South Surrey for Women’s Services Society is a 26-year-old organization committed to providing information, resources, support and counselling for women to empower themselves. In 2003, the society’s telephone and personal contacts topped 23,000, and it prepared over 2,700 hot lunches.

Envision has long recognized that for small non-profits delivering on commitments is a mammoth task—one that’s sometimes ideally suited to a tiny car. As a component of a community investment program that reached a record-high half-million dollars in 2003, Envision offered organizations the opportunity to win the use of one of several Volkswagen Beetles for a year. South Surrey for Women’s Services Society volunteer and services coordinator Lyn Reynolds was among the lucky winners.

“It was an absolute godsend,” says Lyn, a one-time Beetle owner and long-time Beetle admirer. The car proved to be more than a reliable little workhorse; it also helped raise awareness of the society and its good work in the community.

“A non-profit organization doesn’t have huge amounts of money for publicity,” says Lyn. “It was wonderful; we could never afford it otherwise.”

Use of the car coincided with the society’s 25th anniversary in 2003, which made the prize that much more memorable. According to Lyn, “It was incredible, absolutely amazing for that year. It was hard to give the car up.”