Elasticians give back to causes they care about — without taking PTO

During the first week of May, Martin Hacker, senior director, sales, public sector, and a team of 11 Elasticians volunteered by helping the homeless in Berlin, Germany — and didn’t have to use vacation time. Elasticians get 40 hours (or five days) of volunteer time off (VTO) as part of their benefits package to be used virtually or on-site. 

Martin organizes a volunteer initiative every May — this was his third year doing so and his sixth year using VTO.

“This year, we supported the city mission of Berlin. We were located in our main train station and supported homeless people,” he says. “We prepared sandwiches, distributed food and drinks, collected clothing donations and handed them out to those in need, cleared the forecourt of trash and debris, and served as contacts for people seeking help, among other things.”

And as an additional bonus, Elasticians now earn $20 (or the equivalent in their local currency) per volunteer hour to donate to a cause they care about via a program called Dollars for Doers. For Martin’s group, that means on top of donating their time, they also donated over 1,200 euros to the city mission of Berlin.

Not only is volunteering important to give back to your communities, but meeting as a group outside of work is great for teamwork and working toward goals, Martin says. 

It forces you to think outside of your own daily life. “It's a good thing to volunteer, it’s a good thing to get out of our way of thinking,” Martin says. “You get to see and experience other issues that are important for us as a society.”

Julie McDowell, VP of global recruiting, agrees. Her family prioritized giving back, so volunteering was instilled at a young age.

Now, she volunteers regularly at a local cat cafe run by a charity that houses cats until they find their forever home. Julie grew up with pets and has adopted two cats from the charity. “I appreciate what they do,” she says.”The charity creates a safe space for cats who need a home and a fun place for people to visit, interact with cats, and support the charity.” 

Julie volunteers on the weekends, leveraging the Dollars for Doers program, and also some Friday afternoons. Before the organization’s seven-year celebration, Julie moved meetings around to help the charity prepare.

Jorge Sanz, principal software engineer, also volunteers with an organization doing something he’s interested in. Aside from his job as a software engineer, Jorge is a cartographer. He volunteers with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team organization, which works to map less developed areas and areas that have been hit with natural disasters, so aid can be sent quickly and to the right areas. 

In September 2023, after Morocco experienced an earthquake, Jorge spent a day mapping roads in one area of Morocco with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. 

Jorge uses his VTO for a variety of causes mostly linked to mapping. OpenStreetMap became the best database for places and streets, he says. So by updating their maps after national emergencies, remote volunteers can have a direct impact. 

How to find a cause you care about

Jorge recommends starting local. So finding a cause that you care about in your neighborhood or city is a good first step. 

Julie says to start by thinking about what you’re passionate about. Then find a charity that supports that cause. 

Martin agrees. “First think about what kind of cause you’d like to do. It’s a personal thing,” he says. 

“Once you’ve tried something you enjoy, be consistent,” Julie says. “When charities can rely on volunteers, more money goes to the cause.”

And if you’re organizing a team volunteer activity, plan it further in advance, Martin says. For example, the Berlin city mission is able to handle a larger group of volunteers and the logistics involved, but it still takes four to five months of planning to pull off. 

Overall, Martin, Julie, and Jorge all encourage Elasticians (and anyone that has VTO!) to use it. More than 400 Elasticians logged over 6,500 hours of service using their VTO benefit, according to our 2023 Sustainability Report.

You have a full week to devote to your community and causes that you care about, Jorge says. 

It’s there for everybody, Martin says. Make use of it and start somewhere.

It can make a huge difference to an organization, Julie says. Think about how you can create the time and space to support. 

Work for a company that supports you in supporting the causes you care about. Browse open roles. 

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