Spring 2017 Community Give Back
This spring, Creative Roots Landscaping staff made a warm gesture to local charity, Inn From The Cold – Kelowna. A $3000 donation was presented to Executive Director, Jan Schulz. “This money will be used for Shelter operations and to quantify this, your hugely generous cheque could:
- Shelter 120 vulnerable people in our community; or
- Provide over 600 meals
- Sponsor food and shelter for 1 person for over 3 months; or
- Sponsor meals and shelter for 100 guests”
“As you can see this is an enormous contribution,” Schultz added. “I find it hard to begin to tell you what this cheque means to us. We are a tiny organization and rely so heavily on the generosity of folks such as you!”
The non-profit organization responds to the needs of Kelowna’s most vulnerable by offering year-round support and advocacy programs, including outreach services, case management, in-home support and street soccer. Seasonally they operate a minimal barrier shelter that provides a safe, non-judgemental and welcoming environment to those in need.
Each year, Creative Roots Landscaping makes multiple donations to local charities in the Central Okanagan. “By contributing to these charities, we hope to address changing societal needs and have a long-lasting, positive impact on our community,” explained Ryan Markewich, owner of Creative Roots. “We want to make a difference in people’s lives.”
The local landscaping company operates using Open Book Management, which includes weekly meetings to discuss the finances of the company, ways to succeed as a team and the impact that success will have on the bottom line. Each employee donates an hour of their wages for these meetings to the Give Back fund and provides input as to where the donations will go.
The Creative Roots Give Back Program is an extension of a management method that engages and educates employees, generating thousands of dollars for charity – over $118,000 to date in cash and in-kind donations – while giving employees a voice in their workplace.