THE BATTLEFORDS — Nicole Darling, vice-president of consumer operations for Discovery Co-op, says the Co-operative Retail System program “Communities in Full Color,” will be another way for their business to give back to the communities they serve. Discovery Co-op has been participating in this program since 2016.
Discovery Co-op is part of a Co-operative Retail System throughout western Canada, which has a community investment commitment that gives back to the communities they serve. An initiative that works to brighten up communities is donating Co-op Imagine paint to projects that matter to their communities.
Darling affirms there have been approximately 40 different groups and organizations in the greater North Battleford/Radisson area that have received donations from Discovery Co-op through this program.
Discovery Co-op affirms, “Since 2016, we have donated an estimated 1,550 gallons of paint, equalling roughly $56,000 through this program’s donations.”
Groups and organizations can apply, and find out more information on this program, through the website https://www.home.crs/more/communitiesinfullcolour.
Darling said they receive allocations early every spring based on their paint sales the previous year and they continue to give away paint until their allocation runs out.
“Every local co-op gets to choose who receives the donation; at Discovery Co-op we work together with our marketing team and management at the home centre to decide who receives donations,” adds Darling.
Discovery Co-op does try to offer volunteer assistance on projects when they can and they have already offered to lend staff volunteers to the [North Battleford] Legion on June 8 this year to help paint the exterior of the building.
Darling also states, “We have been consistently donating to Battleford and area Pride, Royal Canadian Legion and WDM [Western Development Museum], just to name some of the larger donations. We would love to get the word out and spread the love (or paint).”
Discovery Coop acknowledges that, in the first few years of their participation in this valuable community donation program, it was a challenge to give away all of their paint allocation.
“Once we got the word out, we have been finding that we do run out of our allocation and cannot always donate all we would like to. We do work together with other local co-ops to try to try to satisfy the demand and/or service communities that are outside our main communities that we have home centres in. For example, we worked together with Delta Co-op to donate to a community group in Cut Knife, “said Darling.
Darling also said,” Communities in Full Colour has been a great way for the co-op to connect to our community in a unique way, and we are excited to continue this great program well into the future.”
The website reads, “As Co-op grows and evolves to serve our customers and communities better, we believe that by working together we can make good things happen. Our Social Responsibility program is part of our ongoing commitment to give back, lend a hand and do what we can to support the causes that matter most to you. Co-op has fostered a business that is centred around the customer – an organization built on the idea of being truly local and the promise of staying that way. We’re a business built for communities and about communities. We are proud to be part of your community, and we are happy to lend a hand towards projects and partnerships that are doing good things close to home.”
