Evergreen Foundation
โStanding With You In Your Moment Of Needโ
At some point, you have to stand up for what you believe in.
I remember, as a child, growing up in Kelowna, I was walking downtown through City Park. I saw an old, disgruntled, homeless man shivering in the cold. I just looked at him, shook my head, and kept walking.
One day, one of these homeless people came up to my father and I and asked for some money. My father, having lived in the community for over 40 years, immediately pulled out his wallet and gave him twenty dollars.
I asked, โWhy did you give him the money? Heโs just going to use it to buy drugs or alcohol.โ
My fatherโs response surprised me.
He looked directly into my eyes and said โHe is as much of a human being as you and me. If I can do anything to help someone, I intend to do it.โ
I was shocked. My father didnโt say anything against the man. He didnโt talk about the way he looked, โpeople like himโ, or anything. He just wanted to help.
It was an important moment for me. I learned that all people are โequalโ, and I should help wherever I can.
Over the years, I have given as much as possible to local causes. Especially those that move me personally.
I remember when I was growing up my family would participate in events like the Terry Fox run, help feed the homeless through local associations and support the intellectually challenged as often as possible.
Today, we have decided to launch the โEvergreen Foundation,โ named after our family business.
We intend to continue the tradition of lending a hand and supporting our community and as many people as possible.
This page lists some of the organizations we have committed to support every year.
If you have a cause close to your heart that supports the Kelowna community, the Evergreen Foundation would be happy to consider it for their Matching Grant program. Just send us an email with the details, and weโll get back to you.
Ranjit Takhar,
CEO Evergreen Building Maintenance.
