From arm wrestling contests to competitions to pin down the most food bank donations, BDO Montreal exemplifies our commitment to community involvement.
Individually or in offices, BDO staff are given time annually to make a difference in their community. In Montreal, the community day is organized collaboratively. "It's easier to have a big impact together," partner David Pluta says.
Share the Warmth, a not-for-profit organization and BDO client, has a food bank. BDO staff helped with cleaning, painting, and organizing the second-hand store on one community day. They also raised money for the charity as part of BDO's Drive Away Hunger campaign.
Canadian Tire, also a BDO client, has a camp for kids, Base de Plein Air Bon Départ. A contingent of BDO staff members from Montreal worked hard to help get all areas of the camp up and running for the summer, cleaning buildings and clearing paths, and setting up tents and other outdoor equipment at the campsite. "They really liked seeing the kids and seeing they were making a difference," David says, which may explain why the office has a community day participation rate of around 90%.
"People came back to work with a smile on their face," David remembers.
For some events, the Montreal office is divided up into teams. "You get to know people you don't usually work with," David says.
For other events, departments―like Tax and Audit―compete to raise funds. "It's not the Habs versus the Leafs," David laughs, "but it creates bonds, relationships between our staff members. "Employees share stories that happened when they were working together on community-involvement projects."
"Community involvement is something important, something that people forget as they're going through the recruiting process. It's a very humbling experience. Generally, working for BDO, we're very fortunate, and as you move on through your career, you'll notice that it's something very rewarding to give back to the community."
