Another kind of love: How to make Valentine’s Day all year round

Rounding up Valentine’s month was a beautiful blend of voices offering up songs of love. But these weren’t for courtship, but rather a “Love Project” benefit concert for Grace to Be Born, which maintains a halfway house for unwed mothers and an orphanage for unwanted babies. The serenaders? Employees making up the Thomson Reuters Chorus, joined by TRepsichore and Trumpets & Harmony.

 

“Members of the Chorus create good music together—harmonizing and blending despite our differences,” said Emmanuel Tan, Legal Publishing Specialist and president of Thomson Reuters Chorus. 

 

The Chorus utilizes music for people to be inspired, to express appreciation, and even to help others. “The group was able to build friendships inside and outside rehearsals,” Tan said. “Through our music, we let the people feel the spirit of sharing and giving. We motivate people through our fund-raising activities to share the same goal of helping and making a difference in others’ lives.”

 

February may be the love month but Valentines can surely be experienced and celebrated all year. For around 25 interest clubs at Thomson Reuters Manila, generosity is love spilling over. Theirs is a culture of employees finding happiness in sharing part of themselves with the less privileged—certainly proof that love is always in the air and expressed in different ways. 

 

Mothers’ loving embrace

 

Nothing can stop a mother from giving everything to her child. Not even work. 

 

Love del Rosario, team manager helpdesk, Financial and Risk and co-founder of Moms@Work, said that when she was a nursing mother, she requested the company for a lactation room. “I wanted to continue to breastfeed my baby,” she shared. “When I returned to work, one of our rooms was already converted into a lactation room. I have never forgotten this gesture as it allowed me to continue to breastfeed my baby until almost a year while also working.” At present, other nursing mothers benefit from the lactation room.

 

Moms@Work is a group that supports mothers in varied ways. A new mother needs guidance from those who have been moms for many years. The early stages of babyhood are also a learning period for new mothers. This is where the club becomes a deep resource.

 

“Through various activities set up by the club, we can bring up the questions to more experienced mothers; help each other by giving advice, sharing resources, asking referrals for good doctors; destress from everyday tasks,” said Del Rosario, “as well as meet new friends who enable us make our lives as mothers easier and more fun.”

 

The nurturing nature of motherhood extends to other children who need the love of mothers. Moms@Work has been working with CRIBS, an organization that supports abandoned babies. “The babies and toddlers need a loving embrace of a mother,” Del Rosario said. “When members spend a morning with the children, it is an indescribable feeling. To be able to bring joy to their faces just by showing them how much we care for them is an unforgettable experience.”

 

Moms@Work members also organize pooling of donations in cash or kind as CRIBS need infant and toddler essentials. But Del Rosario believes that “Most importantly, the babies and toddlers need to feel a mother's love.”

 

Power of faith

 

There may be a popular notion that the workplace is dominated by challenge but Thomson Reuters' Faith Unlimited turns this into a positive.

 

According to Imelda Tin, team manager for Investors Content and president of Faith Unlimited, the club's advocacy is to enrich the members' spiritual and moral life. They do this by reaching out to the members through regular fellowships. This way, they feel comfortable enough to seek support from one another when needed." 

 

Faith Unlimited develops camaraderie also through sending encouraging email. “Everyone faces challenges daily—family, health, work, financial, etc. Getting moral support and encouragement will always be helpful, reminding us that in spite of our struggles, there are people around us who care,” said Tin.

 

But sharing is not limited to employees. When employees feel better about themselves and their work, there are more likely to share positive energy. Faith Unlimited, for example, is active in supporting the company's community day where employees support causes and contribute their time to various non-governmental organizations.

 

“We spend time, resources and affection to the sick and abandoned elderly, women, and children as ways of expressing our love and care to people less fortunate than us,” Tin said. “Some members who advocate environmental protection join tree planting and cleanup drives."

 

No mountain high enough

 

Apart from Thomson Reuters Extreme Adventure Team or TREAT’s advocacy for environmental protection, the members hold an annual “Pencils for the Mountains” together with the Manila Volunteer's Council. They distribute school supplies to children living in mountain communities.

 

“Sure, we love hiking but hiking for a cause, I would say, is one summit to happiness,” said Jeg Duaso, customer support executive and president of TREAT. “The company culture encourages us to be socially responsible. For example, we are given two days of paid leaves to do our volunteer work on top of company sponsored initiatives that give back to communities.” 

 

And when there is a culture of caring not only at home but also at work, that can only spill over to where else it can spark positive changes—lighting up another person’s world and making giving of love (in ways that count the most) a year-long affair.

Press release and photos from Thomson Reuters Manila