A number of business owners from Castlegar and beyond have come together to make Pinnacle PAC’s “Greenification” project a success. This Monday’s gift to the Community Harvest Food Bank marks the kick off in a series of donations Pinnacle will make on behalf of its clients. The idea is simple. In order to reduce wasted paper, Pinnacle makes a donation to a local charity on behalf of each client who chooses to receive their year end documents in electronic rather than paper format.
Now it’s time to start giving out the cash, starting with the Community Harvest Food Bank. Pinnacle PAC partners Doug Johnstone, CA and Willow Enewold, CGA believe that one of Pinnacle’s roles is to inspire business owners. They hope that by helping their clients give to the community, they will help inspire a giving spirit in Castlegar’s business community at large. Darren Fowler, a local business man says he likes being able to support local charities. Kathy Sykes, owner of Tim Hortons, and another donor to the food bank, says she is “a firm believer in the whole cycle [of] supporting the community that supports you.”
Of course, the beauty of this project is its two pronged approach of supporting community charities while also reducing waste. Accounting firms are usually big paper consumers. Pinnacle prides itself on its reduced ecological footprint; the company has no filing cabinets – their storage is all electronic. The Lion’s Head Pub owner, Troy Pyett, received his year end documents from Pinnacle electronically, and feels that “it may be a small step, but if everyone does it, it’ll have a big impact.”
Other clients who chose to support the Food Bank with their donations were Saber Physiotherapy, Castlegar Realty, D Bar D Riding Stables, SCL Investments, The Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society, Grand Forks Realty, West Coast Endeavors and Sourdough Alley Holdings. In the words of Simon Laurie of Castlegar Realty, “we really appreciate the progressive approach of Pinnacle PAC towards the community and the environment, and we are happy to be on board.”