Well, here we are! 2019 is drawing to a close and the offices at FINCAD are abuzz with holiday cheer. Many of us are getting ready to sign off for Christmas break and enjoy some quality time with our families and friends.
With this being a season of giving, I’d like to talk about why I am proud to work for a company that values giving back. Our culture at FINCAD is one that embraces opportunities to help those in need, and this is certainly something very important to our CEO and Founder, Bob Park.
As the chair of FINCAD’S HOPE (Helping Other People Effectively) group, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to assist those in need, not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year. FINCAD HOPE is a volunteer, employee-led initiative aimed at giving back to our local and global community by balancing philanthropic, charitable, and community service efforts. The name of the program reflects FINCAD’s core focus on helping others as part of our corporate philosophy. 
The way FINCAD HOPE works is that members of our team research charitable organizations for suitable projects. We then match the need with talents inside our company to recruit volunteers. Employees here are even given two paid days off per year to perform volunteer work. Plus, FINCAD will often provide monetary support by matching employees’ contributions to many of the charities that we work with.
During the holiday season, FINCAD HOPE gets involved with the Surrey Christmas Bureau’s annual Adopt-A-Family program. Donations to this non-profit charity are used to purchase gifts, toys and groceries for families that struggle financially. I am proud to say that every year FINCAD’s Vancouver office puts forth a great effort assisting with this important program. In fact, this year we were able to raise more than $7,000 for needy families. Pictured above are FINCAD employees, Ian Hartshorn and Wendy Kalhart presenting Lisa Werring (center) with a donation check for the Surrey Christmas Bureau from FINCAD.
Our FINCAD team also participated in some more (shall I say) daring charity work earlier this year. In September, 12 FINCAD employees took a leap of faith and rappelled down our 25-story office building in Surrey for Easter Seal’s 2019 Drop Zone fundraising event. With the generous support and donations of my fellow Fincadians and other donors, we were able to raise more than $14,500 to be put towards this charity. For those of you unfamiliar with Easter Seal’s DropZone, this incredible charity helps to raise much needed funds to support children and adults with diverse abilities across BC and Yukon. In the left photo, courageous FINCAD team members, Sam Seneviratne and Kathy Richmond, pose for a picture following the Easter Seal’s Drop Zone Charity event.
Extending outside our Canadian borders, FINCAD recently made monetary donations to foodbanks local to each of our other offices in Dublin, London and New York. Funds donated went to Cross Care Community Food Services, Waterloo Food Bank and the Food Bank for NYC respectively.
When it comes to helping our less privileged neighbors, every little bit helps. Each person’s individual effort may seem small, but when combined, they can add up to something great that has a genuine impact. After all, we are all in this together!
It is my wish that all of you enjoy a festive, joyous season, making great memories with those near and dear. From all of us here at FINCAD, we’d like to wish you Merry Christmas and happy holidays. We will (see) you back here in 2020!
