In Canada, our chosen charity is Youth Without Shelter, an emergency residence and referral agency serving homeless youth.
Youth Without Shelter provides a range of services to at-risk young people, including emergency accommodation and residential, employment and ‘stay in school’ programs.
Business Development Manager Kimberly Fernandes says:
“QBE employees regularly carry out fun activities in the office to raise funds for Youth Without Shelter. This includes having ‘Jean Fridays’, where a small donation allows you to wear jeans to work. We have also held ‘Munchies Fridays’, where a team cooks food for their colleagues, and those who eat give a donation.
“Beyond raising funds, we have had great opportunities to volunteer at the shelter. Over the last few years, our volunteer days have supported a number of needs such as re-painting their bathrooms, undertaking a major overhaul of the landscaping around the shelter, as well as helping to stock and organize their clothing cupboard. We also hosted a barbecue for the young people living at the shelter, with food purchased by QBE.
“The kids who live in this shelter have faced any number of challenges in their lives thus far. We hope that our support of this shelter will allow them to get the support they need to reach their full potential and achieve their ambitions.”
Since 2014, QBE has raised $30,000 for Youth Without Shelter, which includes matched funds from The QBE Foundation