Sixteen community partners, 24 projects, 192 employees equals 808 hours of volunteer service.
That is the grand total from last week across British Columbia as Envision Financial employees traded time at the office for the opportunity to make a difference in their community as part of Envision’s seventh annual Make a Difference Days.
“Each year Make a Difference Days offers us an opportunity to tangibly show our commitment to improving the lives of our members and local communities,” said Envision Financial president, Shelley Besse.
“We’re also committed to keeping it simple.
“With the everyday demands of work and family life, finding time to volunteer in the community can be anything but simple. Make a Difference Days gives staff the opportunity to volunteer during work hours, providing them with insight into the social issues in our local communities and a chance to give back.”
This year’s community volunteer service week involved 16 unique projects throughout the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Kitimat for a total of 808 hours of service. Volunteers at all of the projects — which included Maple’s Discovery Gardens Co-op in Langley — gave of their time in a number of ways including painting buildings, preparing meals and sorting and distributing food at community food banks.
“I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed volunteering at Maple’s Discovery Gardens,” said Megan Carey, branch support representative.
“Bruce was a wonderful host and took us on an herb garden tour to learn all about the different herbs they grow before we even started volunteering. I was really happy to be able to contribute to such a great community program.”
“One of the best parts of Make a Difference Days is finding out just how easy it is to give back,” saidJason Brown, communications program lead.
“Community organizations appreciate anything you can do to support them, no matter how big or small.”
Envision Financial is proud to contribute to valuable initiatives and causes focused on strengthening the voluntary sector through innovative opportunities, enhancing educational programs and creating healthier communities through local arts and culture partnerships. Since its inception, Envision Financial’s Make Difference Days program has served 89 projects province wide with 4,075 community hours donated.
