Stantec in the Community Week 2022 – Our Impact Around the Globe
October 20, 2022
In our ninth year, we saw over 3,700 Stantec employees volunteer across five continents
Share
Our reinvigorated Stantec in the Community (SITC) Week this year demonstrates our excitement, dedication, and enthusiasm to once again team with our colleagues in giving back to our communities.
"Our focus in Latin America was to help children. We donated books and winter clothes to children in Peru, and food and kitchen supplies to El Peñoncito camp to families of the students from Escuela Novomar in Chile. Our volunteers were very excited, happy to participate and give a few hours of their time to provide joy and entertainment to the children in our communities.” Leyla Majluf, Sr. Communications Specialist, Lima, Peru.
“It was a rewarding opportunity to give back to the communities in our city. It’s such an uplifting, fulfilling, team bonding experience when we volunteer. The comradery and team building were just what we all needed during such a time as we have been experiencing during the pandemic. I look forward to SITC Week every year!” Azelea Lewis, Project Coordinator, Houston, Texas.
“Class effort by the Newcastle office who volunteered for the Ouseburn Trust to maintain and improve an old car park that’s getting ready to become a community garden and social space. Great way to get away from the desk and out into our community to make a difference.” Sam Nelson, Civil Technician, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
“Participants for the in-person events were very excited to come together, several for the first time since being hired during the pandemic and being able to help out the community in such wonderful ways!” Stephanie Pinela-Cooper, Office Manager, Toronto, Ontario.
Share
“It was such a pleasure to work in the garden of Community First, A Home for the Homeless in Austin, Texas. Wonderful place and people. My biggest lesson was to learn that homelessness is mostly caused by a lack of a caring support system. We are better together means so much more to me now.” Ricardo Carlos, Director, Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, Austin, Texas.
“I’m very thankful to Stantec and Seva Sahayog, the organization I volunteered at, for giving me an opportunity to be part of such great event—school kit assembly drive. It really makes me happy, and I’ll always try to contribute something back to my community.” Ajay Narwade, Project Accounting Administrator, Pune, India.
These are just a few quotes from employees around the globe as we shared common experiences of giving back during Stantec in the Community (SITC) Week this past summer. Connecting to the issues that matter in our communities become heartfelt when we understand the needs. Circumstances of the last two years of the pandemic amplified social problems and through our heart-led employee participation, we’ve expanded the number of informed, engaged, and empathic global citizens. It’s a great way to help others and the importance of volunteering has repeatedly been made evident through our amazing employees, and SITC Week proves this.
In its ninth year, SITC Week saw over 3,740 Stantec employees volunteer to help 343 organizations and charities across five continents. This year, we saw a steady increase over last year when our volunteer numbers dwindled because of the ongoing pandemic. With these 2022 stats, it’s safe to say we’re on the path to bringing this important Company initiative back to its former glory.
June is a key time to host SITC Week as it brings visibility to some of our biggest Inclusion & Diversity initiatives—Pride, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Indigenous Peoples Month, Juneteenth, and International Women in Engineering Day. Events from around the globe incorporated these important observances.
In the Middle East, the team hosted an International Women in Engineering Day webinar that invited aspiring engineers and architects at universities across Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia for an informative session. Five successful female engineers, at different stages in their careers, shared their insights into growing a rewarding future in the engineering profession.
Employees in the Yellowknife, Northwest Territories office celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day by helping a local organization, The North Slave Métis Alliance, put on their annual Fish Fry and Stage Show that showcases Métis, Inuit, and First Nations with cultural food, music, and dance. In Edmonton, Alberta, volunteers helped teachers facilitate cultural activities with a class in a K-9 school for National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Volunteers across the Chicago area gathered to pitch in at three separate activities for Envision Unlimited. They participated in making float decorations for the Disability Pride Parade that took place on July 23. In New York, the Pride@Stantec Employee Resource Group (ERGs) wanted to give back to the LGBTQIA+ community and chose the organization God's Love We Deliver to assist with meal prep for those who are unable to provide for themselves due to symptoms of AIDS, HIV, and other diseases.
In Australia and New Zealand, over 500 employees volunteered across 19 cities. In North America, the Women@Stantec, LiS, Pride@Stantec, and Indigenous Connections ERGs were all activated and helped produce some amazing events. In Scotland, volunteers filled boxes and rucksacks with humanitarian aid for Ukrainian families who are suffering from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
We helped make a positive impact across the globe during SITC Week. The reason we volunteer? The greatest benefit is why we do it at all—it makes a difference. Whatever you’re doing out in your community, you’re making an impact in your life, the lives of those you volunteer with, and the lives of those who benefit from your efforts. Our individual and collective generosity truly reflect the people that work at Stantec.