Why is one of the hardest parts about finding a job, the daunting interview process?
It’s because it can be intimidating creating a resume, answering complicated questions, or even finding the right outfit. That’s why we wanted to help.
In pursuit of finding sustainable jobs for the clients in our community and programs, our Employment team hosted a fall Employment Preparation Event, where we helped 87 individuals!
In preparation, the team reached out to the city asking for clothing donations and volunteers, so that we could help out as many individuals as possible, in as many areas as possible. With the combined efforts of everyone involved, our Employment Program Supervisor, Sydney, said: “We were able to help 16 people with their resumes, 20 people were mock interviewed, 60 people got haircuts, 52 people accessed our clothing room, and we had 5 new people sign up for our employment program.”
Also, thanks to a kind donor, we held a raffle for five donated backpacks that were filled with hygiene products, socks, underwear, and some non-perishables.
We had over six different organizations who helped us that day, including Deloitte, Diva Salon & Spa, Tommy Guns, The Refinery Salon, Hair Candy, and MC College.
“It’s one of those things where we want to give time, but we want to provide skill sets too,” said Owen, an employee from Deloitte. He explained every year across Canada, Deloitte staff are encouraged to go out and volunteer – it’s called Impact Day! He told us that the entire staff sign-up for different projects across the city and close down their offices so they can make an impact on the community.
In addition to helping out our clients, their organization held an information session earlier in the day for our Mustard Seed staff, where they willingly audited some of our organization’s practices and provided recommendations for how to better engage our business community.
The day truly was a success, but the best part without a doubt was the smiling faces and the wonderful comments we heard:
“I feel great! I’m trying to get ahead in life, and this will help.”
“I can’t believe this is here for us.”
“I’ve gotta get doing something – what a way to start.”
The event proved to be a step in the right direction for our community, as we strive each day to help our clients build a better future.
