A Day of Service at Madison Square Boys and Girls Club

By Matt Winkler, Director of Digital Marketing, Samsung Electronics America.

Technology plays a crucial role in helping children defy all kinds of barriers. I got to see that up close and personal during Samsung’s 9th annual Day of Service, held every year in October, when our U.S. offices close for a day and employees around the country shift their focus to helping out at an area non-profit organization. I was so glad to be able to give back to the community I live and work in by spending the day at Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, which provides educational after-school and extracurricular opportunities for children and young adults.

Samsung Electronics America employees Michelle Crossan-Matos (back left) and Matt Winkler (back right) mentored and played with kids at Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, in New York City, which serves the city’s most under-resourced youth. Samsung closes its U.S. offices one day every year for its annual “Day of Service” so employees can shift their focus to helping out an area non-profit organization.

I decided to spend Day of Service with Madison Square Boys and Girls Club because I believe extracurricular activities and education youth receive outside of school is critical to their development and the future they can make for themselves. It’s vital that they know there are people and organizations out there who support them and want them to grow into happy, healthy young adults.

Abou F., a Madison Square Boys and Girls Club member, shows Samsung employee Sandy Booker, Manager, Strategy and Transformation, his coding skills and 3D gaming environments he created.

The most eye-opening part of the day for me was the time we spent in the Club’s technology lab. The classroom tech there provides a good start to helping these children defy any barrier they may face – whether it’s building STEM skills, completing homework or exploring a new subject matter.

I’m grateful the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club can provide the tools and resources for kids of all backgrounds to succeed in life and proud to be part of a company that supports them in their mission.

The experience also got me thinking how we at Samsung can do a lot to help bridge gaps in accessibility to technology for these promising young people, so they can “do what they can’t,” as our company motto encourages people to do. I’m proud to work for a company that believes in enabling people through education, and grateful for the opportunity to partake in community service to further that goal.

As Tim McChristian, Executive Director of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club explained, our enthusiasm for spending the day with the kids was also matched by the children looking forward to learning more about us. “The kids get excited to listen to the Samsung employees and ask them basic questions like ‘How did you get your job? Where did you go to school? Why did you go to school?’ so our kids benefit by getting exposed to professionals from a great technology company that helps to show them what’s possible for their future.”

Madison Square Boys and Girls Club member Carter D. heads for a personal best in the potato sack race during Day of Service 2019, when Samsung Electronics America closes its U.S. offices so employees can volunteer with non-profit organizations in their communities.

After our wonderful Day of Service experience, there was a general sense among our team of wanting to do more. We heard so many great stories throughout the day, and we saw the organization’s needs. It was clear to us how Madison Square Boys & Girls Club and Samsung both make an impact in our local communities, and beyond. It means a lot to me that a company of our size commits to a Day of Service each year to support the many communities we live and work in – essentially allowing employees to bring to life our company’s corporate citizenship values.

Samsung employee David Meckstroth celebrates a win with a Madison Square Boys and Girls Club member during after-school fun, games and STEM education during Samsung’s Day of Service 2019.