Liquor Mart Product Consultant Dana Daciuk has worked at MBLL for 17 years and giving back to the community has transformed and become the centre of her work and family life.
Dana and her children were first introduced to Popcorn & Binkies Small Animal Rescue after adopting two bunnies, Poppy and Pepe. The staff were generous in sharing helpful adoption knowledge and offering a warm community and advocacy for furry friends. Dana and her family were inspired to become more involved by driving to pick up donations and give their own donations in lieu of Christmas and birthday gifts. She became one of the first employees to lead a peer-to-peer collection drive where she collected urgently needed items for the rescue, generously donated by employees corporate-wide. With the support of MBLL, she found it was an opportunity to build engagement and broaden outreach in support of her charity.
“I’m not only doing something I really enjoy but I’m working towards my charity of choice, and that makes me feel really good,” said Dana.
As regular volunteers of a fellow employee’s breakfast service crew, Dana and her children join his monthly kitchen team prepping and serving meals at Siloam Mission. Even with their efficient speed and desire to serve long lineups, they always want to ensure a true sense of dignity and compassion.
“We take the time in the details, such as wiping the plates just the same as a restaurant standard to ensure that the presentation is there and everyone has a beautiful plate of food,” said Dana. “I always give eye contact, a smile, and say, ‘good morning’ to show everyone that I’m proud and happy to be there.”
Dana enjoys sharing her experiences with coworkers and encourages everyone to get online to learn about the opportunities available and how easy it is to get involved. There is something for everyone to connect with.
“Food is my love language,” said Dana. “At Siloam, I get to prepare and serve food to people with the knowledge that they are starting their day with a full belly, and that’s a very satisfying experience.”
Dana has continued to share her love language of food as an informal act of kindness with coworkers. She pioneered Foodie Fridays at her Liquor Mart, bringing a cozy crockpot meal into the workplace from October to May, while utilizing her passion for cooking and understanding for coworkers who may forget or are unable to bring a lunch. From chili and soup to a full East Indian feast, Foodie Fridays is her motivation to bolster employee morale and support a compassionate and caring workplace culture.
Through her volunteer experience, Dana has always made it a family affair by including her children, as she sees it as quality time together as well as a learning experience to instill the value in helping others. She and her children have decorated gift bags for 1JustCity’s annual Christmas Store, donated essential items for the North Point Douglas Women's Centre, and ushered at Rainbow Stage.
“I often remind my kids that even if we don’t have much, we have more than most and if we can’t give in a monetary way, we can give our time,” said Dana. “We should help each other however we can. Everybody deserves kindness.”
#MBLLGoodTogether demonstrates Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries’ (MBLL) commitment to partnering with Manitoba communities, non-profits, and charitable organizations that help make our province an even better place to live. Our Community Champion series highlights MBLL employees that are making a difference in the lives of Manitobans through their work or volunteer efforts in the spirit of being “good together”.
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#MBLLGoodTogether demonstrates Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries’ (MBLL) commitment to partnering with Manitoba communities, non-profits, and charitable organizations that help make our province an even better place to live. Our Community Champion series highlights MBLL employees that are making a difference in the lives of Manitobans through their work or volunteer efforts in the spirit of being “good together.”