A window into three Cambrian employee volunteers

At Cambrian, employees get a chance to take some time out of their workday to volunteer at various community organizations Cambrian supports. We’ve spoken to a few Cambrian volunteers from different departments about their experiences!

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Teressa Friesen, Commercial Sales

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Teressa’s volunteer ops: Build Day with Habitat for Humanity, sorting donations at Manitoba Harvest, and weeding at FortWhyte Farms.

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“It feels good to be a part of an organization that is community-focused. It is nice to be able to go to different organizations and learn more about what they do and how they help better the community. I strongly believe that working with organizations who help people in the community we live in helps the community as a whole.

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“Each volunteer opportunity has been rewarding in different ways, but I would say one of my favourites has been FortWhyte Farms. It is cool to see how they operate and the impact they have on the community and the youth that they work with.

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“Outside of Cambrian’s volunteer opportunities, I also volunteer for a local Manitoba dog rescue, Manitoba Underdogs. I have fostered a few dogs through the organization and that is how I (unexpectedly) ended up with my second dog, Nara.”

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Aris Bare, IT Operations & Security

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Aris’s volunteer ops: Build Day at Habitat for Humanity, marching in the Pride Parade, manning the booth at Folklorama Kick-Off at Assiniboine Park, and weeding at FortWhyte Farms.

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“What I enjoy most about volunteering is getting out to new and familiar places, interacting with my peers, and meeting new people while making an impact on the community, whether it be big or small. I enjoyed all of them, but my favourite would be Habitat for Humanity.

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“I think these organizations do great things for people in need. It’s nice to see these organizations get supported to help our community thrive. I especially appreciate what Habitat for Humanity does for families needing homes.”

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Lynn Beauchamp, Retail

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Lynn’s volunteer ops: Sorting donations at Koats for Kids, riding a bike with the Cambrian Cruisers to raise funds for the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, participating in Cambrian’s Blood Drive, and being on the selection committee for the Learning for Life scholarship. (Learn more about that here!)

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“Anytime I have the chance to get out and participate in things with other Cambrian employees, it’s a great opportunity to get to know people. I’m pretty new to Cambrian, having been an employee for a year and a bit, so it’s been great to get out and volunteer with other Cambrian employees from time to time for the past year.

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Koats for Kids: “Koats for Kids was a highlight. It was awesome to get to know the people who are so committed to the organization. It was great to see the operation they have there—the way they function is like a machine. It was fun to get a chance to chat with colleagues and get to know the volunteers there.

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“We all know how cold it gets in Winnipeg. I live in the McPhillips area, so I am often driving through North Winnipeg and seeing people out there without their warm clothes, including kids shivering out there with their parents. It’s hard to see that, so I really appreciate the work Koats for Kids does.”

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Learning for Life: “Being on the Learning for Life committee was cool, seeing what applicants are getting up to in Winnipeg. It was hard to make the decision because we had many amazing applicants.”

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United Way: Cambrian supports United Way Winnipeg through an employee giving program. Employees can choose to make a donation to United Way, and the amount is taken from their paycheque.

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“I used to work for United Way in the Greater Toronto Area, so I especially appreciate the way they give back to the community. I want to be a part of anything that helps vulnerable people in our community, including those with poor mental health or drug addictions. I appreciate the support we can provide through United Way.”

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Community-Focused

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As a credit union, one of Cambrian’s core values is community involvement. Learn about how we give back to the community in our annual report!