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 Volunteers at Camp Voyageur Boys and Girls Club
On a cold, windy, misty day, the Probus gang ventured out to Mound, MN.
Destination: Camp Voyageur.
Mission: Ready to give our time, sweat, and tears of joy assisting in the campus spring cleanup.
After being given orders from “Law Dog” Scott Pillers, part of our group grabbed pitchforks, shovels and wheelbarrows. We were confronted with five or six HUGE stacks (well, maybe medium to small) of wood chips. Then Law Dog yelled out, “BUILD US A ROAD!!!”
The other Probus crew members—truly shaken—were taken up the road a bit and asked if anyone could run a log splitter. With blank expressions on some faces, finally a true blue leader stepped forward and said, “I CAN!” (way to go, John). Then “Law Dog” barked out his command: “SPLIT ALL THIS WOOD!!” Safety Bob had to treat one guy when he fainted, but thank goodness he was ok.
After a couple hours of unprecedented, grueling pain and sacrifice, the Probus team accomplished their tasks.
I, Safety Bob, was under the weather that faithful afternoon and could only take pictures. But what I watched was a group of highly trained Probus employees working together to accomplish an almost unobtainable goal!
We can now add to the Probus resume, “We built a road and split a LOT of wood.”
I have asked the Voyageur staff if they could name the wood chip trail “Probus trail.”
Teamwork, commitment, attitude, and, of course, some wheelbarrows and a log splitter. We all made a difference!!
We Support Our Troops
Marines care package for February
Probus’ latest giving project centers around one of our own. Neil, the son and brother of three of our employees, is a Marine and currently deployed in Afghanistan.
In support of Neil and his squad, the Probus family is sending out monthly care packages to let our service members know they are not forgotten.
Chasity, Vice President of Customer Relations, organized the care package project. As a military wife who survived a year-long deployment, Chasity has a heart for supporting the military.
She describes Neil’s situation as a tough one: “He has been deployed since October and has 4 more months to go. Neil and his squad are based in very remote locations without very nice, comfortable accommodations. His work is intense and often requires the whole squad to be ‘on the front line.’”
February’s care package was themed around Valentine’s Day, with an emphasis on gifts relating to hearts and body parts: knitted hats for cold heads, Trail Mix for hungry stomachs, chapstick for chapped lips, and tattoos for bare skin.
As Chasity said, “It takes just a moment of time to donate an item or a letter or funny card – but it makes a huge difference to our service members — to know they are not forgotten and to know we are thinking and praying for them.”
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.
