As part of the North American Offices Stampede celebrations this year, the team at Electra dedicated their time and money towards Women In Need Society (WINS) Calgary. Finance Administrator, Abi Grainger shares her perspective of the event.
On June 27th a small group from our team had the opportunity to do our first volunteering afternoon at WINS donation center in the Foothills industrial park. Upon arriving we all noted that the scale of their operation is much bigger than we had anticipated. They recently acquired the space adjoining their own and have easily put it to good use.
From an operational perspective – dealing with donations and thus never knowing exactly what you will be getting sounds like a nightmare. However, they have crafted a smooth system to complement their unique inventory structure. From sorting initial donations to quality control and recycling, every aspect of their process is impressively refined. It’s clear they take a dynamic approach to their processes and implement changes effectively.
Our team was tasked with fulfilling the daily orders of the local stores. This gave us the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with their sizeable warehouse as we organized everything. When creating some boxes, we got to see that the caliber of the donations they receive, they are not only great quality and condition but often brand new with tags.
The money raised from stores help fund other WINS initiatives such as their ‘Wearhouse Ready’ & ‘Retail Ready’ training programs. These end-to-end courses give classroom instruction, work experience and third-party interview and resume training. Invaluable skills that can be applied at all stages of life.
By the end of the day the Electra team had worked up quite a sweat, not our usual day at the office. The only part of the operation we seemed unable to apply ourselves to well was the packing tape dispenser. After several clumps of tape, ripped gloves, and embarrassment later, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we may be better suited for software.
All of the staff we had the pleasure of interacting with in the warehouse were enthusiastic about what WINS offers to the local communities and beyond. The culture they have nurtured internally is also a testament to their commitment to their values.
If you are interested in supporting Electra’s fund raiser for WINS please see more information here: (Electra Learning Stampede Event 2024 – CanadaHelps)