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When Account Manager Robert Bince from Amazon Canada first stepped into the Second Harvest warehouse to volunteer, he didn’t fully grasp the scale of what he was about to be part of.
“I didn't have an understanding fully of the scope of how many organizations across Canada Second Harvest supports,” Robert shared. “It was really heartwarming to see the great work these organizations do across Canada supporting our most vulnerable communities. Being a small part of that effort, makes it all worth it.”
Inspired by a colleague who balanced career success with a strong commitment to giving back, Robert took the lead in organizing teams of Amazon employees to sort food donations at Second Harvest.
“I had always known that there was a need,” he shared, “but especially with the onset of COVID-19 and now everything that’s going on globally, I hadn't really comprehended how many people rely on these critical resources to get by.”
His understanding deepened as he learned more about food rescue — and the staggering amount of food that would otherwise go to waste.
“The more I learned about the food recovery program, the more I was shocked. I don’t like throwing food away at home — but just to see on a large scale how much food gets diverted from landfills and matched with need was amazing.”
Robert was also struck by the scale and efficiency of Second Harvest’s warehouse operations — a clear example of what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose.
“When you see how efficient the operations are — it’s really, really great. I think last year we sorted almost 23,000 lbs of food just with the Amazon team. Once you're in the facility, you see the work that’s being done — potatoes, apples, all these resources. It's massive.”
Beyond supporting our network of non-profit partners, Robert also shared how meaningful and motivating the experience is for his team.
“We so often get caught up in the day-to-day … It's so nice to step away from a screen, have an experience and see impact. It’s great teambuilding. We have amazing feedback from all our volunteers that they love the experience.”
And of course, a little friendly competition doesn’t hurt.
“We see other Amazon teams and think — did we pack more? Did we sort more? It keeps it fun.”
Volunteers like Robert remind us how powerful corporate engagement can be — not only for the communities we serve, but for the teams themselves. If your company is looking for a hands-on, high-impact way to giveback, consider signing up for one of our group volunteer activities.
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