Premier Equipment Ltd.
Why We Chose FIDA
The owners and management of Premier Equipment Ltd., headquartered in Elmira, Ontario, were looking for a cause they could support, one that would also connect employees to how they can make a difference to others in need. In addition, rather than spreading our charitable support amongst many different charities throughout the year, we decided we could make a greater impact by focusing on one single charity that resonated with our values and objectives.
In September 2010, we chose FIDA/pcH. We liked the fact that FIDA/pcH worked in the development of rural and farming practices in a country of need. Our employees, as well as the customers we serve, are immersed in farming practices in Ontario. We believed that exposing them to an area of need in another part of the world, with similar but different challenges and approaches, would heighten the sense and significance of the contribution we are making. FIDA’s Executive Director, Betsy Wall, also challenged us to visit the project ourselves to see our “investment” at work. That was an important factor. By seeing the impact of our charitable dollars, we believed the life experience of our employees would be broadened and their everyday work would have greater meaning.
The more profitable we are as a company, the more we are able to support the lives of farming men and women in Haiti. Choosing an organization like FIDA/pcH is a good fit for the employees and customers of an agriculturally based business such as Premier Equipment.
Ian Verbeek
Owner
“Haiti influenced conversations with my daughter because I could now understand things she was experiencing and feeling following her time in Africa. My time in Haiti had me seeing that there is another option to what we know as the traditional mission approach. It is about listening, discussing, discovering, and caring before action is taken together.”
Henry Scholten
Premier Tour Participant & FIDA Canada Board Member