CSR SPOTLIGHT: Creating Purpose-Driven Partnerships & Real Impact in Paris
By Pari Aryafar
After being a volunteer with Serve the City Paris since the start of 2024, I stepped into the leadership position of CSR Manager for the organization at the end of January 2025.
Over the past few months, I’ve seen how our NGO has deepened its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by expanding purposeful partnerships and welcoming over 1,200 corporate volunteers into impactful, community-centered service.
Our CSR initiatives are designed not only to support marginalized communities in Paris—such as asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable youth—but also to inspire long-term engagement from businesses who care about making a difference.
Our contributions go far beyond simply making a sandwich or accepting a donation—we want to show our CSR participants how much of an impact a small act of kindness can have.
Whether through customized volunteer days, mentorship programs, or co-hosted capstone events, we’ve seen firsthand how service can strengthen teams and elevate company culture.
Recent Highlights from the Previous 12 Months:
- UPS, Salesforce, and EY employees led mentoring sessions as part of our P.A.C.K. (Providing Aid through Corporate Knowledge) program, helping jobseekers fine-tune their CVs, build confidence in interviews, and explore new career pathways.
- Amazon and Google partnered with us for full-day food distribution events, joining our team in preparing and delivering hundreds of meals to those in need.
- Multiple partners, including Duolingo and Riot Games, have collaborated on Language Exchange evenings—helping new arrivals to Paris improve their French and English while building bridges across cultures.
We’ve also had the pleasure of welcoming coworkers, freelancers, enterprises, and coffee aficionados alike into IMPACT Café & Coworking our vibrant social enterprise space in the Marais at 67 Rue Beaubourg, 75003, which reinvests 100% of profits into our programs. Teams hosted CSR retreats, strategy sessions, and workshops in our beautiful meeting rooms—supporting our mission while advancing their own!
Why It Matters
CSR at STCP is more than a check-the-box activity—it’s an invitation to become part of a community of changemakers. Every hour volunteered, every meal served, and every résumé reviewed adds up to real, measurable impact. It is in these small ways we can contribute positively to our community, as well as uplift and empower each other.
One of the best takeaways I have experienced from managing the CSR is collaborating with an incredible team of like-minded and genuinely compassionate individuals. Working with the Serve the City Paris team, as well as Serve the City International, has been a truly wonderful and meaningful experience and I look forward to continuing the work we all invest so much of ourselves into.
If your company is looking for a way to give back, grow together, and create sustainable social impact in Paris, we’d love to hear from you. Opportunities range from one-off events to long-term engagements, and all include visibility across our growing network of 20,000+ followers and active volunteers.
Let’s keep partnering with purpose—because when we serve together, we build a stronger, more compassionate city for all.
📧 To learn more or get your team involved, email: pari.aryafar@servethecity.paris
