Nanaimo employee and founder of Khalsa Aid Nanaimo helps those in need during the COVID-19 crisis
Surrey, BC – Coast Capital Savings is celebrating National Volunteer Week (April 19-25), by honouring some incredible employees who are making a difference in their communities in the face of COVID-19.
Aman Hair, a Member Services Representative with Coast Capital Savings at the Aulds Road branch in Nanaimo, had long-admired the international NGO, Khalsa Aid, that provides humanitarian aid to the Sikh community around the world. In 2018, Aman and her family started the Nanaimo division and now have upwards of 40 volunteers that have devoted their time to support the cause.
Since then, the group has been organizing sponsored lunch and dinner programs for those in need. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to worsen, they saw a greater need for their services. The team of volunteers has been delivering groceries and essentials to members of the Sikh community who are either in isolation or unable to pick them up themselves.
“Helping those less fortunate has always been a passion of mine, which is why I saw a need for a Khalsa Aid division in Nanaimo,” said Hair. “Once the COVID-19 crisis hit, I knew we needed to mobilize our efforts to assist those in the Sikh community with essential items.”
Coast Capital’s Help Heroes employee volunteer program, empowers employees to volunteer in their communities and with up to 7.5 paid hours of paid volunteer hours annually. In addition, participants are also awarded with $10 per hour of volunteer time (up to $1,000 annually) to allocate to a charity of their choice. The organization continues to encourage employees to utilize the hub finding new ways to contribute that adhere to physical distancing and isolation.
“Community leadership is a cornerstone of our organization,” explains Maureen Young, Director, Community Leadership, Coast Capital Savings. “For many of our employees that is one of the reasons that they have chosen to work at Coast Capital. National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate our amazing employees, like Aman, who are doing incredible work to help others through these trying times.”
For more information about National Volunteer Week, please visit: https://volunteer.ca/
About Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s largest credit union by membership and B.C.’s first credit union to become a federal credit union. Owned by its 572,000 members, Coast Capital offers banking and investment services digitally and through its 52 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Okanagan, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia. An Imagine Canada Caring Company and a Certified B Corporation in recognition of its social performance, Coast Capital invests 10 per cent of its bottom line in youth-focused community organizations, programs, partnerships and events. The credit union has been recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures™, and holds a Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation. Coast Capital has a history of introducing innovative products to help their members achieve financial wellbeing including Canada’s first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution and Help Extras®, enabling members to invest in their future. To learn more, visit coastcapitalsavings.com.
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