Community initiatives and programs during COVID-19
#ATBGoodnessGrows: our top 5 stories
By ATB Financial 9 November 2020 4 min read
Crisis. That’s a powerful and at times, scary word. But it can also bring us closer together than ever before. Since early 2020, Albertans have done their part—whether big or small—to support one another.
Here at ATB, we were built to help Albertans, their families and their businesses navigate the unknown. So when the COVID crisis hit, we launched a program to encourage Albertans to join our team members in creating uplifting experiences for our communities.
We called it ATB Goodness Grows, and it inspired Albertans to bring joyful moments to others. As people across the province adjusted to being disconnected from the friends, family and activities they love, ATB’s goal was to lead the way in uplifting acts, and inspire Albertans to keep the goodness growing!
It started out simply. We challenged ATB team members to go out into their communities and do random good deeds. We were blown away by the stories we received—about everything from donations to local charities, neighbourhood clean-ups, the delivery of coffee and baked goods to friends or essential workers, and more.
Great things were achieved because ATB and everyday Albertans stepped up to create goodness and bring uplifting moments to life. Let’s take a look at the top five #ATBGoodnessGrows stories that brought us together.
1. Good deeds—182 of them
The big question: how did we inspire others to do good? We led by example. We challenged ATB team members to go out into their communities and do something positive. It could be as simple as buying a cup of coffee for the next person in line, or another “pay-it-forward” act. In total, the ATB team performed 182 random acts of goodness. These deeds helped lay the groundwork to encourage Albertans to get involved in #ATBGoodnessGrows.
ATB team member Erika Stark and her dog Summit brought Goodness Grows to their community.
2. Mother’s Day stories raise $10,000 for Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
It’s not every day your financial institution asks you to talk about your mom. This past Mother’s Day, ATB did exactly that. Albertans shared touching stories about the “momfluencers” in their lives—the fantastic grandmas, mom’s most-loved recipes and what it’s like to miss mom when she’s gone—and our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds lit up with mentions of #ATBGoodnessGrows. For every use of that hashtag, ATB donated $20 to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, for a total of $10,000.
President & CEO Curtis Stange shared a photo of him with his mom, Ev.
3. Alberta Indigenous Artist Market
To celebrate National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, ATB wanted to explore how we could create greater economic outcomes for Indigenous people. To do so, a virtual Alberta Indigenous Artist Market. All the money earned went straight to the artists and the organizations that support them, with all fees and shipping costs covered by ATB. Plus, for every purchase of art, ATB matched 50% (up to $1,000) with a donation to Indspire, a non-profit organization that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. Over four days, the market dramatically surpassed its goal, raising $15,000.
4. Calgary Folk Fest – Summer Serenades
In the spirit of “the show must go on,” ATB partnered with Calgary Folk Music Festival to showcase six local performers on the ATB Twitter feed. Albertans came together and nominated friends and family to receive a personal Summer Serenade. Over the course of one day, 30 mini-concerts in the form of videos by Alberta artists singing to fans were sent out. One included a highly emotional song by Reuben Bullock to help cheer someone up after a major surgery. In addition to uplifting Albertans, Summer Serenades also gave the performers a paid gig at a time when musicians are struggling to connect with their fans.
5. Calgary Pride
This year, the Calgary Pride Festival and Parade had to be re-imagined, bringing Calgary together in a whole new way. In celebration and recognition of Pride, ATB worked with Calgary Pride to identify a charity that truly supports LGBTQ2S+ Albertans, the Centre for Sexuality in Calgary. One of the organization’s goals—through its Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network—is to create safe spaces for LGBTQ2S+ students and their allies in schools. And so, ATB issued a one-day challenge. For every drink sold at Monogram Coffee Co., ATB donated $2 to the Centre for Sexuality—and an additional $20 every time a Monogram customer posted a photo of their drink to Twitter or Instagram using #ATBPride. Together, we raised $5,000, brought awareness to the importance of GSAs and supported a great local business.
Monogram Coffee partnered with ATB Financial to raise donations for the Centre for Sexuality, raising $5,000.
These top five #ATBGoodnessGrows highlights reinforce that ATB can provide more than just financial solutions to help Albertans. However, we couldn’t do it alone. A year that has seen us go from only knowing our neighbours by their address, to knowing them by the conversations we have, is proof that not every life-changing event has to be for the worst.
ATB is committed to keeping Alberta moving, by recognizing key areas to put our money and services to work for Albertans. We’re invested in our province, and its people, too.
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