Getting to Know Your Community

Living in a big city it’s easy to get caught up in hustle and bustle of every day living but recently, the hubs and I each had a chance to get out and lend a hand in our community. Growing up in Dubai I was a Girl Scout leader and throughout my high school years in Dubai and Karachi, I often volunteered at local charity events and community programs but have done nothing since I moved to Canada. Sure we donate money to various causes and have participated in runs and walks but it was only recently that I got my hands dirty and it felt GOOD!

The company I work for, Corby Spirit & Wine/Pernod Ricard, celebrates Responsib’ALL Day each year and on this day all employees (globally) cease working and dedicate an entire day towards organized corporate social responsible activities. This year, the challenge was to build and renovate spaces of gatherings for the benefit of local communities and here in Toronto, our office visited the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre where we helped them paint, garden, build a new patio and clean up some spaces. I was on the gardening team and not only did we all get dirty, we all learned new skills. I was shocked that I had never stepped inside this building before and I’m now seriously thinking of volunteering here with Little Monkey. That said, I know she wouldn’t fully grasp the concept of us making a difference in our community, she’d just see it as having fun gardening! Getting out and meeting with others who volunteer all year round made me realize that we really need to get out a bit more into our community and lend a hand. A click of money is great but time is the most precious commodity these days and lending some of our own time makes a bigger difference in our local communities. In addition to manual labour, they can use some help in their offices too, so if you have a few hours to spare and looking to volunteer in downtown Toronto, do check them out.

When the hubs was invited to join Tangerine employees and Steve Nash, he jumped at the chance because he saw how much I enjoyed being out in the downtown community. Both kids have Tangerine accounts and so we were eager to learn how this corporation was making a difference in our community. The hubs joined Tangerine’s program ambassador Steve Nash (yes, the one and only!) and a bus full of Tangerine employee volunteers for a city-wide tour called ‘The Road to a #BrightWayForward.’ Together they visited three local charity partners including ACCES Employment, FoodShare, and Youth Without Shelter, to lend a helping hand and highlight the importance of community volunteerism. Tangerine is committed to making a difference in the lives of Canadians and giving back through #BrightWayForward is just one way they encourage their employees to dedicate over 5,000 hours a year to help their charitable partners deliver on their programs that help empower Canadians. Tangerine will be supporting programs that inspire self-esteem, teamwork and leadership, and encourage a sense of belonging and acceptance — essential ingredients to creating a bright way forward today and tomorrow.

The hubs and I each went out into the community on our own but we both realize the importance of us getting out together more often and we also want to bring the kids with us. As I mentioned above, Little Monkey and Baby Boy are a bit too young to fully grasp the concept of making a difference but my hope is that if we get them out at a young age, perhaps they’ll see it as a way of life and not as a chore or sacrifice. Giving and helping should be a natural part of our daily lives but it sadly isn’t, we can only hope that it’s part of the future generations’ DNA. As we explore future travel plans, volunteer travel is definitely a top priority for us, we just need to find the right programs that will allow us to bring young kids along!