There is a paradox that “the more you give, the more you receive”. Urban Systems is committed to giving back to those communities in which we live and work as shown by creation of the Urban Systems Foundation.
The Urban Systems Foundation was established in 1999 as a vehicle for sharing our blessings with children and youth facing significant challenges. Through the Foundation, we hope to create opportunities for staff to contribute to their local and/or global communities while providing a focus to our charitable giving as a company.
Currently, the Urban Systems Foundation has three active programs both at home and abroad. They are as follows:
The Foundation team in each branch identifies one or more worthy agencies that provide services for children and youth in their community. In consultation with the agency they set about to find creative ways to engage branch staff in giving back through volunteering, fundraising, and mentoring among other things. The goal of the Backyard Project is to make “community giving” easy, accessible and fun for all interested staff. Over the last number of years, the Foundation has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), MOSAIC, E4C and YM/YWCA.
Over the years our Foundation has supported partner agencies working in Africa, Brazil and Thailand to provide services to children and families in need. More recently, we partnered with Africa Community Technical Services (ACTS) to provide potable water, as well as resources for education to impoverished children and families in southern Uganda. These international initiatives have been widely embraced by our staff who make significant contributions through individual donations, and fundraising. As well, a handful of staff have traveled overseas to volunteer with our partner agencies.
Urban Systems founder, Terry McQuillan, believes deeply in the potentially transformative power of a positive work environment, particularly for young people that may be facing social and/or economic obstacles. As a way of honoring Terry, a work experience and education saving program was established in 2007 to help motivated young people gain valuable skills, build respectful relationships with positive role models and envision new and exciting possibilities for their future.
Our Foundation is where it’s at today because of the incredible generosity, dedication and compassion of USL staff and their families. They are committed to ensuring that the Urban Systems Foundation makes a positive difference in the lives of children and families in our backyard, and beyond.
Read more about what our staff have to say about their experience with the USL Foundation
CALGARY | EDMONTON | FORT ST. JOHN | KAMLOOPS | KELOWNA | NELSON | RICHMOND
