INSIDE MOMENTIVE

Victoria volunteers with the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Girl Guides of America, helping with dinner service and running programs for young girls.

Colette Des Georges

July 10, 2023 | 2 min read

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Employees are our greatest asset, and we share their time and talents with nonprofits around the world through volunteerism. SurveyMonkey (previously Momentive) is building a culture around it, encouraging employees to give back to the communities where they live and work. 

In recognition of their generosity, we’re highlighting one employee each quarter who is living our #standforequality value through volunteer work. This quarter we’re recognizing Victoria Thorn in Alberta, Canada. With this recognition, Victoria will receive money to donate to a charity of her choice. 

Why do you volunteer? 

I volunteer to connect to my community and better the lives of the people in my community, even just by one percent. 

Tell us one or two of your favorite volunteer experiences. 

I volunteer with the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Girl Guides of Canada. I started volunteering with the Calgary Drop-In Centre, a local homeless shelter, during the 2022 Week of Service because I was looking for a new volunteer opportunity. Since then, I have been volunteering there weekly for about 9 months, assisting with dinner service. 

Additionally, I have been a unit leader with Girl Guides of Canada for three years, primarily for the Ember level (ages eight and nine). For 10 months of the year we run program-based meetings weekly, including teaching the girls leadership skills, addressing the importance of mental health, how to have a positive impact on the community and of course, everyone’s favorite activity–camping!

What interested you in continuing to volunteer with the Calgary Drop-In Centre after Week of Service? Tell us more about the organization. 

The Calgary Drop-In Centre (DI)  is an emergency shelter in Calgary, Alberta that is known as the “largest shelter in North America.” This designation shifted their efforts in 2017 to be more housing-focused, meaning that there are various programs and individuals who assist people to exit homelessness and get back on their feet. In addition to being a 24/7 emergency shelter, providing beds and three meals daily, the DI offers housing resources, free goods like clothing, furniture, kitchenware, and toiletries, plus an open health services clinic, victim support services, addiction treatment services, and access to hygiene facilities.

I adore the community and the staff at the DI – it is so evident that everyone who works and volunteers there simply wants to have a positive impact on the community. While the circumstances and situations of the individuals may not be the brightest, all the staff show up with a smile each and every day – ready to better the lives of the clients, even if it is simply with a meal. The DI is a warm, welcoming place where I am so grateful to get to volunteer.

What would you say to people thinking about volunteering? 

If you’re thinking about volunteering or interested in learning more about a specific organization – just do it! You can start small and get more involved as you go. 
You can read more about the ways SurveyMonkey supports the community  in our 2021 Social Impact Report.