TORONTO – September 5, 2018 – Happy International Day of Charity! This important day, which is recognized across the globe, was introduced in 2012 by the UN. It aims to enhance and improve the social responsibility and public’s support of charitable initiatives. Contributing donations and volunteer time are invaluable to charitable organizations and have a major impact on the lives of those they are helping.
However, we truly believe that giving back must be meaningful; that means the decision to support a particular charity should come from the heart.
Giving Back
For our team at The Leadership Agency, International Day of Charity is an exciting one. You may recall that in early May, we said that we would be giving back in a meaningful way (you can read about it here). After a thorough process of research, outreach, and discovery, The Leadership Agency landed on an amazing organization that encompasses everything we believe in. Today we are thrilled to announce Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth as the recipient of our first ever Giving Back campaign. Through this initiative, The Leadership Agency is donating $20,000 in recruitment services to this incredible non-profit organization that believes in diversity and demonstrates a commitment to its community.
Our New Partner
We are honoured to partner with Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth for our first Giving Back campaign. Eva’s is an award-winning organization, dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk and homeless youth throughout Toronto and the GTA. The organization provides support in the form of shelter, transitional housing, and educational programs. Their goal is to provide resources for youth to reach their full potential to lead productive, sustainable, and healthy lives. From our point of view, Eva’s is disrupting the cycle of homelessness and are making real change.
At Eva’s, youth are provided with opportunities to learn critical skills in fields such as construction, building maintenance, print, and digital communications. Their core values of prevention, permanency, leadership, and innovation drive a variety of programs. These amazing programs include Family Reconnect, Employment Training, Independent Living, Harm Reduction, education, and recreation programs. Eva’s has three facilities throughout Toronto, each offering unique services for homeless and at-risk youth. Eva’s Place established in 1994, is an emergency shelter for 40 residents and home to the Family Reconnect program. Eva’s Satellite is another emergency shelter that focuses on supporting youth struggling with addition and mental health. It is also Canada’s first harm reduction shelter for youth. Lastly, Eva’s Phoenix functions as transitional housing for 50 residents and focuses on education and employment training for 150 youth annually. It is also home to Eva’s Print Shop, which is a full-service commercial printer dedicated to employment training for homeless and at-risk youth.
After learning more about Eva’s, choosing them as a partner for our Giving Back initiative wasn’t even a question. Eva’s is an outstanding organization, that is really giving everything it can to the community. By supporting at-risk and homeless youth they are working to prevent, reduce, and end youth homelessness. Even without government funding, Eva’s gives youth a safe place to start fresh, learn new skills, repair relationships, and improve their education.
Our Commitment
We know it can be challenging for non-profit organizations to compete for top talent. So, through our Giving Back campaign, we are going to be supporting Eva’s as they grow and flourish by helping them hire outstanding leadership talent that will bring them to the next level!
Our approach to supporting Eva’s reinforces our focus on giving back in a meaningful way. We’re doing this by working with a chosen charity that aligns very closely with our core values. Like Eva’s, we operate with full transparency and integrity, and value diversity, inclusion, and community We are also leveraging the incredible expertise of our team to help them address a strategic gap in their operations that will ultimately deliver even greater value in the long term. The material impact of offering knowledge and expertise can be far greater than just monetary contributions. Leveraging the skills and knowledge of our team allows us to give back in a more meaningful and disruptive way.
W are partnering with Eva’s to fill a crucial leadership role within their organization by providing $20,000 in recruitment services. This role will be a great contributor to the continued success of the various programs offered at Eva’s, and the organization as a whole. With a strong support system, starting from the top, Eva’s can continuously provide youth and the community with resources needed to break the cycle of perpetual homelessness. We are so happy to partner with Eva’s as they grow their team and continue to make a positive impact on the community.
Why We Want to Give Back
With roughly 10,000 homeless youth in Toronto under the age of 24, this widespread issue needs greater attention. These daunting numbers emphasize the significance of Eva’s work, and giving back to an organization that demonstrates a commitment like this to the community is something we want to highlight.
We firmly believe that companies should allocate time and resources to charities and non-profit organizations that they believe in. Giving back should be a part of a company’s culture and corporate policy. We also believe it is important to give employees a choice when it comes to giving back, like we did in selecting Eva’s. This kind of choice empowers employees and fulfills them in a different way. Corporate Social Responsibility has become a vital component to any company, going beyond a simple marketing or PR tactic. Turning these policies into action uplifts organizations, employees, and creates a better community for all.
Since The Leadership Agency is a company that likes to challenge the status quo through all that we do, we are challenging other companies to also give back in a more meaningful way.