Giving is a way of saying thank you!

Karen Milde, Reframe Marketing, Vancouver, BC, CYBF Mentor

We live in a very capitalist society these days such that it’s nice to see more philanthropy, volunteer work, and non-profit focused associations these days popping up to help make a difference in the world. What’s even more exciting is to now see small and large corporations giving back to the community as well as realizing we are all in this together. A community of giving is the ongoing dream!

Personally, I have been giving since an early age with my parents leading the way. My parents were donating a percentage of their earnings to various charitable organizations to help them out, donating their time to sit on boards, helping family members immigrate to the country and various other things.

I will never forget my first time giving back and that was helping make wedding flowers to stick on a car in preparation for a relative’s wedding. I recall us all sitting in a room making these plastic flowers and how much fun it was because of the shared experience, not because we were on a deadline to complete these flowers by morning since the wedding was taking the place very next day. My parents encouraged me to do this as my way of saying thank you to the bride and groom (non-monetary wise since I was not working) for all the wonderful childhood experiences we shared (i.e. movie nights and pirate packs at White Spot).

To this day, I give back in several ways by sitting on boards, participating in soup kitchens, and mentoring start-ups. All of this is nothing big, but I know that if everyone did a little bit like me, the sum of these parts could equal a whole.

About: With over 8 years of experience in Marketing and Communications, including a stint as Marketing Director, Karen Milde is all about the bottom line and marketing ROI. She is a go-getter, and prides herself on being technology savvy.