Verkada Gives - A Year in Review
Dervilla Lannon
Vice President of People
In 2016, Verkada was founded to modernize enterprise security with a goal of protecting people and assets.
Our commitment to providing greater security extends beyond our customers, to our employees and the communities where we live, work and operate - and especially to those most in need. This is why we launched Verkada Gives - an initiative, which enables the company and our employees to give back.
As we celebrate National Volunteer Week this week, it is a natural time to reflect on the philanthropic efforts that we have taken at Verkada as part of Verkada Gives.
Over the past year, Verkada Gives focused on supporting nonprofit organizations and communities with three main outcomes:
Safety;
Accessibility; and
Financial security
Safety
Staying true to our mission, this year we aimed to ensure safety, in every sense, for those around us.
Combatting Human Trafficking
One of the most inspiring causes Verkada has committed to support is the fight against human trafficking. Verkada supported Ho`ōla Nā Pua (Pearl Haven, Hawaii) in opening their first residential treatment program in Hawaii for girls who have been the victims of sexual exploitation.
Verkada also hosted Ashley Chesney at our San Mateo headquarters, who movingly recounted her experience of human trafficking with us all and her work with Set Free Monterey Bay to combat human trafficking and support survivors in the Monterey Bay area. Inspired by Ashley’s story, employees participated in a charity auction to raise much needed funds to construct a shelter for survivors.
Pictured at the opening ceremony of Pearl Haven are Danny Shulman (Channel Sales), Dervilla Lannon (VP of People), Britney Vlach (Sales Manager) and Sarah Reilert (Sales Manager).
Supporting Our Healthcare Workers
The pandemic put unprecedented pressure on our healthcare workers. During the peak of the pandemic, Verkada launched a program to provide hospitals and municipalities with the video security solutions they needed to help ensure patients and staff were protected. Participating organizations received security cameras, a designated viewing station and complete access to Verkada's cloud-based management software, which delivers secure remote monitoring from any device or browser. Cameras could be easily deployed in both existing sites or newly converted "pop-up" locations at shelters and hospitals.
Standing with our Asian Communities
The world has seen an astonishing increase in Asian hate with more than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents reported since the pandemic began. Verkada employees led an initiative to donate Verkada security cameras and software licenses to Asian-owned nonprofits and organizations that are seeking enhanced protection. Verkada has committed to donate up to $100,000 in Verkada security cameras and software licenses these organizations. For more information on the program or to express your interest in participating in the program, please contact [email protected].
Accessibility
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the limitation of supplies and resources to those most in need. At the peak of this pandemic, we opened a covid testing site at our headquarters in San Mateo, offering free of charge testing every Friday to the local community. We also extended our in-office testing program to friends and family members of our employees. In addition, several Verkada employees volunteered at vaccination clinics serving underprivileged communities in the Bay Area.
Pictured volunteering at the Unidos en Salud, COVID-19 Vaccine Site is Maryanne Gad (People Partner) and Idan Koren (VP of Marketing)
To further expand on our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, Verkada partnered with BayPLS (Bay Area Phlebotomy and Lab Services) to sponsor a mobile testing and vaccination clinic in order to provide more attainable covid testing and vaccinations to underserved residents of the Bay Area. To date, the mobile vaccination and testing clinic has administered approx. 88,000 tests and 58,000 vaccinations.
Most recently, we donated to a vaccination clinic in San Francisco, Ca pictured here
Financial security
To enhance the financial security of those in need, Verkada funded scholarships granted by STEP into a Job! The organization bridges the opportunity gap amongst individuals who are currently unemployed, on public assistance, recent immigrants, or others who are struggling economically by helping them get on the pathway to stable work.
Verkada also remained an active participant in drives and fundraisers for the homeless, veterans, and unemployed. As Thanksgiving and the Holidays approached, we had the opportunity to give thanks and positively influence the lives of people who needed the extra lift in our community. To that end, Verkada Gives supported a number of causes, by holding donation drives for organizations including, Family Giving Tree Holiday Wish Drive, Samaritan House Thanksgiving Food Drive and La Casa de las Madres.
Lastly, we responded to natural disasters such as the California fires and tornadoes in Western Kentucky by providing support to families who lost loved ones and livelihoods.
Verkada employees after completing a spartan race in November 2021. Verkada Gives made a donation to Oscar Mike Foundation, a charity focused on keeping injured veterans on the move, for every employee that completed the race.
Our people drive our efforts
We actively encourage all of our employees to give back to the community through volunteering and, to that end, we recently introduced paid volunteering leave (2 days per year). With this paid leave, employees can volunteer for organizations of their choice or participate in Verkada organized volunteering opportunities such as park clean ups and assembling care packages for the homeless, those impacted by domestic violence and children in need.
This year also saw the expansion of Verkada Gives beyond the United States to the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and Ukraine.
As a team, we acknowledge that we are still very young in our company’s lifecycle and our philanthropic efforts are nascent. As we continue to grow our business, we look forward to finding ways to deepen our impact through developing initiatives to serve even more people and organizations around the world.
