The Cora Group: Turning friendly competition into community impact

At The Cora Group, sustainability goes beyond the buildings they develop. As a leading commercial real estate developer, owner, and property manager, the company is committed not only to environmental stewardship, but also to supporting the communities where its employees, tenants, and partners live and work.

“We’ve always been committed to creating a more sustainable future for generations to come,” explains Vannalin Bun, leasing and marketing manager at The Cora Group. “Sustainability is not only about environmental stewardship. It’s also about fostering healthy, resilient communities where everyone has opportunities to thrive.”

That commitment is on full display this summer as The Cora Group launches a friendly competition among tenants in support of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

A long-time supporter of The Food Bank, The Cora Group has contributed through financial donations, food and fund drives, and employee volunteering through our Engagement program.

Now, the company is bringing their tenants together to make an even bigger impact.

The Cora Group volunteering at The Food Bank.

Bringing tenants together for a common cause

Tenants across three of The Cora Group’s buildings, innoTECH Building (300 Hagey Blvd.), The Cora Building (375 Hagey Blvd.), and evolv1 (420 Wes Graham Way), are participating in a summer food and fund drive. They’re competing to see who can collect the most food and raise the most money for The Food Bank and the nearly 73,000 people in Waterloo region who access food assistance.

“As a company and as a developer, we’re very passionate about caring for our planet,” Vannalin says. “Taking care of the planet doesn’t just mean investing in environmental systems and sustainable development. It also means taking care of our community and the people who live in it.”

While the competition adds a fun and engaging element, the real goal is to bring businesses together around a shared purpose.

“Initiatives like this allow us to support an important local cause while also strengthening connections among our tenants,” Vannalin says.

Doubling the impact

To amplify the impact, The Cora Group is matching financial donations dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, and food donations up to a value of $3,000, helping every contribution go even further.

The winning team earns a celebratory lunch courtesy of The Cora Group.

“We wanted to demonstrate our commitment to the campaign and encourage participation,” Vannalin explains. “Matching donations helps every contribution go further and shows just how committed we are to supporting our community.”

The food and fund drive officially kicked off in July with a special visit from Phil the Food Drive Bag, The Food Bank’s mascot. Phil stopped by each building to deliver food drive boxes and help build excitement among tenants.

Phil the Food Drive Bag dropping off boxes at GovAI.

“The kickoff day brought a lot of smiles to everyone’s faces,” Vannalin recalls.

The power of collective impact

To keep the momentum going throughout the campaign, The Cora Group is promoting the initiative through building signage, digital displays, and its biweekly tenant newsletter.

“What excites me most is the collective impact we can have,” Vannalin says. “Individually, every donation matters, but when you bring together businesses and employees from 22 different companies, the potential is so much greater.”

Tenants will come together for a barbecue on September 9, with the food and fund drive running through September 16, when the winning team will be announced.

“Success for me is seeing participation across all our tenants and creating a campaign that brings them together around a shared purpose: helping ensure more people in our community have access to food and the support they need,” Vannalin says. “Every contribution makes a difference. It’s an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Together, as a community we can make a meaningful impact.”

Interested in hosting a food and fund drive at your business? Visit our Food and Fund Drive page to get started.