20 Years of Global Community Day
Throughout Citi’s more than 200-year history, we have sought to give back to the communities where we live and work. Whether it was supporting the American Red Cross during World War I or organizing food drives in the 1980s, Citi colleagues have consistently shown up for those in need. This year, we are thrilled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Global Community Day (GCD), Citi’s annual tradition of coming together as a worldwide team through volunteerism. We see this as a moment to look back while reaffirming our commitment going forward.
GCD began in 2006 with the recognition we have a unique opportunity to harness the drive and dedication of our colleagues through a global day of service across our firm. Over the past two decades, volunteerism has reinforced our strong culture of service, and has helped our teams build deeper relationships with our local communities and with each other. I’ve witnessed how GCD embeds a greater sense of shared responsibility, to each other and to the communities where we live and work. I’m always inspired by the tens of thousands of colleagues who answer the call to participate every year and we are excited to tell their stories as we celebrate this anniversary.
The desire to give back to others was never more profound than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we couldn’t organize in-person events. Colleagues made it possible to connect and give back to others by participating in “Global Community Day Reimagined,” where they joined virtual volunteer events, donated face masks, ran errands for the elderly and more. Even during a year of much uncertainty, our Citi community contributed 100,000 service hours. And we saw an eager return to in-person volunteerism in 2022, as our global network packed meals for Ukraine relief efforts, helped with coastal cleanups in the Dominican Republic, rehabilitated an orphanage in Gabon and more. There are people in need every day, and GCD gives us the opportunity to roll up our sleeves and make a positive impact their lives.
The 20th anniversary is also a moment to think about the impact that Citi volunteers have made in collaboration with community organizations that are at the forefront of addressing the needs of communities around the world. In this brochure you’ll learn about how in the U.S., we collaborated with U.S. Hunger, providing over 2.6 million meals to those in need. In Kenya, we planted thousands of trees with Miti Alliance. In Korea, along with Habitat for Humanity, we supported families who lost their homes in fires.
We invite you to explore the history of Citi’s volunteerism and hear directly from Citi colleagues about how GCD helps them give back. Most importantly, we want to thank all of our colleagues, family, friends and collaborators in the community who have dedicated so many hours to service. Celebrating GCD really means recognizing the volunteers and community organizations who coordinate, participate and make it possible.
