From Initiative to Intention: Collaborating with Cloverdale Community Kitchen

When EllisDon begins a project, it is always with the intention of supporting the communities we build in. While we are privileged to do it through the buildings we construct, we also make an effort to find additional ways we can give back to the local community. 

One of our British Columbia sites has done exactly that through their relationship with Cloverdale Community Kitchen (CCK). CCK is an organization that began as a humble soup kitchen and now provides hot meals, a holiday hamper program, temporary shelter, and clothing for people in need.

Their relationship began with their Christmas Hamper Program. Our site, along with onsite partners, donated toys, food and an additional $9,619 in funds raised to support the Program. Volunteers sorted and packed the donations into baskets that supported 1,000 households with over 300 seniors and 1,200 youth and children. 

This success spurred the team to reach out a second time, this time with a more intentional goal: build a calendar of multiple, pre-planned fundraising events between EllisDon and the Cloverdale Community Kitchen in an ongoing, targeted approach to community outreach. Here are some highlights:

• The site donated $3,000 to become a CCK Rest Stop Sponsor for Coldest Night of the Year, a walk to raise money in support of local charities like CCK.
• EllisDon teams also participated in Coldest Night of the Year and raised$2,316.
• A February lunch program made specifically for our site to help raise funds for CCK’s Mobile Meals program, where 100% of funds raised go directly to the Program.
• A mobile meal program that raised $1,477 and provided 211 meals to seniors.
• Six additional events in February and March that raised $4,705.

“It’s exciting to be able to leave our marks on these communities in ways that go beyond construction,” said April Land, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, EllisDon. “It speaks to our values in a different way and emphasizes our organizational approach to go above and beyond.” 

The project team is looking forward to filling out the calendar and continuing to engage with CCK over the length of the project.