Why our 2024 United Way Winnipeg SCA would “do it again in a heartbeat”

After mooooonths of winter, let’s be real: a fresh change of pace sounds pretty great right about now, doesn’t it?

OK, now what if we told you there was a way to spend your workdays meeting lovely and like-minded new friends, building new personal and professional skills and experience, getting active in your community, and helping raise funds to support crucial front-line services… all while receiving your regular paycheque?

Sold? We thought so. Enter: United Way Winnipeg’s Sponsored Campaign Associate (SCA) opportunity, a leadership development program that “brings together employees, on loan from employers, to United Way Winnipeg’s office for 14 weeks.”

As United Way Winnipeg says,

“Sponsored Campaign Associates learn about our city’s challenges and the role we all play in building a healthier city for everyone who lives here. Professional training in project management, strategic analysis, public speaking, and more is all included, so you emerge with more robust leadership skills and capabilities as effective and efficient fundraisers.”

This year marks a decade of Payworks participation in the SCA program.

“Payworks’ participation in this program not only provides valuable leadership, philanthropic experience and growth to our employees; it also strengthens support for our neighbours and community,” says Jennifer Johnston, Payworks’ Vice President of HR. “We hope that the program continues to grow as other employees and organizations are inspired to take part!”

This past year, Payworks was proud to engage Rebecca Hetzel, one of our talented Small Business Service Support Leads, as our 2024 SCA.

Rebecca joined the United Way Winnipeg team from early August to mid-November 2024, and we recently caught up with her to reflect back on her SCA experience – the unexpected challenges, the best surprises, and yes… the real meaning of the term “human ring toss.” For the insider info, read on!

Photo: Rebecca (on right) with two of her fellow Sponsored Campaign Associates at the United Way Winnipeg Walk This Way Finish Line & 2024 Campaign Kickoff Party.

Getting started

theWorks: Hi, Rebecca! Let’s start at the beginning: how did you find yourself as Payworks’ 2024 SCA?

Rebecca Hetzel: Honestly, I was looking to shake things up a bit for myself and to be part of something different – and then our HR team gave me the extra encouragement I needed to take the leap. I told them “OK, I need a day to think about it,” but within 10 minutes of ending the call I was like: “Yep, let’s go.”

I knew it was going to put me in a whole new wheelhouse, which I feel I needed!

tW: How did you find the transition into the program?

RH: Very smooth – United Way Winnipeg’s week of training was incredible for preparing us SCAs, giving us the tools we needed, and connecting us with each other. They brought in speakers to share their own experiences from the first week onwards.

We also were all invited to share our own personal connections to United Way Winnipeg – whether we’ve benefitted from their agencies, volunteered, or otherwise – and things got very vulnerable very quickly. We all bonded with each other right away. Everyone cried. < laughs > And I know that sounds like “oh, that’s so sad” but it definitely helped us relate to each other.

The SCA program leaders know how much you can get out of the experience as a group, and are very intentional on helping you get the most out of it that you can, as well as getting the best out of you that they can. They know what you’ll need to build up your skills and confidence, and make sure that those resources and supports are in place all throughout your time in the program.

The SCA experience

tW: What did your day-to-day as a SCA look like?

RH: Home base is a big, beautiful space called the Sky Room, which all the SCAs share with each other and where you get to know each other really quickly. Beyond that, there really is no day-to-day as a SCA!

Sometimes we’d be in the Sky Room for the day, communicating with the folks from the companies we’re assigned to support or prepping for workplace campaign events. We had weekly check-ins and leadership development training opportunities there as well.

Other days, we’d be out in the city pretty much wherever we were needed to help out. You’re helping with their event setup, coordinating with their impact speakers, meeting their employees, delivering donations… I think there were a good three weeks straight where I basically lived in my car!

Photo: Rebecca enjoying a laugh with two of her fellow SCAs in the United Way Winnipeg Sky Room.

tW: Any personal faves among the campaign events you attended?

RH: Oh yes, absolutely! I love Halloween, so judging the Halloween costume contest at one workplace was tons of fun. They had a costume parade and everything! And there was a multi-day tournament with a DJ and all sorts of games and competitions, like unwrapping candy wearing oven mitts, or a human ring toss-

tW: Sorry, a what?!

RH: < laughs > Yeah, a human ring toss. One person on your team stands really still and straight, and the other team members see how many “rings” they can toss over them. The “rings” were made of foam pool noodles taped together and people got verrrrry competitive with that one!

tW: Human ring toss aside, were there any other surprises or aspects of the SCA experience that you weren’t expecting?

RH: I wasn’t expecting the sheer volume of stuff I would have in my car throughout my term! < laughs > I remember doing a drop-off of donated jackets and boots and I think we counted 47 bags stuffed floor to ceiling.

I was also surprised by how much “on the fly” pivoting we did. Life happens: speakers get sick, outdoor events get rained on, and so on – and we needed to figure it out. And we always did! I think that was such a great surprise – to find out just how flexible and resilient and capable we all could be.

Changed for the better

tW: What were your favourite parts of being a SCA?

RH: It’s funny – like many introverts, I’m actually very extroverted when I’m with “my people.” And your fellow SCAs absolutely become your people. The friendships I made were one of my favourite parts for sure… we relied on each other, which built connection and trust, and made a world of difference. And you take them with you. The group chat’s still active for sure!

And of course, getting out into the community and finding out just how many agencies United Way Winnipeg actually supports. They’re in every nook and cranny of every single neighbourhood. It felt wonderful to know that our work as SCAs was, at the end of the day, helping support people in our community – maybe a stranger, maybe a neighbor. And now I’m better-positioned to help the people in my own life because I know what’s out there and have seen the positive impact these supports can make.

Photo: “Like many introverts, I’m actually very extroverted when I’m with ‘my people.’ And your fellow SCAs absolutely become your people,” says Rebecca.

tW: How has the SCA experience changed you, if at all?

RH: I really feel that I’ve learned to listen to people better – or maybe what I mean is, to “hear” the tiny cues and little hints about how they’re really doing more clearly, even in the non-verbal sense. You meet some of the impact speakers and hear their stories, and in the process I think I gained some emotional intelligence. You just look at things differently.

I also feel like I’ve developed my own public speaking skills! As a member of Payworks’ Service team, I spend lots of time on the phone, but getting up in front of a room full of people wasn’t something I felt equipped to do before my time as a SCA. Now, it would feel much more comfortable and natural for me – which is a huge win for my own personal and professional development.

I’ve heard the program described as “Send them your best, and they’ll send them back better” and I’d say that’s definitely true; being an SCA changes you as a person.

tW: OK, Rebecca – last question. What advice would you give to someone else looking to pursue this opportunity?

RH: As long as you’re an open-minded team player… do it. Don’t even second guess it. If you’re even slightly pondering the idea, go apply and put yourself out there; you’re not going to regret it. If I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat.

Looking to be part of a team where “doing right by people” is our purpose? Explore careers with Payworks here: https://www.payworks.ca/about-us/careers.