COMFORTING FAMILIES

It's always been important to me to work for a purpose-driven organization. I've been at GreenShield for 11 years, and I was born and raised in Windsor, so seeing the impact that GreenShield makes here, and in other communities, is very meaningful.

When GreenShield became the health and benefits provider for McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), it was a fantastic connection between an employer I'm very passionate about and a cause I'm very passionate about.

I'm on the Board of Directors at the Southwestern Ontario chapter of RMHC. It was important to me to give back after my wife and I stayed at a Ronald McDonald House during the most trying period of our lives, when our first child, Evan, was born prematurely.     The doctors moved us from our hospital in Windsor to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children's Hospital in London, where Evan spent three weeks. Every day, we went to the hospital to spend time with Evan as the doctors and nurses cared for him, and then we'd go back to Ronald McDonald House.

Providing homemade meals daily and giving us a convenient and comfortable place to stay near the hospital helped us tremendously and provided a lot of comfort. Evan's battle came to an end, and when he passed away, we said goodbye to Ronald McDonald House. But, as we left, I promised myself I would contribute to their organization in any way I could, in Evan's memory. 

I started on the finance committee, and then I had the opportunity to join the Board of Directors, which I've served on for three years now. It's an excellent opportunity to help steward the organization into its next development and growth phases, build a more impactful profile in Windsor, and expand our capacity to serve more families. Two years ago, I helped launch the inaugural RMHC golf tournament in Windsor. We've raised $275,000 so far, and we're planning the next one in 2025.

GreenShield has been one of the main sponsors for the tournament. It makes me proud to see our logo at the event. While staying at the Ronald McDonald House, we learned that GreenShield had sent a $5,000 donation because they care about their employees and want to support organizations making a difference in their lives. And through the employee matching program, they have also doubled the contributions I’ve personally made to RMHC.

Being a GreenShielder means no matter which team or function you work in, it's really one GreenShield. We all understand what we do and why we do it. The idea of being a greater force for good helps unite us.