We’re excited to announce that our employees have logged more than 5,500 “giving back” hours so far in 2017.
As a company with roughly 200 employees across Canada, achieving over 5,500 hours of volunteering is no small feat. Here at LGM, giving back is one of our core values and we’re proud to be a company with a strong social conscience.
WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING
LGM is lucky enough to have employees with diverse passions and hobbies, which means we give back to our communities in a wide variety of ways. Every employee is provided with four paid days to volunteer at any time throughout the year, for a cause of their choice.
Whether it be individual, team-based, or company-wide, giving back is deeply embedded in our culture.
Check out a few examples of how we give back:
AS A COMPANY
Demonstrating our ongoing commitment to social responsibility, we design, launch and lead a yearly corporate giving back initiative called Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving in partnership with participating dealers nationwide.
This campaign is a way for us to provide auto dealers across Canada with the necessary tools and resources to connect with their communities and encourage formal commitments to drive distraction free. In last year’s campaign, dealers across Canada were successful in gathering more than 18,500 pledges from their customers, communities and staff.
Over the years, LGM employees have also had an opportunity to do some hands-on volunteering through this initiative. In 2016, we packed all of the resource kits that we sent off to our auto dealer partners ourselves.
AS A TEAM
Fundraising for Big Brothers
Back in March, a group of LGM volunteers raised $1,050 to support the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver Bowl for Big Brothers Classic. This event included more than 1,300 participants and 150 teams who supported Big Brothers’ mentoring programs for vulnerable children. The fundraising effort concluded with an exciting evening of bowling and activities.
Events for animals who need a home
Our very own Jessica Lo Basso, Dealer Support Representative, co-founded a foster-based organization called Paws Angels Montreal Rescue. Paws Angels Montreal Rescue aims to spread awareness and act as the voice for the voiceless through a compassionate lifestyle for all living beings. The organization does not have a shelter; it works solely with volunteer homes who shelter animals in need while they fully vet and socialize the animals before finding them a family fit for their needs. Vet bills are paid through donations, adoption fees and fundraisers for which many of our employees volunteer annually.
Cleaning up our beaches
Throughout the summer, many teams from LGM can be seen out on Vancouver beaches cleaning up garbage. Pictured here is our Technology team working on a beach clean-up at English Bay. That afternoon, they collected a total of 33 bags of garbage!
Pulling a Boeing 757 to fundraise
LGM had a strong presence at the United Way Fundraiser at the end of June as we set out to prove that there is nothing we can’t do when we work together as a team, including pulling a Boeing 757 down the runway! Our team raised $1,730 through online pledges and a bake sale. This total was matched by LGM’s Corporate Matching Program for a total donation of $2,870 to the United Way!
AS AN INDIVIDUAL
Volunteering abroad
Anthony Okuchi, Senior Manager, Product Strategy, discovered the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) 12 years ago and he then began working with the organization on projects in Cambodia, Uganda, Ghana and most recently in Mongolia. Throughout this time, Anthony has accomplished a variety of volunteer work, ranging from building strategic plans for associations and government, to consulting or auditing credit unions, and developing growth strategies. Anthony has been successful in utilizing his professional skills and applying them to volunteer work, where he is able to share his knowledge and learn from the people he works with. 
Volunteering with kids as a Scout Leader
Mark Thomas, Technical Adjuster, sets a great example of authentic giving back. After spending 12 years in the Scouting program as a youth, Mark returned as a Scout Leader when his children were of age to join the program. The Venturer Scout Motto is “Challenge” so as their Scouter, Mark encourages kids to challenge themselves in everything they do, from self-development, to community service and outdoor activities like camping, hiking and paddling.
MORE TO COME ON SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is another important aspect of social responsibility. After all, compassion for our communities goes hand-in-hand with compassion for our environment.
We have been making great strides in terms of our sustainability as a company. We recently received our first-ever Climate Smart certification, through which we created and implemented a carbon reduction strategy. Stay tuned for more details as we continue on our road to becoming carbon neutral.
