Spark Outstanding Pro Bono Awards-list of nominees

 

2017 was a big year.  A record number of nonprofits nominated their Spark volunteer for the Spark Outstanding Pro Bono Award as a way to recognize them for their fantastic leadership and coordination, the impact they had on the organization, and their commitment to doing pro bono work for a stronger Winnipeg.

 

To celebrate, we posted individual volunteer profiles through the month of March that detailed a little about the volunteer’s background, the project they worked on, and the impact they made on the organization.    

 

With this being National Volunteer Week and with the Volunteer Manitoba Awards only days away we thought it would be a good idea to feature the nominees and the work they accomplished one more time.  Listing all the nominees together really shows the depth and breadth of our volunteers, the diversity of the organizations we work with, and the types of potential pro bono projects we create. 

 

So take a peek at the volunteers and organizations that worked together to make Winnipeg stronger: 

 

Foster Lyle– An accountant by trade, Foster Lyle worked with the African Communities of Manitoba Inc. to expand and strengthen their internal bookkeeping processes, and prepare for a financial compilation report.

 

Stephen Pitre– Business analyst and IT project manager, Stephen Pitre, worked with the Community Unemployment Help Centre to review their current data collection practices and needs, in order to make the organization’s record keeping, data management, and use more streamlined and effective.

 

Jill Knaggs and Elise Epp– Jill assisted L’Arche Tova Cafe to create a new tagline for the social enterprise, while graphic designer, Elise Epp, designed a new logo.

 

Dinis Prazeres– Dinis Prazeres, owner and CEO of JEDS Construction, completed a year-long mentorship match with BUILD’s Executive Director Art Ladd.  The outcomes of this match included a relationship between BUILD and Transcona Roofing and a path to employment for BUILD graduates.

 

George Harris– George helped to develop the budget and 5-year financial projections to include in the business plan for the Clan Mothers Turtle Lodge’s Healing and Educational Village, a project that will work with women and girls who have been victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

 

Jackie Hogue– Consultant and ex-Executive Director, Jackie Hogue, mentored Candace House’s Candace House Executive Director Cecily Hildebrand. The two discussed and problem solved around the challenges of being the Executive Director of a new and growing nonprofit.

 

Monica Giesbrecht and Rachelle Kirouac– Monica and Rachelle worked with a small committee of North End Women’s Centre staff and community members to define their vision for an outdoor space, and created plans for a healing garden for clients and the broader community. NEWC will be able to use the plans for fundraising purposes, in order to make the garden a reality.

 

Jason Kasper (winner)– Jason Kasper and IDEATE Design, an interior design firm, worked with a committee of Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre staff members to evaluate the current and future space needs of the Centre, producing a list of recommendations and points to consider. FGWRC will be able to use the recommendations to help evaluate potential new locations in the coming years.

 

Happy National Volunteer Week and thank you again to all the organizations for their nominations!