Employee Spotlight: Leigh Hadden and Giving Back in Medicine Hat

At CF Industries, we are dedicated to supporting the communities where we live and work. In addition to philanthropic initiatives at the corporate level, we’re proud of the locally managed charitable programs at our sites across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

One example of this dedication to give back is our Medicine Hat Complex, which recently won the United Way of Southeastern Alberta’s Chairman’s Cup for the tenth consecutive year — an honor reserved for the largest donation in a campaign year. The team also received the Leading the Way award for having the most employees participate in leadership giving.

Medicine Hat employees accept the United Way Chairman's Cup and Leading the Way award for the 2020 campaign year. Pictured left to right: Many Dion, Amissa Funk, Rachel Collin, Kyle Herter, Leigh Hadden and Breanne Tillier.

Leigh Hadden, an accountant at the Medicine Hat Complex since 2015, helped lead a nearly year-long effort to support the United Way of Southeastern Alberta. Her first year at the helm, she led a core team of eight volunteers to organize multiple events that raised over $92,000 in donations for the organization in 2021, which supports the local community through food security, emotional well-being, education and other vital programs.

How did you get Medicine Hat employees involved this year?

Our largest event was a payroll campaign, where employees could donate a portion of their paycheck or make a one-time donation over the course of a month. I was so impressed by the generosity of our employees and permanent contractors, who collectively donated $42,746. CF matched these donations, so we were able to raise $85,492 to help support the needs of our community.

We also organized smaller events throughout the year, including food truck days where vendors donated a portion of their sales. It was so successful that several vendors have since reached out asking when we plan to host the event again. A few members of our operations team also organized pools for the NHL Playoffs and the Grey Cup. These events and others brought in an additional $6,700.

 Why do you think giving back to the community is so important to employees?

We’re fortunate to have a stable, long-term company like CF as one of the largest employers here in Medicine Hat. I think employees feel fortunate that they can give back in a meaningful way, especially to an organization that can address local needs. I support the United Way’s mission because of its focus on many areas of need. We have a local chapter that understands the needs of our community and can spread donations where help is needed most.

In your opinion, why is it important for global companies like CF Industries to get involved at the local level?

Medicine Hat isn’t a small town, but it has a “small-town feel.” Typically, you’d expect small businesses to be more involved at the local level. In a way, it feels like CF is a local organization and not some big corporation based in the States.

This was my first year organizing the fundraising team, and it really showed me the importance of all the volunteers behind the scenes to run events.  We had such a great team this year and would not have been able to run all the events so successfully without their hard work.

CF introduced a volunteer time-off program this year so employees can spend time giving back to the community. I used one of my days to volunteer at the CFL Alumni Golf Tournament, which also supports the United Way of Southeastern Alberta. I like this program because it allows me and other employees to give our time, which is sometimes just as beneficial as a monetary donation.