Envision Financial employees have reinforced their commitment to making a real difference in the communities they serve by pledging more than $43,000 to local charities and community organizations in 2014.
Causes that will benefit most from Envision Financial鈥檚 generosity include The Full Cupboard, an innovative community program designed to raise food, funds and awareness for food banks in the communities where Envision Financial operates, and the Envision Financial Employees Endowment. Employees have committed to regular payroll deductions totaling more than $43,000 over the next 12 months; this is in addition to their regular giving and volunteer programs.
Sarah Golos is one of the many Envision Financial team members who have renewed their pledge to charitable giving because she has seen firsthand how much the funds benefit the recipient organizations and their programs.
鈥淚 choose to give because of my brother,鈥� explained Golos, whose brother Scott was born with a rare genetic disease called Fragile X. It gives the 23-year-old, who also has severe autism, the mental capacity of a six or seven-year-old.
鈥淕rowing up with Scott helped me learn more than any other experience I鈥檝e had in my life.鈥�
Golos鈥� brother is at the Tillicum Day Centre in Hope, an adult day centre where life skills are taught and clients are integrated into the community through work and volunteerism.
鈥淪ince Scott started going to Tillicum Day Centre in 2009, his confidence has improved to a level that I never thought was possible. He works actively in the community and gains more knowledge every day,鈥� said Golos. 鈥淭he centre is based in an aging building but because of cutbacks, there鈥檚 no funding to renovate the space. Most of the renos that have been completed there were completed by their clients.
鈥淚 personally give back to Tillicum because of the special place it has in my heart.
鈥淭he improvement to his quality of life and happiness is evident.鈥�
Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation 鈥� the charitable branch of Envision Financial that manages the employee giving program 鈥� says the generosity from Envision Financial employees is remarkable.
鈥淚鈥檓 continually amazed by the compassion shown by our team at Envision Financial,鈥� said Kutan.
鈥淔orty-three thousand dollars is a significant amount of money that can go a long way in helping our local communities. These funds come directly off employees鈥� pay cheques each month and I couldn鈥檛 be prouder to be a part of a team that cares so much about its community.鈥�
