At Two Small Men, we strongly value community building. We’ve been proudly donating our professional moving services to hardworking organizations within the communities where we live and operate for years.
It’s important to us to live up to the Big Hearts name by giving back to our fellow Canadians who allow us to do what we do best: namely, moving you into your new home!
In 2019, we decided to kick things up a notch. For several months, we’ve been working hard on developing the Community of Big Hearts – and on November 11th, we launched the first episode of the Community of Big Hearts Podcast, hosted by our President, Stu Starkey. You also may have seen our first Community of Big Hearts blog post about Lillian, our Winnipeg staffer who donated her time to Soup Sisters!
We know that it can be difficult to balance work, life, and community, and we wanted our Two Small Men team members to feel empowered to be a part of their community without it costing them their precious personal and family time. That’s why we rolled out our Volunteer Time Off program in November. We’re donating 1% of our staff’s time to charitable causes annually: that means every team member at Two Small Men will spend 16 paid hours, or two full days of office working hours per year, helping out an organization in their community.
We’re proud to share our staff’s stories. Keep reading to learn more about Evan, who volunteered at the Calgary Drop-in Centre over the holidays.
Evan, why did you choose to donate your time to the Calgary Drop-In Centre?
E: The Calgary Drop In Center is an organization that helps people day in and day out. Through their meal serving and hospitality, those individuals are helped at the most fundamental level by offering a safe place to get back on their feet.
What was the experience like?
E: The experience was humbling and offered an opportunity to connect with those individuals that are struggling to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.
What meaning does community involvement carry for you?
E: Having the ability to affect change in the lives of individuals in our community. Whether through meals, clothing, or a conversation it is imperative that communities come together and aid on another.
How does volunteering impact you?
E: The impact of volunteering was significant as it demonstrated how easy it is to bring joy into someone’s day. I enjoyed connecting with individuals and showing them there are people who do care for them.
About Calgary Drop-in & Rehab Centre: “Since 1961 we have been dedicated to serving our community through providing essential services to Calgary’s homeless, marginalized and low-income residents.
We commit to effectively meet Calgary’s changing needs for shelter, care, employment support and housing. And we strive to meet everyone who requires our services at eye level – with the promise to help them get wherever it is they want to go.
We aim to strengthen our impact through strong ties with civic and provincial governments, funders and community organizations.”
To learn more, visit https://www.calgarydropin.ca/