Coventry Cares Week

The week was more of a success than we could have imagined – staff from the office, sales and construction all spent some time making a difference, and some new friends along the way.

Day One

Our first stop was Ronald McDonald House, lending a helping hand with fresh baking. Who could resist the smell of delicious home baked goods wafting through the air? Upon arrival, our team met up with Matt, who runs our Helping Hands program, and we took a tour of the House. Our favorite part was the kids room filled with toys and quilts. Matt explained that each child staying with Ronald McDonald house, along with their siblings, gets to pick a handmade quilt (donated by generous volunteers) when they first arrive to keep forever. The same goes for the walls of toys filling the room – they help lift sprits on the bad days or brighten the special days. After our tour, our team split up into groups, quickly powering through our three recipes of bacon & cheese scones, double chocolate muffins, and morning glory muffins. To help Matt get a head start on their Wednesday lunch delivery, we then assisted in packing 160 lunches that would be delivered to three hospitals in the city. And with that, our day was done.

Day Two

The second stop on our Coventry Cares Week was with Habitat for Humanity. We were lucky to be working on the Carter Work Project started in July 2017 by former President Jimmy Carter. This initiative was set up to mark Canada’s 150^th anniversary and includes building 150 homes throughout the country – 75 of which are part of this project! After breaking off into groups, we got to work. Some of us were sanding in preparation for flooring to be laid, while others took measurements, cut and laid the vinyl plank flooring. Meanwhile in another home, we had a team working on finishing – that’s what we call the final touches such as baseboards and trim. And of course, yet another team was completing touch-ups and miscellaneous projects. We made these houses the best looking on the block!

Day Three

Our mid-week volunteer day was spent with Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If you have never heard of Habitat ReStore than let us tell you of its wonders! ReStore accepts donations of new and gently-used furniture, appliances, household items and building materials, which are then sold for a very low price. All the proceeds are then directed back to Habitat for Humanity. If you love a good DIY project, you should definitely swing by ReStore to get some inspiration. Plus, you never know what you’ll find! Today’s volunteers were ready to put in some hard work and have lots of fun. We met Jeff who led us through a safety orientation and then gave us some jobs to do. We moved furniture, built beds, organized and arranged. There was lots to keep us busy as this is the biggest ReStore location in Canada! By the end of our shift, we were even chatting with customers.

Days Four & Five

The last stop on our Coventry Cares Week was with a longstanding friend of ours, the Edmonton Humane Society. We have been partners with the EHS for over a decade, and surpassed the $1 million mark in donations at our Paws & Claws gala this past March. Spending the day with furry friends was so popular, we decided to double up and volunteer with them both Thursday and Friday. There was so much to do and so many kittens to cuddle! We cleaned the cat condos, made some new cat toys with catnip and donated towels and bedding, and wrote thank you cards to all the generous donors who support the EHS. However, the best part of all was all the animals we got to spend time with!

Thank you to Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Alberta, Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, Habitat Restore, and the Edmonton Humane Society for hosting us and showing us a thing or two about your day to day activities!