The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us some important lessons. The power of community, the importance of connection and the joy in giving back. September saw PagerDuty bring these lessons to life, with 242 Dutonians from across the globe competing & fundraising for Sydney based, non-profit organization Humanity Matters. 

Located in the Western suburbs of Sydney, Humanity Matters works to address the invisibility and alienation of highly marginalized street-frequenting young people. The organization supports them in reconnecting with family, school, employment and the community. With stay-at-home orders placed on many of these communities throughout 2020 and 2021, young people were experiencing heightened isolation and in need of extra support and assistance. 

The PagerDuty APJ (Asia Pacific Japan) Team initially partnered with Humanity Matters for a company volunteer activation with PagerDuty.org in February 2021. APJ Dutonians were challenged to design unique fundraising initiatives during a time that was difficult for the non-profit to drive donations. Humanity Matters were struggling not only with funds and resources but also with spirit and being able to continue providing for vulnerable youth as the pandemic and lockdowns challenged them enormously.

Small not-for-profit organizations like Humanity Matters have found it incredibly tough during the pandemic but also over the years due to the lack of funding from the government, corporate and public donations. We knew we had to come up with a solution, and fast, so the idea of STEP-tember for Humanity Matters was born!

Over the course of September, 32 teams across the globe — nearly 250 Dutonians — assembled to compete against each other in a month-long step challenge. Each team was ranked on their average daily steps during the month, and an individual leaderboard was created with a goal of 8,000 plus steps per day. The banter, laughs and competition lead to bonds being formed across departments and countries – a rare sight in the world of remote work!

“It was so great to see all of the global regions engaged across all functions, competing and challenging ourselves. Led by our APJ team, this initiative came at a very welcome time, allowing Dutonians to connect, have fun and work together to actively contribute to our community. The Humanity Matters’ work helps a critical group of individuals in today’s society, so is a welcome cause for us all to support. And as a regularly active team, EMEA was highly motivated to put our best foot forward every day!” Rich Perez – RVP EMEA Sales. 

Even more importantly, Dutonians collectively raised $26,000 AUD for Humanity Matters, which will have an incredible impact on the organization.

Humanity Matters will leverage the funds raised to build sustainable programs, in order to generate lasting, positive outcomes.  They’ll focus on creating pathways to employment directly from the street. This is important as most of the young people the organization works with are disconnected from education early, resulting in a lack of core skills, confidence and opportunities to secure stable employment.

The team plans to convert the Humanity Matters food truck into a commercially operating business, in order to provide young people with real-world work experience. The commercial operations will provide wages for young people through a legal income, which will allow them to progress independently and learn basic soft skills such as following directions, working within a team and communication.

CEO of Humanity Matters, Mary Malak couldn’t be more delighted with the outcome. She says, “Thank you so much PagerDuty, we are humbled. To see your idea of a step challenge materialize, how you all got behind this (even putting your bodies on the line!) to raise this phenomenal amount of money that will change the lives of so many young people who have copped a pretty rough deal in their lives so far. 

“Giving young people an opportunity to become valued productive adults with aspirations, goals and hope changes their lives, and you guys have made this possible! 

“Your amazing efforts have meant that over 100 young people over the next 12 months will be given the skills, confidence, self belief and support to secure long term stable employment, dramatically changing the trajectory of their lives.”

It really goes to show the impact Dutonians can have when they Run (or step) Together for Good…

-Alexis (AJ) Dullard – APJ Community Responder & Enterprise Corporate Sales Representative