TELUS Days of Giving & Backpack Buddies #GiveWhereWeLive #TeamTELUS

Disclaimer – This TELUS Days of Giving post was written in collaboration with TELUS.  All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

Giving back to our community has always been something that is very important to me.  My husband and I try to instill this mindset in our daughter.  Little One has been introduced to olunteering and supporting charity events since she was a toddler.

This is TELUS’ 13th annual TELUS Days of Giving, where more than 34,000 TELUS team members, retirees, family and friends will volunteer at 2,000 activities this year to help create healthier, stronger and more sustainable communities across Canada and around the world.

Volunteer activities include shoreline cleanups, sorting food at food banks, reading to young students, donating blood, refurbishing shelters and planting trees.

TELUS Days of Giving & Backpack Buddies

Just the other week, while I was in Vancouver with TELUS, I was able to volunteer along with fellow #TeamTELUS members and fill 500 bags of food to help fill the weekend hunger gap for children in Metro Vancouver.

It was the first time I heard about Backpack Buddies, and the more I learned about the program, the more I wanted to be part of such an incredible initiative.

Backpack Buddies  was started in 2012 by mother-daughter duo, Joanne and Emily-Anne as a way to help tackle the weekend hunger gap head on by working with “buddy schools.”

Students at buddy schools are responsible for raising awareness in their schools around childhood hunger, identifying Hunger Heroes in their community who will take on the cause, and investing hundreds of volunteer hours a year packing our Backpack Buddies to care for their peers in different parts of Metro Vancouver.

Last year, with the support of generous donors and a committed community, Backpack Buddies delivered 10,925 packs of food to children across Metro Vancouver who otherwise would have not eaten over the weekends.  I was surprised at how large the number of children in need of food on the weekends was.

Backpack Buddies feeds 2,334 children every month and works with 32 schools around the Greater Vancouver area: 15 schools that donate into our program each month, and 17 recipient schools.

Fellow #TeamTELUS advocates and I packed 500 bags of food for kids.  That means 500 kids were able to have food for a weekend.

Backpack Buddies Promotional Documentary from Hole Hog on Vimeo.

I’d also like to add that for just $10, you can fill the weekend hunger gap for a child in need in Metro Vancouver.

There are children and families in all communities that could use a helping hand.  Even in my own community, there are families who could benefit from an initiative like Backpack Buddies.  Food insecurity is a reality for more families than one would think.

I keep telling people that I am a loyal TELUS customer and that TELUS has been my longest relationship.  It’s been an running joke over the years, because I’ve been with TELUS since 2000 and I’ve only been with my husband since 2005.  TELUS had me first withe their service as a network provider.  I’ve always had great coverage and reception with them.  They obtained my loyalty with their customer service.  With TELUS, it felt like I was not just a number, but an actual person that they cared for.  TELUS has become my second family.

Of course, after finding out more and more about what TELUS does, I was even more impressed.  They are leaders in areas like Digital Health with TELUS Health.  They have initiatives that help our environment.  TELUS has anti-bullying campaigns and helps us keep safe online with their TELUS WISE program.  I am am impressed with TELUS for how the company is passionate about giving back and caring for their community.  That made me even prouder to be a #TeamTELUS advocate.  How can I not be proud to support a company whose team is proud of their compassionate efforts to give where they live and to make positive social impacts in local communities year round?

I admit that when TELUS presented Backpack Buddies with a donation of $10,000, I cried.  What a feel good moment!

TELUS’ hope is to inspire Canadians to give back and they’re asking their team to share their acts of kindness on social media with the hashtag #GiveWhereWeLive.

Will you be taking part in TELUS Days of Giving?