Probus OneTouch gives a significant percentage of company profit to organizations chosen by our employees. In addition to the money they give, employees also give their time and energy.
Probus Employees Volunteer at TechDump Event
Tech Dump Participants
Just after lunch on August 26th, Probus employees shut down their computers, shuttered the warehouse, and headed out to West End for the first ever TechDump recycling event. The electronics recycling fundraiser was organized as an innovative way to support nonprofits with the donation of used computers, laptops, cords, and other technology equipment. Jobs Foundation is a licensed collector/recycler with Hennepin County and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to transfer, store and process electronic waste.
The Stores at West End partnered with Jobs Foundation to host the event and offer special deals for individual donors who dropped off computers for recycling. Probus employees teamed up with Duke Realty and other volunteers to help set up for the event and man the first shift on Friday afternoon.
Over the course of Friday afternoon to Saturday, TechDump volunteers received over 1500 computer parts—enough to fill an entire semi trailer! Proceeds from the donations went to the nonprofits involved in the event, including Jobs Foundation, Courage Center, PRISM, Parenting with Purpose, Hospitality House, Access Press, and M.A.R.C.H.
2011 Courage Cup Ski Race
Probus OneTouch employees participated in a benefit ski race for the Courage Center at Trollhaugen in Wisconsin. Probus also donated some of its products to the afternoon raffle to raise money for the Courage ski program.
The Courage Adaptive Ski and Snowboarding program offers individual skiing and snowboarding instruction for people with a variety of physical disabilities and visual impairments. Lessons are available for beginners all the way up to expert racers and athletes.
Feed My Starving Children
Probus OneTouch employees spent an evening volunteering for Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen, MN. The group assembled MannaPack™-Rice pouches designed to meet the nutritional needs of malnourished children around the world.
Probus Employee Serves in Haiti
Probus had the opportunity to help sponsor Nancy, the Assistant Warehouse Manager, to do relief work in Haiti. In addition, the Shipping Department contributed towards the purchase of much-needed medical supplies for the hospitals in Haiti. Nancy worked with a team of 13 other people to help run a temporary hospital in the town of Leogane, which is just outside of Port au Prince.
The following is a summary of Nancy’s trip and her reflection on the situation in Haiti:
“I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti in May with an organization called World Wide Village (WWV). I was part of a medical team that staffed a temporary field hospital and outpatient clinic for about eight days. As a certified nursing assistant, I worked in the triage tent for the outpatient clinic. I and several Haitian nurses measured the pulse, temperature, and blood pressure of each patient before they went in to see the doctor. We also directed seriously ill patients to the front of the patient line or directly in to the hospital. On average we had about 150 people come through the outpatient clinic each day. We saw patients of all ages from infants to the elderly.
One of the things that amazed me while I was in Haiti was how the people were picking up the shattered pieces of their lives and moving on through a difficult situation. We felt several tremors while we were there, which continues to cause concern and fear among the people. Many people were afraid to go into solid buildings for fear that another quake would hit and they would be buried in the building. Yet every morning the vendors would spread out their wares along the path to the hospital and in the marketplace. They sold tourist items such as woodwork, paintings, and jewelry. Others sold electronics or egg sandwiches or clothing and sandals. Each of them was trying to earn a little money to help feed their families.
Haiti is a poor country, one of the poorest in the Western hemisphere. They had political and economic troubles before the earthquake hit last January. Today, the people, economy, and country as a whole still need assistance. The people who have enough money to rebuild are working to clear away debris and rebuild their homes. Other buildings don’t look like they have been touched since the earthquake knocked them flat five months ago. It is encouraging, though, to see teams of volunteers and local Haitians gathering at certain sites to clear away rubble and begin to rebuild. But Haiti’s rainy season is coming, and many people around Port au Prince are still living in tents without access to running water or flush toilets. The situation in Haiti is difficult but not impossible, and they could use all the help that others have to offer them.”
Lawn Bowling Benefit
Several Probus employees participated in the Tilt the Kilt lawn bowling event at Brit’s Pub in Minneapolis. The event was held to benefit Catalyst Community Partners, a nonprofit organization with a mission to “revitalize key commercial corridors in distressed urban neighborhoods by developing real estate and sustainable businesses to meet community needs and provide neighborhood jobs.”
