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In the latter half of 2017, three Payworks staff used their Pay It Forward Day to volunteer at Winnipeg Harvest – a not-for-profit organization that collects and distributes food to those in need. In addition to Product Analyst Marlene Drake who volunteered at the end of November, Business Analyst Dee dela Cruz and Business Analyst Kate Loewen also volunteered their time in December.
Dee and Kate have both volunteered at Winnipeg Harvest in past years, participated in collection drives, and they both attended the organization’s fundraiser ‘Empty Bowl Celebrity Auction’ in 2016. It was just a matter of time before they used their paid day off to Pay It Forward to this local organization that already held a special place in their hearts.
“After attending their Empty Bowl event last year, I decided I wanted to get more involved,” explained Dee. “I am in the process of doing so, but in the meantime, I thought using my Pay It Forward Day would be another great way to help out.”
On December 19 the two were put to work. Dee and Kate started in the business development side of Winnipeg Harvest, stuffing envelopes and filling out tax receipts to distribute to generous donors. The two found themselves also working in the warehouse for part of the day where they counted kits, sorted bread, and divided large bags of pasta and flour into family-sized portions.
“We think the best part was being right in the thick of things,” said Kate and Dee. “Everyone was super friendly and welcoming. It was a fast-paced environment where everyone was working together to get things ready during an especially busy time of year.”
Dee and Kate were also given an in-depth tour of the Winnipeg Harvest facility.
“I feel proud that our company encourages community service and that I am afforded the time to do it during the workday. It really adds to my employee experience,” said Kate about the Pay It Forward Day benefit that Payworks offers.
“The fact you can choose something that you are personally interested in, rather than having a limited, prescribed set of organizations to choose from is an added bonus. It’s a great example of Payworks’ purpose of Doing Right by People,” added Dee.
