Community Leave Days
The Community Membership Program at Community CPS is committed to making a positive impact on the community; environmentally, economically and socially. By providing all permament staff with a Community leave day, we are enabling staff to help us achieve these objectives.
What is Community leave?
Community CPS is providing all permanent staff with one paid leave day per year to spend working for a charity or community group that is aligned with our Community Membership objectives. Community leave provides staff with an opportunity to give back to the community in a practical way and shows a strong commitment to the communities in which we live.
Biggest Morning Tea
On 30th May, the staff of Community CPS Australia hosted a ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ to raise vital funds for the Cancer Council. While enjoying a lovely morning tea of home made cakes and slices, staff managed to raise nearly $800!
Staff member Sue Horsfall at the Community CPS Morning Tea
Million Paws Walk
On Sunday 18 May 2008 at many different locations across the nation, people and their pets took part in the RSPCA Million Paws Walk, treating their ‘best friends’ to the best day out of the year and supporting the vital work of the RSPCA.
In the ACT this year, the Million Paws Walk was attended by more than 40,000 people and 17,000 pets!
The staff of Community CPS and their four legged friends enjoyed this special fundraising day and entered a team to help support the fantastic staff at our local RSPCA.
Community CPS staff with their pets
RDNS Christmas Hampers
In the lead up to Christmas, Community CPS was very happy to be contacted by the RDNS who we currently support through our charitable Foundation to seek volunteers to assist with the packing of their Christmas Hampers.
For several years, RDNS staff have personally donated goods and groceries to fill Christmas hampers for clients in dire circumstances, and this year, thanks to ChemPlus’ generous support, the number of hampers distributed almost doubled.
Stuart Warwick, Community CPS IT Services Manager, and his wife Ann, a former employee at the credit union, believe the RDNS Christmas hampers bring joy to people who are going through a rough patch in life, and assisting in preparing them for distribution is the perfect way to give something back to the community.
“We consider ourselves very lucky, but many people are doing it tough - especially at Christmas time. We are very glad to have the chance to help RDNS to spread the joy of Christmas and put a smile on people’s faces,” said Mr Warwick.
Since the launch of our Casual for our Community days, Community CPS has raised over $3,000 for a variety of charities across both SA and ACT. All our staff are encouraged to wear casual clothes on the Friday of the month and make a donation to the chosen charity.
Our Casual for our Community Days have so far supported:
August: Jeans for Genes day
September: Heart Foundation
October: Breast Cancer Foundation
November: Movember
December: The Smith Family
January: Community CPS Foundation
Keep an eye out for our February Casual for our Community day in support of The Spastic Centre.
Supporting the Smith Family
In the lead up to Christmas, the Community CPS Social Responsibility Committee wanted to support those who are struggling and in need of some extra Christmas Cheer. We organised for over $500 worth of books and toys to be donated to the Smith Family Christmas Appeal and Christie from the committee personally dropped in the goodies to an extremely grateful Smith Family staff member.
"Community Leave Days" - Community CPS Staff Volunteering Program
At Community CPS, we strongly believe in supporting our staff to spend a day volunteering in their local community. Each staff member is offered one day of paid leave to volunteer for a local charity or community organisation.
Since we launched our Community Leave Day program a few months ago we have had over 40 staff use their volunteer day.
Does your organisation need volunteers? Please contact our Community Membership Manager on (02) 6286 0580 or email kellie.edwards@communitycps.com.au to register your upcoming event or activity.
Starlight Foundation Fundraising
ACT Pinnacle staff, Sharyn, John, Shirley-Anne, Anita and Michelle used their Community Volunteer Day to sell merchandise for the Starlight Foundation and raise much needed funds for Star Day.
MOVEMBER EVENTS
To celebrate our staff participating in Movember, events were held in SA and ACT to raise funds and congratulate those brave gentlemen who participated in this great fundraiser.
Community CPS cares about Breast Cancer Research and Education 
In October 2007, Community CPS held an information night for staff and their families and friends to hear from the Bosom Buddies Support Group.
There was pink everywhere as guests were treated to pink champagne, pink cupcakes, games, giveaways and most importantly, a very informative talk from an inspiring survivor of breast cancer.
Staff and guests had a wonderful time and joined forces to raise over $1,400 for the Bosom Buddies Support Group.
Donation to Replace a Precious Stolen Ride on Lawn Mower
Recently Community CPS received a letter from the President of The Woden School’s P & C, seeking our support for the donation of a new ride on lawn mower for their Woden Enterprise Education Program (WEEP).
The Woden School is a specialist school catering for approximately 80 students with special needs. The school provides a program that caters for the needs of students with a wide variety of disabilities in the areas of academic achievement, life 
skills promotion and the development of workplace skills.
The WEEP program provides work experience for the students through various contracts the school has secured to mow the lawns of horse farms and nurseries. Due to a recent break in at the school, their ride on lawn mower was stolen and the students were using hand held mowers to complete their work.
The brand new ride on mower was presented to the school at their assembly in December to a very excited group of students.
Woden School Principal said the school is extremely grateful for the generous donation. “The Woden School community would like to sincerely thank Community CPS for supporting students with a disability in the ACT.
