Link: http://www.sunrisehouse.ca/index.php

This month, after an amazing number of votes, our organization along with the entire MakeGood community was able to contribute a percentage of our subscription fees back to GRAND PRAIRIE YOUTH EMERGENCY SHELTER SOCIETY- SUNRISE HOUSE.

ABOUT GPYESS

GPYESS Sunrise House provides a safe, temporary, confidential place to stay for youth ages 12-17 who have no other safe place to go.

The services they provide are 1) Shelter (with meals and basic necessities) 2) Drop-in services (ie: counselling, meal, shower) 3) Outreach (presentations and street outreach).

Link: http://www.steps.org.za/

This month, after the votes have been polled, our organization along with the entire MakeGood community was able to contribute a percentage of our subscription fees back to STEPS CHARITY.

ABOUT STEPS CHARITY

Steps Charity is a South African charity that provides funds, information and support for kids with clubfoot and other limb disorders.

“More doctors in South Africa need updated information on treatment, health department guidelines need changing and parents need easy access to the correct information. This is what Steps is planning to improve for the future of these children. Children living in rural areas or in depressed socio-economic conditions are not getting adequate care or information.”

Link: http://www.makegood.com/blog/2009/10/30/charity-survey-for-october-2009-the-votes-are-in/

This month, after the votes have been polled, our organization along with the entire MakeGood community was able to contribute a percentage of our subscription fees back to Upwardly Global (upwardlyglobal.org).

Upwardly Global provides services to refugees, asylees and legal immigrants to help them get a job that is similar to their skill level. Their programs provide unemployed and low-income immigrants with the mentoring, interviewing, job search and career counselling resources that they need to be able to get back into their careers and to achieve financial stability for their families.

Link: http://www.makegood.com/blog/2009/09/30/makegood-is-giving-back-10/

This month, after the votes have been polled, our organization along with the entire MakeGood community were able to contribute 10% of subscription fees back to United Way.

The United Way of the Lower Mainland plays a leading role in mobilizing resources to change lives and to strengthen the community. United Way supports the delivery of preventive programs and services that help get people back on their feet.

United Way’s Vision
A healthy, caring, inclusive community.

United Way’s Mission
To strengthen our community's capacity to address social issues.
http://www.uwlm.ca

Link: http://www.ijm.ca/

As a company we thought long and hard about where to focus our charitable efforts. We had several criteria we were looking for in our charitable partner. Through a series of events and circumstances we connected with International Justice Mission’s Canadian branch and it became crystal clear that IJM (http://www.ijm.ca) had captured our attention. We have adopted IJM as our official charity and we will focus our corporate efforts in their direction. The partnership is just beginning but we look forward to a LTR with them. We anticipate our involvement to include giving financially and both spearheading and participating in awareness campaigns designed to draw attention to injustice and create more advocates to help abolish it.

A bit about IJM:

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Smart Savvy is proud to be able to support the work that International Justice Mission undertakes to help rescue these people in need.

On a personal note, my family and I had the opportunity to participate in a building project in St. Vicente Guerrero, Mexico about 3 hours south of Ensenada on The Baja Peninsula. Together with 30-50 others (groups transitioned over 3 weeks) we built a house, day care centre and church in an area called Franciso Villa. This was a great experience for us as a family. In addition to assisting with the building project, my wife and three daughters participated in designing and executing a children’s program for the kids in the village while the build was happening. That week they hosted and entertained 120 local children. If I were to ask any of my children what the highlight for them was, they would say interacting with the children. What did we gain as a family from participating? In addition to the satisfaction of building/doing something together as a family, the experience impacted each of us individually. Each of us learned something about our world and ourselves. Together we have committed to doing something bi-annually together as a family unit to make a positive contribution to our world.

Julie McLeod is not only a Smart Savvy Associate, but also an important part in her community. She is a role model for young girls and boys in the Fraser Valley with an impressive and long history in playing volleyball; from teams at Fraser Valley Christian High School, playing club volleyball at Fraser Valley Volleyball Club, and then to playing at Trinity Western University and being recognized at a National level. She now takes her knowledge skill and passes them on to kids as a volleyball coach, for both indoor and beach volleyball. “I have learned a lot from coaching over the past 4 years and it is something I have a huge passion for. I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to give back and see kids improve their skills and overall knowledge as an athlete. I have seen, first hand, the value in great coaching and want to offer that back.” She has just finished her season with the Jr Boys Volleyball team at Fraser Valley Christian High School and is now heading into the club season come January, coaching a U-14 girls volleyball team for Fraser Valley Volleyball Club. “To see kids excel at something that I have an active role in doesn’t have a price. One of my goals is to teach kids life lessons through volleyball, as well as have fun at the same time. Some of the key aspects I teach are staying positive, encouraging your teammates (leave the coaching up to the coach), and not being afraid to be vulnerable and make mistakes. My hope is that every kid has the opportunity to learn and grow through volleyball, taking the lessons he or she has learned and applying them in their school, at home, and in their community.”