Guelph Hydro
March, 2011 - Guelph Hydro went above and beyond for the Live Free Campaign this year- ending their campaign with a delicious chilli lunch for which staff contributed donations. I asked Colleen Pearse, organizer of the Live Free @ Work for Guelph Hydro along with the Charity Committee, what her secrets of success were.
What made you want to participate in the Live Free Campaign and continue to participate each year?
We originally heard of Food and Friends through United Way presentations at work, learning about kids who go to school and don’t have anything to eat for the day. The campaign has become a part of what we do after 3 years, and we still find it a very worthy cause. Last year we didn’t quite get the participation we wanted, so we thought we’d try something different this year and bring everyone together with a chilli lunch.
What did you and other office staff Live Free of?
We had everyone "Live Free” of buying lunch or bringing lunch, and offered a chilli lunch for a small donation.
You’ve raised almost $450 as a workplace this year! Any advice for businesses participating next year?
I would suggest putting a different spin on the campaign to get everyone involved as a group. The chilli lunch was our recipe for success!
Guelph Hydro has been a long-time supporter of The Children’s Foundation and was recognized as the 2008 Community Champion at the 2008 Around the World Gala. They have supported hundreds of children in Guelph and Wellington County through our programs. Most notably is their support of the Adopt-A-Family program. Their history with the program is evident in that they are donor number 52 – new donors are now receiving numbers in the 600s. Each year they support the program by adopting 10+ families and provide Hydro vouchers for families in need.
