Employee-Driven 'Turosi Giving' Focuses on OSI’s Sustainability Initiatives Close To The Heart

August 21, 2019

Doing good benefits recipients, and, equally as important, the people doing the acts. That is one of the reasons OSI’s Australia company Turosi established Turosi Giving in 2011. Originally named Turi Trust, the organization was founded on the idea that giving back to the community was not only the moral, responsible thing to do. It was also good for the business as the employees would grow as individuals, become more connected to the communities in which they work and feel inspired knowing that the company they worked for put caring for the community at the forefront of its mission.

Since 2011, Turosi Giving has successfully realized its mission of providing assistance to those in need, with a particular focus on children. The organization is a proud example of how to produce real, impactful results through important partnerships within communities and renewed energy in the workplace. At the heart of the organization, and in line with OSI Group’s core values, is the desire to contribute to the community. Our communities and the people that live in them are an integral part of our business.

Turosi Giving’s mission is to present opportunities to employees where they can actively contribute towards improving the lives of others, especially children. Employees and members are encouraged to take part in programs that will not only benefit other people, but also enrich their own lives in the process. Turosi Giving is built on the premise that there is power in numbers, that a small contribution made by many people can make a considerable difference to those in need when working together towards a common goal.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES THAT HIT CLOSE TO HOME

While many of OSI’s sustainability initiatives are focused in areas throughout the supply chain, Turosi Giving focuses its efforts more on the community. Since 2011, Turosi Giving has assisted more than 65 charities, in Australia and abroad, and has provided support and relief to many people in genuine need of help. The overall numbers of people helped, value of materials donated and hours spent helping the community, give just a high-level overview of the kinds of impact the organization has made. An even better way to understand the impact is to speak with some of the employees to learn about their personal experience and how it has shaped them.

“When we give ten thousand dollars, it is not like giving it to a major hospital where it is just part of a big donation,” said Turosi CEO Chris Turner. “It goes directly to the grassroots of where we can make a difference.”

In fact, many of the charities and initiatives undertaken by Turosi Giving have been close to the heart of a company employee. As such, the organization is helping people with challenges within (or close to) its own network, and the company itself will be motivated to work harder for these causes because they know a particular challenge affects one of their own. Employees are also given two paid volunteer days each year, where they can take time away from work to give back to the community. And every dollar donated by each employee is matched by the company.

Through these multiple, small contributions, the organization has been able to donate $1 million in six years. These donations have gone directly to charities close to people within Turosi’s heart. Don Heath, operations manager, tears up when he thinks about the donation given to a charity for stillbirths started by his daughter-in-law.

ANNUAL GOLF DAY WITH THE CLOWN DOCTORS

Each year, Turosi Giving hosts an annual golf day to support and raise money for a local charity that helps children and others in the community. The company works internally and with partners to find sponsorships and golfers, raise money and have fun. In 2019, the annual golf day supported the Clown Doctors. All those involved were proud to have GPS Electrical Services as their major sponsor for the day, as well as Aviagen as the dinner sponsor. With the support and donations they received, they donated $28,700 to the Clown Doctors.

The Clown Doctors work in partnership with medical professionals to divert children during painful procedures, calm and distract them in emergencies, encourage and assist during occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and improve the quality of life of some of the most vulnerable members of our community; sick and injured children. Using humor therapy, Clown Doctors lighten the hospital environment, helping parents, family members, hospital staff and patients.

TUROSI GIVING HELPS CHILDREN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA GET AN EDUCATION

Turosi Giving has been helping disadvantaged people in Southeast Asia since its inception in 2011 with a focus on providing sustainable opportunities to communities as well as access to education for children. A few factors prevent children from going to school in Southeast Asia. While the public school is free, students must have a uniform, which typically costs $10 USD, as well as some writing materials. This amount may seem small to some, but can often be such a great barrier that children do not go to school at all.

Many of the families that cannot afford to send their children to school use them for labor to earn money for the family or, in desperate situations, may even sell their children to pay debts.

Turosi Giving in its partnership with the Amor Key Project has been supporting five children, enabling them to go to school, while also supporting the families as an incentive to keep them there. The organization will continue to support these children and it is also raising awareness and the funds necessary, so the 60 other children in this one community can go to school as well.

TUROSI GIVING TURNS GIVING INTO LONG TERM SUCCESS FOR CHILDREN

Wayfaring Foundation is an independent non-profit organization based in Melbourne Australia. It was built on the passion of giving underprivileged children a chance to make a progressive and positive change in their lives. The charity directly benefits children and communities every year in Cambodia by providing free education to the underprivileged. Wayfaring Foundation also provides safe learning centers, libraries, community projects and basic school supplies.

Turosi Giving is working to ensure Wayfaring Foundation’s projects are supported over the long term, to develop ideas to complement government-defined curriculum and to commit to giving all underprivileged children a quality education, so they can enjoy a happy educated life and a better future with quality employment.

GIVING AND RECEIVING: SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES HELP THE GIVER

Turosi Giving is managed and run by a committee comprised of passionate employees of Turosi. They are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the charity, representing the views of their co-workers and ensuring all staff are provided the same opportunity to participate in activities. Committee members work in all levels of the company from senior management to the production floor. Our employees and business partners have experienced first-hand the rewards that come from giving to those less fortunate.