Instead of handing over a cheque, why not give a worthwhile charity a piggybank?
That was the idea behind Gateway Casino’s initiative, helping L’Arche Foundation of Greater Vancouver improve its headquarters, Shiloah.
“It’s not uncommon for us to give an actual monetary donation,” Jeff Lee, energy manager for the casino, told the NOW. “I wanted to do something a little bit different.”
Lee decided to use his expertise and connect with other organizations and businesses to help the Burnaby foundation, which runs residential homes and programs for people with developmental disabilities.
“We reached out to a large team. I asked them, ‘When was the last time you got a chance to take a step back from your busy life and to help someone else?’ And most of them were like, ‘You know what? It’s been a really, really long time,’” he said.
In total, 13 businesses got together to provide lighting upgrades, install sensor controls, replace the hot water tank and refresh the landscape at Shiloah in Burnaby. All the efficiency upgrades are expected to save the foundation about $1,200 per year, according to Lee.
“It’s like a piggybank that just keeps on saving every year,” he said. “Imagine getting these electricians to donate their time and all their labour, and the lighting guys to donate all the product. We really didn’t want to spend any money. I wanted everything to be donated.”
The project was done with the help of the Burnaby Board of Trade, which provided Lee with a list of local non-profit organizations, he said.
“We wanted to help people, and we could see they needed help there,” he said of L’Arche. “The work that the staff do there is absolutely incredible.”
The project began last summer and took about eight months to complete, he added.
“It took a lot of time, lots of conversations, lots of extra time after work on our part,” Lee said, adding he’d like to do similar projects in the future but doesn’t know when it’ll be possible, time wise.
He hopes other businesses consider taking the idea and running with it, though.
“Every day that the residents and staff are there, they can look around and see the team that was here,” he said. “Every aspect of what they’re doing there, it has us in it.”
The project was well received by the foundation.
“We are grateful to be the recipients of Gateway’s generosity. L’Arche is an intentional community of people with and without developmental disabilities who share life together in homes and day programs. It is wonderful when partners in the larger community offer support in such practical ways,” Denise Haskett, the foundation’s executive director and community leader, said in a press release. “The lighting project has already made a big difference in our building and the landscaping has also helped brighten up our property. We are thankful to everyone who has been part of this project.”
B.C. Hydro offered help through its Power Smart Express Program, Cedar Rim Nursery supplied plants, Commercial Lighting supplied lights and parts, Emco supplied the hot water tank, ESC Automaton installed the hot water tank, Fortis B.C. helped through its efficient water-heater program, GE Lighting supplied products, Luma Tech did an energy lighting audit, Mac’s II Agencies supplied lights and sensor, Sancor Landscaping did the landscape refresh, Steele Electric installed lights and controls, and Trevor Mang took photos of the group.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. was the project lead and donated $1,000 to the foundation as well.
