Did you Take A Stand today?

CWB National Leasing employees are standing up – for their communities, for their co-workers and for their own health and wellness.

In August 2016, we launched Take A Stand – a new employee reward program to recognize and inspire employees who lead, volunteer, fundraise and promote wellness and physical activity at work. Since the launch, CWB National Leasing has rewarded more than 25 per cent of employees across Canada for taking a stand.

Some of these employees include members of our Inside Ride team. Over the past four years, the team has raised $40,000 for the charity bike race in support of children with cancer, and through Take A Stand, CWB National Leasing has made significant contributions to the team’s efforts.

“Our employees are the reason Take A Stand works so well,” says Grant Shaw, Vice President, Strategy & Culture, CWB National Leasing. “They’ve been taking a stand on their own for a long time and now, through the program, we have a way to support them even more.”

CWB National Leasing team at 2016 Inside Ride in Winnipeg

One of CWB National Leasing’s Inside Ride team members, Byron Heide, Senior Asset Evaluator & Sales Coordinator, CWB National Leasing, won the top male fundraiser award in 2016, bringing in over $5,000. 

The Inside Ride team is one of many groups and individuals that CWB National Leasing has supported since Take A Stand launched in August. The company has donated to the causes of its volunteers and fundraisers, awarded Take A Stand bonuses to workplace leaders and contributed CWB National Leasing’s many sports team registrations.

Take A Stand combines all the good stuff – community initiatives and employee health and wellness – to form a holistic approach to the things that matter to employees. The idea for the program was born on a frigid February evening, when Jani Sorensen, Manager, Brand & Communications, CWB National Leasing, attended a charity cross-country ski event with co-workers.

“Winter 2015 was an extremely difficult time for my family, as my sister’s battle with cancer was nearing an end,” says Jani. “I signed up for CWB National Leasing’s cross-country ski team as a distraction. Even though it was hard to get out of the house for practice, it felt so good to be outside in fresh air, moving around with a fun, supportive group. That night, the name Take A Stand, a double entendre for standing up for your own health and standing up for your community, dawned on me.”

Jani Sorensen, Manager, Brand & Communications, in CWB National Leasing’s fitness studio

Now, almost two years after the cross-country ski practice that inspired Take A Stand, CWB National Leasing is helping employees who stand up for themselves and their communities across the country.

This past December, CWB National Leasing’s Quebec office took a field trip to Accueil Bonneau to serve meals to Montreal’s homeless.

CWB National Leasing’s Quebec team serves meals to Montreal’s homeless in December 2016

“Accueil Bonneau has played an essential role in the lives of our city’s homeless since 1877,” says Martin Gagnon, General Manager, Quebec Branch, CWB National Leasing. “It’s so important for us to recognize the work they do and contribute as much as we can. I’m grateful to work for a company that understands and supports this.”

Through Take A Stand, CWB National Leasing’s Quebec employees earned a donation toward Accueil Bonneau for their volunteer efforts.

Check out the photos below for more CWB National Leasing employees taking a stand.