Everyone loves a pat on the back. Whether it’s a colleague or supervisor or even a friend, the validation that comes with knowing you did a great job or contributed to your team’s success makes the hard work worth it. At Pega, we’re enabled to turn our kudos into Fond points, which translate into donations to nonprofits of our choice. It’s a win-win: Get recognition from your peers or managers and give money to organizations that are making the world a better place.
This is especially gratifying during the months that celebrate marginalized communities and their contributions to society. It’s July, so we just wrapped up our LGBTQI+ Pride Month celebrations with our employee resource group “Pride at Pega.” Pride at Pega members consistently use their points from kudos or prize wins to support two amazing and vital organizations for the LGBTQI+ community: Rainbow Railroad and The Trevor Project.
At Pega, we’re encouraged to bring our whole selves to work, which allows those of us in the LGBTQI+ community to thrive within our vibrant community, excel at our jobs, and safely represent that community. There are many members around the world who are not as fortunate, relying on the services that organizations like Rainbow Railroad and The Trevor Project provide.
Get to know these orgs
Rainbow Railroad is an international charity organization dedicated to helping LGBTQI+ individuals facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. Founded in 2006, Rainbow Railroad assists at-risk individuals by providing safe passage to countries where they can live free from violence and oppression.
This work is truly needed, and Rainbow Railroad underscores this with research from their website. In 2022 alone, Rainbow Railroad received a record 9,591 requests for assistance from LGBTQI+ individuals around the world. The majority of these requests came from countries with severe anti-LGBTQI+ laws and societal norms, such as Afghanistan, Uganda, Jamaica, and Russia. Most individuals seeking assistance are between the ages of 18 and 35. The primary concerns reported by these individuals include community rejection (52%), family-based rejection (48%), and life-threatening violence (28%).
Rainbow Railroad provides essential support through various means, such as travel assistance, financial aid, and logistical help, to facilitate the relocation of individuals facing persecution. In addition to these services, the organization partners with local and international entities to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and to raise awareness about the challenges this community encounters globally. Their goal is to ensure that every LGBTQI+ individual can live a life free from fear and persecution.
Since its inception in 2006, Rainbow Railroad has assisted over 800 LGBTQI+ individuals from 38 countries in relocating to safer environments. In 2020 alone, the organization helped 465 people seek asylum.
The Trevor Project is an organization that is close to many of our hearts. It is a leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQI+ youth under 25. The organization aims to end suicide among LGBTQI+ young people through a variety of support services and advocacy efforts. Many of us in the community know folks who have used the services of the Trevor Project, including 24/7 crisis intervention services over phone and chat, education outreach to schools and communities, as well as research and advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQI+ community.
No person – especially a young individual – should suffer just for being who they are. The Trevor Project exists to ensure that those in the LGBTQI+ community have access to the resources they need to overcome unique challenges and live happy, healthy, and long lives!
Celebrate now, take action all year
Pride at Pega celebrates our thriving community during the month of June, but more importantly we give to these organizations all year long so that others may have the opportunities to thrive. Help us celebrate by donating to one of these wonderful organizations or one that’s close to your heart now and for the rest of the year.