Who is Anthea?
The Brief
The Disney VoluntEARS, made up of employees and cast members, are passionate about giving back. As part of Shanghai Disney Resort's ongoing commitment to the local community, the resort regularly arranges volunteer opportunities throughout Shanghai.
The Outcome
Single-handedly led a team of 8+ employees and cast members to volunteer at schools, children's hospitals, orphanages, and more, logging over 200 hours of community service in Shanghai.
The Team
Cindy Ke, Senior Specialist, Citizenship & Community Relations
Poppy Yang, Specialist, Citizenship & Community Relations
Anthea Yung, Intern, Citizenship & Community Relations
My Roles
Logistic Management, Communications, Stakeholder Management, On-site Operational Support
:: Communications
"Do you have any questions?"
Disney VoluntEARS is open to all employees, whether they're front-line cast members or work in the back office. Given the diverse backgrounds of participants, clear communication is essential. To ensure everyone is aligned with the activity's goals and content, we always start with a briefing session and provide a reminder to pay special attention to the group we're serving.
🔥 Challenge
Coming up with an engaging way to communicate with people from all walks of life wasn't something that came naturally to me. My supervisor gave me a lot of freedom in how I wanted to conduct the briefing.
🧯 What I did?
When I started this project, I had the chance to attend my first Disney VoluntEARS event with a colleague. I noticed how she always ended the briefing with "Do you have any questions?" It was inspiring to see how this encouraged people to ask questions and share their thoughts. I started using this in my briefings too. I strongly believe in two-way communication, so after each volunteering session, I also asked for feedback to help me improve.
:: Logistic Management
No toy is left behind.
Disney VoluntEARS partners with various local non-profits, each with its unique mission. You'll find us engaged in a variety of activities, from teaching students how to garden at schools, to bird-watching with kids at Disney Wishingstar Park, and visiting the Disney Fun House with children patients at the Children's Hospital. Each of these activities requires a cart of materials and assistance to ensure we bring fun to our destinations.
🔥 Challenge
I had to make sure that no miscellaneous items were left behind, as they could potentially harm children. Given that most of our VoluntEARS activities are game-based or crafting-based, we're dealing with a lot of miscellaneous items.
🧯 What I did?
That's when I realized my love for Excel spreadsheets. Packing items in individual bags for each participant in advance became a good habit, and labeling them made collection after the activity much easier. I found it helpful to pull up the Excel spreadsheets to check the collected items for easier tracking as well.