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Happy International Volunteer Day! Today is “a global celebration of volunteers” – and a perfect reason to spotlight just a few of the many folks on our team who’ve been out doing good in the community.
Since the 2015 inception of our Pay it Forward (PIF) Day program, we’ve been using our time and talents to make a difference at the organizations about which we’re passionate. For a quick peek into some of our team’s latest PIF Days thus far, read on!
Bringing smiles to seniors
Back in June, a crew from our Toronto office gathered at Kipling Acres to build connections with some of our community’s local senior citizens. Kipling Acres is one of the Greater Toronto Area’s 10 City-operated long-term care homes and “provides individualized care to each of its 337 residents within a safe and friendly environment.”
The Payworks PIF-ers sat down with residents to share stories and learn more about their lives… but they weren’t sitting down for long! Once the music started, everyone was on their feet and dancing together – a moment described by many as their favourite part of the day.
“Seeing how lively they were and how much they enjoyed themselves made me happy,” shared Payworks Client Service Representative (CSR) Samantha Thonson. Her fellow CSR Talita Nascimento agreed: “I had so much fun dancing and interacting with the residents. It was a rewarding and enjoyable time that I’ll always remember.”
Photo: The Payworks team taking a brief break from the dance floor to rest their feet and snap a selfie.
Feeding our neighbours
The good kept growing out East later in the summer, with a few members of our Toronto team spending a PIF Day at the Bethany Church Food Bank. With Canadians facing an increasing rate of food insecurity, these services are more crucial than ever to help keep our neighbours fed and communities healthy.
Payworks volunteers jumped into the assembly line to package up groceries – some of which they note were given to “people who were lined up for hours ahead of time.”
“It was a super physical day, and very rewarding,” said Payworks Sales Consultant Kathleen Collins. “The church was very kind and appreciative of our help, and our group had a lot of fun together. We would definitely go back!”
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Photo: Payworks pals lending a hand at the Bethany Church Food Bank.
Exploring the beauty of self-expression
This August, thousands of ink enthusiasts descended on Red River Exhibition Park for the Winnipeg Tattoo Convention (WTC) – an annual event which brings together local ink enthusiasts with over 250 tattoo artists from around the world… and wouldn’t be possible without the volunteer efforts of Payworks’ own Alyson Remillard.
Alyson’s a CSR by day but served as the WTC’s Volunteer Coordinator in her off-hours. This massive job involves everything from registering tattoo artists, pickup and delivery of supplies and organizing the volunteer orientation to supporting the 50+ volunteers who help out over the course of the weekend by scanning tickets, managing safe and timely disposal of supplies, offering emergency services, shuttle driving and much more.
“It was a great weekend, and one where I found myself wearing many metaphorical hats!” said Alyson. “During a much-needed break on the second day, I even got a tattoo from an artist who had flown in from Spain.”
Photo: Alyson with just a few members of the crew she supported in her role as the Winnipeg Tattoo Convention’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Looking to join a team that’s all about giving back in meaningful ways (and finding the fun in the process)? When it comes to great people, there’s always room for one more: https://www.payworks.ca/about-us/careers.
