What are you passionate about? At FCT, passion is how we describe and experience our shared values: passion for integrity, to innovate, to exceed and to serve. It means that those aren’t just ideas we think about—they’re what we put into our work every day, for our customers, and for each other.
It also means that, when people at FCT hear the call to action in our community, we respond. Volunteering is built into the culture here: everyone is provided two volunteer days each year, and many of our colleagues collaborate to use them for the greatest impact—teams at FCT have helped tend community gardens, process deliveries at food banks and cook meals for people in need.
We’re invested in our community. As an organization, FCT focuses its efforts and community investment on supporting youth at risk of, and experiencing, homelessness. We have community partners across Canada who offer direct aid, and whom we’re proud to support.
Every year, FCT comes together for the Day of Caring event, to assemble care packages for youth without stable shelter. Our colleagues fill drawstring bags with toiletries, warm clothing and messages of hope for over 1,000 youth annually.
Every volunteer at FCT lives our values when they give their time, labour and skills to helping others. There may be no better example of a volunteer initiative here that demonstrates each of those values than our people’s support of Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH).
HHTH is a non-profit that’s been raising funds since 1996 to support those experiencing homelessness. In that time, it’s grown from a single charity tournament hosted with donated ice time into a series of annual pro-am events across Canada.
FCT employees, along with their friends and family, have participated in HHTH tournaments since 2019. Russell Bettinelli is a manager of strategic initiatives and digital transformation at FCT, and has led our hockey team for the tournament since year one.
“It’s a great cause,” said Russell. “It’s something to be a part of, something you can stand behind. I think everyone, at some point, thinks something like ‘If I were to go tomorrow, have I done everything I’ve wanted to do? Have I been able to support people in need?’ I can honestly say that I’ve put my effort to be able to help with that. Giving my time, from that perspective, helps me be at peace.”
His colleagues have also answered that call of conscience. HHTH has become a rallying point for volunteer fundraising efforts at FCT. Teams from across the organization come together to see who can raise the most funds.
The competition brings out our people’s passion to innovate, with colleagues offering their time and talents in ways ranging from salon services to salsa lessons, yoga classes to self-defense seminars.
That innovative spirit is the key to evolving volunteer efforts and finding where to take them next, explained Russell. “It’s getting more people on board,” he said. “It’s [fundraisers] leveraging their platforms to promote what we’re doing, and working with their external partners to get more charitable donations.”
“It feels great to see my colleagues step up, and when I say colleagues, I mean FCT overall,” said Russell. “FCT has always gone over and above, exceeded plans, always tried to push the envelope and make it so that we’re doing the right thing.”
The fundraising teams push themselves, and each other, each year, and it shows in the results: over $100,000 raised for HHTH alone, and counting. For Russell, that figure is a point of pride, but not a surprise. “We always find a way to make things happen [at FCT]. We find a way to get things done.”
The volunteer culture at FCT isn’t an accident. It’s a reflection of the values that everyone here shares, and an opportunity to express, and live, those values. That passion to serve, to look for ways to help each other, our customers and our community is the foundation that our volunteer work and our business both rest on.
“I was brought up playing hockey, with the idea that being part of a team means something, and you pride yourself in that,” said Russell. “Growing up on a hockey team, you become more part of the community: we were the team for the town.
“I’ve been the captain of FCT’s team for five years, now. Watching us grow year over year, getting insights into what our donations have done, seeing everyone’s involvement, how FCT steps up, it gives me a real sense of pride.”
Click to learn more about FCT’s community investment and volunteer efforts.
®Registered Trademark of First American Financial Corporation.