Giving back to our community is recognizing that you have been empowered to empower others. The act of giving back is a gesture that can make an impact; small or large and both equally recognized.
Scovan has been involved in community support since we first opened our doors in 2010. One of our first charitable initiatives was with the Kinette Club of Calgary Adopt-A-Family program, and we have been involved each year since. It’s that time of year that you want to give back to those in need to make a family’s Christmas unforgettable.
In this past decade, we have been involved in many other charitable initiatives such as the Mustard Seed, Canadian Blood Services, Calgary Food Bank, Calgary Drop-In Centre, Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation, Movember, and Homefront Calgary. We take pride in committing to our communities by coming together as a group and determining how we can help best.
In some aspects, this is similar to how we execute our projects. We form a team, ensure we have enough resources, assign required deliverables, collaborate to warrant efficiency and execute with success. Take sorting clothes at the Drop-In Centre as an example. There’s a minimum requirement of resources, each taking on a required task, forming an assembly line to execute efficiently while engaging with each other outside of the office, and giving back to our community.
Community support is important for many reasons. It allows our employees to make a difference to those in need. The things we take for granted are those that others require (in some cases) for survival. Volunteering our time provides us with both mental and physical benefits. If we can help others while helping ourselves, then it brings benefits back to our work ethic.
It increases our organizational skills. Being involved with the Kinette Adopt-A-Family requires a lot of organizing up front. We sponsor a family in need each holiday season. We are given a list of requirements of what the family needs, and employees volunteer to buy something. We keep track of who is buying what, store everything here in our office, and once we have everything, we get together and wrap all gifts.
It promotes teamwork and engagement. We have participated in the Heart & Stroke Big Bike challenge for many years. This event takes all of an hour and it gets employees outside, on a huge bike to raise money for heart disease and stroke research. We work together as a team (lead by an experienced Big Bike rider) to pedal through our community to raise awareness.
At Scovan, we practice all of these values, and more in our daily work routines. We are looking forward to see what this next year brings us; to support our communities in ways we have not yet. To try something new. To inspire and provide in any way we can. Scovan’s commitment to social responsibility and community support truly create a positive collaborative working environment & increase employee engagement.
