Employees Who Really Care
Présents sur la photo: Maxime Tremblay, Marc-Antoine Tremblay, Gilles Gaudreault, Mélannye DeVisch, Marie-Eve Julien, Sébastien Tremblay, Dany Plourde, Maryse Savard, Marc-André Lacoursière, Véronica Grenier et Julie Bourbeau.
Absents: Kamy Tezai, Nancy Audet, Jean-Francois Gravel, Carl Jalbert, Manon Bissonnette, Caroline Gagné, Grégoire Gaudreault, Julie Morissette et Janick Bolduc.
With the Holidays approaching, the Procurement team wanted to brighten up Christmas for families in need. Together, 18 employees committed to fundraising and collecting food to give away. This year, Christmas will be merrier for three families, thanks to the generosity of these caring employees.
Employees have been organizing this annual event for the past six years. To determine which families would benefit from this altruistic gesture, three employees approached the principals of the elementary schools in their neighbourhood. The school principals will be on hand to deliver the gifts.
To help with gift buying decisions, the chosen families voluntarily provided a few details, including the first names of family members, their respective ages and a wish list of gifts. “I really wanted the kids to experience the magic of Christmas.”
Gilles Gaudreault, Business Partner, Procurement, wanted to inspire his co-workers to pay it forward. “I don’t need convincing. I already know what a difference both giving and receiving make in people’s lives,” he says, modestly.
A total of $2,800 was raised and shared among three families, who will each receive gift cards, food and presents worth between $825 and $975.
In addition to their financial contribution, donors invested time to shop for and, of course, wrap the gifts.
“The goal was to buy as much as possible with our available budget. We simply explained to people why this fundraising meant so much to us and they, in turn, gave us a hand,” says Gaudreault.
The excitement spread quickly among the purchasing team. Inspired by the initiative, other departments began their own fundraising efforts. The Contractor Management team followed suit by taking on three families of their own.
The experience is gratifying and significant for these workers. They see it as an opportunity to help people who are in precarious situations and going through difficult times, especially at this time of year.
We have the good fortune to work in a professional environment that allows us to thrive and earn a decent living. Sharing our gratitude through initiatives that help others enjoy better times is a privilege,” says Sébastien Tremblay, Capex Project 4.0 Specialist.
“It’s important because an adult who’s struggling financially at a certain point in their life knows that the situation’s probably temporary, but a child doesn’t necessarily have that same understanding. As a parent, I’d find it sad to have to deny my children a bountiful Christmas. As the holidays approach, I can imagine how stressful it is for a family struggling to make ends meet and wanting to make their kids happy,” says Jean-Francois Gravel, OPEX Procurement Specialist.
“With the continuous rise in the cost of living, giving families the chance to lower their budget anxiety so that they can focus on quality family time was the reason behind our commitment. We hope that our efforts will warm the hearts of families and that they enjoy unforgettable holidays,” says Dany Plourde, CAPEX Principal Advisor, Procurement.
This initiative is another good example of the leverage of teamwork, which allows us to accomplish great things—in this case, helping the most vulnerable.
