Copperleaf Launches RAD Initiative to Make Positive Impact in Local Community
At Copperleaf, our aim is to focus on the things that are important to our customers and employees, and aligned to our company’s intrinsic values.
We wanted to do something that would allow employees to give back to our local communities in a way that reflects our unique culture, which is why we came up with the Copperleaf RAD (Random Acts of Delight) initiative. How does it work? Our employees suggest activities that support causes close to their hearts, and we then form a team with those who feel strongly about the charity and want to help. It’s a fun way for us to support the things that matter to our employees, give back to our local communities, and motivate people to get involved.
RAD Pilot Project
We kicked off the RAD initiative by supporting the Burnaby Christmas Bureau. We raised funds to donate Christmas presents to a family in need and Christmas hampers for 8 senior citizens who were at risk of becoming homeless. This initiative was a huge success and everyone involved felt great supporting such an important cause. At our annual Christmas party, the RAD team did a 50/50 draw to raise funds, and the winners actually donated their prizes back to the charity. We raised over $2000—a great example of the giving spirit of the Copperleaf team!
Other RAD Initiatives
We’ve since held a few other RAD events. We participated in the Science Fair Fun Run, supporting the Science Fair Foundation of BC. We also took part in the Vancouver Sun Run, and decided to fundraise in support of the BC Cancer Foundation, a cause that has personally touched a number of people on the team. Team members raised funds individually and held a number of group activities, including a bake sale and silent auction. All of these efforts helped us raise over $3,900 for the BC Cancer Foundation.
We recently moved to a new office location and were leaving a lot of furniture behind. The RAD team suggested we donate our old furniture and miscellaneous office items to two local charitable organizations: Helping Families in Need Society and the SpencerCreo Foundation. We were pleased to receive this feedback from Ken Spencer, President of the SpencerCreo Foundation, who said:
We really appreciate Copperleaf’s donation and support. The furniture will be put to good use in the SpencerCreo Centre and help us provide non-profit organizations in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with affordable office space and a collaborative, supportive work environment, including Social Venture Partners Vancouver, Growing Chefs!, ONE TO ONE Literacy, Mom to Mom Child Poverty Initiative, Red Fox Healthy Living Society, and Yo Bro Youth Initiative.
So far our RAD initiative has been a fantastic success. We are really happy with the contributions we have been able to make so far, and we are looking forward to coming up with fun new activities to further benefit our local communities. Next up, we’re planning a green space stewardship event where the team will get together to help clean up a local park.