The Co-operators

Vanessa Gonzalez, a Co-operators employee and Leave for Change returned volunteer

Although she only spent a few weeks in Oruro, Bolivia, Vanessa worked with the Mayor’s office and the Qanrayku Association for Young People to complete a manual that offered pointers on leadership skills and activities that youth could do within their community to inspire others to become more involved in their communities and more environmentally aware.

“This past year I was one of the fortunate people selected to go on the Leave for Change program in Bolivia, says Vanessa. It was the experience of a lifetime and when I left, I promised the youth group that I had worked with that I would help them in any way I could, even if I was far away.”

“About a month after my return, I received an email from Delia, the president of the youth group. Attached to the email was a letter that she had received from the United Nations inviting her to a youth conference in South Korea this coming August. The purpose of the conference is to bring together youth from different countries and discuss climate change issues. Seeing that the letter was in English, I quickly translated it back to her native Spanish and told her the wonderful news. An all expenses paid trip courtesy of the United Nations! All she needed was a Korean visa and her Bolivian passport. She sadly told me she wouldn’t be able to attend because the cost to acquire the documents was more than she made in a month. “

“She’s a brilliant girl and I didn’t want her to miss her chance to go on a trip that could change her life. I quickly spoke to my family and with their support sent money to Delia to cover her expenses. “

“Delia will be travelling to South Korea next month. It will be her first time out of her beloved country, her first time on a plane, and her first time away from her family. She’s very nervous and excited, while I’m just happy with the idea that I was able to pay my experience forward – who knows what doors will open for her!”

Making an impact… even from home!
“I feel that once my colleagues who are considering applying for the program in the coming months realize what kind of impact you can make in people's lives even AFTER you've returned from your mandate they will be inspired to volunteer,” Vanessa says.

Part of The Co-Operators mission statement states that as a company they strive to be a member of, and a contributor to, a strong co-operative community and a catalyst for a sustainable society. “What I've helped Delia with falls within our company's vision and demonstrates that our company is a leader within its community,” says Vanessa who hopes that their initiative will inspire other Canadian companies to be both socially and environmentally aware.

“It makes me proud to know that our company is acting both on a local and global scale.”