and elderly people in a situation of loneliness.

The Espacio Fundación Telefónica is also hosting initiatives for children, young people, the elderly and people with disabilities or at risk of social exclusion. On Saturday 14 December they were able to enjoy a Christmas Carol Festival at which, together with Telefónica Volunteers, they had a wonderful time singing, playing and creating Christmas carols together.  On 19 December, the Three Kings will visit the Espacio Fundación Telefónica and a group of children from Cooperación Internacional will be able to give them their letters and visit one of the exhibitions in the building.

The traditional Solidarity Flea Market will be held on 20 December and, after 19 years of collaboration, Fundación Telefónica will once again take part in the Inocente Inocente Gala, organised every 28 December by the Inocente Inocente Foundation. About 200 Telefónica Volunteers will be on hand in Madrid and Seville to answer calls from the call center during the broadcast of the Gala to help to raise funds for children in hospital.

42 campus: a technological Christmas

The 42 programming campuses in Madrid, Barcelona, Urduliz (Bizkaia) and Málaga are also signing up for the Christmas campaign with technological workshops that combine learning and the Christmas spirit.   42 Madrid will open its doors to 4th-year secondary pupils from vulnerable backgrounds for a robotics workshop to create smart Christmas decorations. 42 Barcelona and 42 Málaga will do so with cybersecurity as their backdrop, with young people and adults learning to overcome different Christmas challenges in a gamified way.

42 Urduliz will organise the Christmas Hacking, a fun-packed activity devised by a group of students and organised together with Cyberzaintza, the Basque Cybersecurity Agency, to raise awareness of the importance of security in digital environments among children aged between 6 and 12 and their families.