Strathcom Gives Back with Random Acts of Kindness
At the beginning of February, Strathcom laid out a challenge to our team: Each employee would receive $500 to do an act of kindness in the community. This Random Acts of Kindness initiative would show that even in the face of hostility and selfishness, we are able to make a stand for kindness and help those who are really in need. The challenge:
- The money could not be spent on yourself or immediate family
- The donation(s) had to go to someone in genuine need (no not for profit clubs, teams, etc.)
- You could partner with other team members to create a bigger impact
“We at Strathcom felt this was a great way to both engage our staff and give back to the community. Hopefully those that were helped will be able to pass on that positivity and pay it forward”—Duncan Cochrane, President of Strathcom Media
Below are some of our stories.
$3500 to Families Fleeing Violence
Seven team members pooled their resources to purchase much-needed items for the WINGS of Providence Second Stage Shelter for women with children fleeing violence and abuse. The shopping list included:
- 2 New Laptops
- 1 Galaxy Tablet
- 42 Pillows and Pillow Cases
- 37 Pairs of Children’s Shoes
- 21 Sheet Sets
- 2 New Highchairs
- $500 in Sporting Goods and Equipment
- 1 Playpen
- 900 Diapers
- 3500 Baby Wipes
- Bibs
- Formula
- Cupcakes for all the shelter staff and volunteers
This is what some of our team did for WINGS of Providence Second Stage Shelter in Edmonton:
$500 to a Rwandan Refugee and Single Mother
Background Sifa is a single mother and refugee from Rwanda with four kids. Her youngest child, who is seven years old, is sick and needs to be taken for treatment every day. Since Sifa has to take care of her sick child, she is unable to work. She is on welfare and trying to take care of her four children. One child is quite skilled at soccer and trains six days a week. What we did One of our team members gave Sifa a basket full of games, markers, pencil crayons, and art pads along with $500 worth of gift cards to Superstore so she could feed her four growing children.
$500 to a Woman Who Lost Her Job following a Brain Aneurysm
Background A Strathcom team member knew a woman who had lost her job while she was recovering from a brain aneurysm. She needed help to get back on her feet so she could find a new job. What we did Seeing the need, he used his $500 to help her pick out new suits and take her out for a haircut so she would be prepared for job interviews.
$1000 to a Local Family in Need
Background Teachers at a local school noticed one of their students appeared to be losing weight and was unfocused in class. They discovered that his mother had lost her job and was having trouble keeping food on the table. The teachers have been sending home weekly food hampers to try to help. What we did Two of our staff combined their funds to give $500 in cash and $500 in Superstore gift cards to help out while the family gets back on their feet.
$1000 to Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS)
Background Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS) is a not-for-profit organization unconditionally devoted to helping youth facing difficult realities. What we did Strathcom team members donated $1,000 to help YESS in supporting Edmonton youths in need of help.
$500 to Kids Who Want to Play Hockey
One employee gave their cash to Kids Who Want to Play Hockey, a local organization that assists underprivileged and low-income families with Hockey registration fees and equipment.
$500 Worth of Warm Clothes to Edmonton Hope Mission
Background On a skin-numbing -30 degrees celsius morning, one Strathcom employee realized that what some people need most on an Edmonton winter is warmth. Edmonton’s Hope Mission seemed like the perfect distribution point to get help to those in need. What we did One Strathcom team member purchased and delivered a whole whack of warm socks, work gloves, toques and fleeces to Hope Mission.
We hope that these acts will inspire others to pay it forward in the future, because even a small act of kindness can be enough to change someone’s life around—and there isn’t a better feeling than helping someone who is truly in need.
