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Dogs with Heart: Eliminating Heart Disease & Stroke One Paw at a Time

June 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

feat im 2Every seven minutes in Canada, one person dies from heart disease and stroke. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in North America. Chances are, you’ve likely been affected by heart disease or stroke, if not directly, then through someone you know.

What can we do to eliminate these killers? A good start is to increase our daily activity levels – even if it’s just a 15 minute walk every day. And what’s better motivation for exercise than taking your dog for a walk in the park? Not only will your puppy (or friend’s puppy if you don’t have your own) love you for it, your heart will too. [Read more...]

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Creating a More Strategic Corporate Giving Program

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

softchoice cares image 3

Almost 150 years ago, Samuel Morse (yes, the inventor of Morse code), fired off the very first telegraph message between Washington and Baltimore, making him the first to ever achieve instantaneous, long-distance communication. Morse ushered in the era of communication technology that would allow for immediate access to information, better education, and broadened opportunities for populations across the world. After Morse’s invention went global, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)  was formed in 1865. The ITU (which is still going strong today) marked May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The goal? Raise awareness of the many opportunities that technology can bring to communities around the world. [Read more...]

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Driving Engagement through Employee-led Philanthropy

March 15, 2013 by 1 Comment

Tokens 4 Change

How do you get employees to come out and support a local charitable initiative on Toronto’s snowiest day in two years?  Have them take the lead on the cause!  According to the 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT survey, employee-led volunteer initiatives can significantly improve employee engagement, and subsequently improve productivity.  The activities can create a positive work culture and brand by uniting employees across departments behind a common cause and help improve morale and establish friendly relations.

As a new intern at Softchoice, I learned this first-hand when I volunteered at a fundraising event called Tokens 4 Change. The event is held every February to raise money for Youth Without Shelter; a Toronto-based, emergency youth residence and referral agency focused on removing barriers that prevent our homeless youth from becoming independent. [Read more...]

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Softchoice Cares: Does aid really make a difference? [Video]

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The first week of February marks International Development Week (IDW) – a time to explore and celebrate the difference volunteers are making around the world. In honor of this year’s event, Softchoice Cares – an employee-led philanthropic program focused on furthering computer literacy – has produced a video documentary of their 2012 trip to Bali. The team’s mission was to install new computer labs on behalf of seven Balinese orphanages managed by the Widhya Asih Foundation. But as the group learned, a ‘hand-out’ isn’t necessarily the same as a ‘hand-up’. [Read more...]

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How the 2004 Tsunami changed the Softchoice Brand

November 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Paul Asseff, Nick Foster, Edwin Jansen and Scott Harper volunteering in Tangalle

The day after Christmas 2004 many of us watched in horror as pictures of the Tsunami in South East Asia filled the press. For Softchoice, it was the beginning of a different kind of wave that changed our Brand.  Softchoice today is known for its corporate giving but it wasn’t always this way.

As a company we had not been involved in any kind of organized corporate giving. But, the employees of Softchoice decided that they could do more. They decided to raise money so that we could be involved in providing help. Grass roots fundraising started, garage sales were organized, bake sales were held, hats were passed at customer golf tournaments. I can’t tell you how many other events were run – some of them raising only hundreds of dollars – however the sum total of these activities raised $85,000 to be put to use in helping those that had lost so much. [Read more...]

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Putting the FUN in fundraising to help youth ‘dodge’ a lifetime of poverty

October 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

[Softchoice’s Jen Wood raised $1,425.00 to help homeless youth dodge a lifetime of poverty through a  fun game of classic schoolyard dodgeball!]

Back in April, the Softchoice Cares Board gave ‘Power 2 the People’ by encouraging employees to nominate a local charity that has impacted their lives. The Softchoice Cares Board allocated a pool of $25,000 to match every dollar raised from events held by contestants or employees who wanted to support their cause. The board also announced that the host who raised the most money and created the most engagement would receive an additional $15,000 for their chosen charity, with second place receiving $7,500 and third $2,500.

Jen Wood, a Human Resources Analyst at Softchoice in Toronto, became involved with Youth Without Shelter last year and she was introduced by a friend who was volunteering with the shelter at the time. He showed her an emotionally-charged video that featured a young man who lost everything and fell victim to a life fueled by addiction. Youth Without Shelter (YWS), a homeless shelter in Etobicoke, offered him free shelter and access to professional development workshops, tools and counselling support to help him get back on his feet. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Culture, Fun, Fundraising Activities, Growth, Recognition, Softchoice Cares, Work/Life Balance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,