By Jay Strauss
Published in December 2017
Job Café works with people who are outside the traditional labour force. The challenge is to identify jobs that need to be completed while finding the right people with the skills to do the work. This work is about recognizing the barriers that leave people out. Our work is about making it possible to overcome these barriers or at least to push them aside a bit to allow for an opening. It is these openings where we have found opportunities for Job Café workers.
The main goal for Job Café has not changed since we established it back in 2002. It is project for workers to supplement the income they receive from government assistance and to build their job skills. Many work towards the goal of getting away from social assistance, relying primarily on their work income.
In total, we provide about 30 part-time jobs averaging between 10-12 hours per week. About 70 workers are part of the Job Café work force. These jobs are provided through our affordable moving service, landscaping, cleaning, or construction. As well, through a partnership with the Downtown Kitchener BIA, we employ people to do street sweeping and to form part of the Downtown Kitchener Discovery Team.
Job Cafe Moving Project
Job Café moving service is one of our busiest projects – we specialize in doing small scale moves at rates that are accessible to those we work to serve. We are currently averaging 3 moves per week. As well, Job Café workers participate as the second person on the truck for Worth A Second Look (WASL) – which offers 6.5 hour shifts, 5 days a week, picking up and delivering items for WASL.
Landscaping was slow for us this year outside of spring clean-ups. Several Job Café workers have established relationships from previous years with members of the community and work directly with them. The stories that we hear about these relationships are exciting examples of relationship and enterprise.
The Working Centre depends on Job Café workers to support our affordable housing projects – we employ people to clean the grounds, common areas and occasionally the private apartments. This can be an exciting situation as we navigate the complexities of the lives of those living in our housing units.
Most, if not all of the renovations that you see in our various buildings involve Job Café labour. The quality of the work can best be seen in examples such as Fresh Ground and the Commons Studios at 256 King St. East. This year we have been renovating the Job Search Resource Centre at 58 Queen St. South.
Clean Team and Discovery Team
We continue to work closely with our friends at the Downtown Kitchener BIA. In addition to the street sweeping program that has run for several years, 2017 marked the introduction of the Downtown Kitchener Discovery Team. The Discovery Team has far surpassed our expectations. Born out of a desire to create an inclusive, safe community in Downtown Kitchener, the BIA approached The Working Centre to create a response to serve the people that live, shop, work and own businesses in the Downtown. The Discovery Team is made up of two individuals – Alfred works alongside a Job Café worker – together they walk the downtown streets, building and supporting relationships and community. This project has been well received in the downtown – the Police report that a number of strategies, that include the Discovery Team, have reduced police calls in the downtown by half. The Discovery Team also offers opportunity for people with physical challenges to earn income – most of our Job Café work is very physical labour – but this relationship building work offers a new kind of opportunity for work. Each person in Job Café has their own unique story, challenges and as such, come with their own measurement of success. When asked how to measure the success of the Job Café we have to focus on each person – and only in this way can we determine the success of Job Café.
Stories
Here are just a few stories: (names have all been changed of course)
Matthew, a single father used Job Café as a means to carry him over until he was able to find another full-time job. His experience as a carpenter was incredibly helpful as we replaced a fence and had several repair jobs in our housing units that he was able to complete. He was able to work within our flexible schedules, while continuing to have income to support his family.
Mike, a long-time participant in Job Café, uses his earnings to supplement his social assistance income. He has made so many connections in the community that his availability to do work through Job Café has become limited. Through the relationship that he has formed with us in Job Café we still are able to keep in touch with him, and connect him into some work. He is able to work when he wants, allowing him to also volunteer in other Working Centre projects.
Kelly has come a long way on her path to recovery. She works in a variety of areas; her lived experience makes her a tremendous resource as we work with people dealing with similar concerns. Like so many, she has had several moments of set-back, but Job Café continues to work with her to find relationships and earnings to help her continue to move forward in life. Success for her is measured through the relationships she has developed through Job Café and throughout The Working Centre.
Chris has worked with Job Café from its earliest days. Chris still works for us and does a large number of the renovations that take place in our spaces. From drywall to flooring Chris can do each job. Chris has taken the next step – he now has his own construction and repair company doing work throughout the community.
Todd has struggled with depression and anxiety issues for as long as he can recall. Working with Job Café means that he can work when he is doing well, and take time off without fear of jeopardizing his job when he is struggling. Success for Todd comes through the flexibility that Job Café offers.
Ellen and Ted have been able to join the Downtown Discovery Team. This allows them to participate in a job that doesn’t require a great deal of physical labour. Their friendly outgoing nature is a perfect fit for creating community in Downtown Kitchener. Success for Ellen comes from being able to earn income, for Ted it’s about having spending money to buy items like video games.
Job Café will be challenged by the increases to minimum wage, which means our costs for work go up, but it also means that participants on a social income can work less because they will reach the Social Income earnings cap much faster. People are happy to earn income but penalties for earnings are taxed back at 50% after $200 per month – this is a real disincentive for people to work.
We continue to work towards expanding the opportunities for work for Job Cafe participants. We are grateful for a recent Ontario Trillium Foundation Grow Grant* which is helping us to build our Job Café infrastructure and work opportunities. People are happy to work and to participate creatively in this community of Job Café workers within The Working Centre.
*The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. OTF is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, OTF awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario communities. www.otf.ca
