The Georgia Straight highlights the Pathways Information Centre squeeze; the DTES need for basic information, information technology and respectful assistance, and the plans of the Ministry of Social Development for 73 standardized WorkBC Employment Service Centres around the province.
With no alternative funding for specialized services to the homeless and the poor in the inner-city, Pathways celebrated 9 years of community service with its closure Friday.
Tradeworks FabShop has an array of beautiful outdoor furniture on sale at two RONA stores in Greater Vancouver. RONA is a proud supporter of the FabShop program and has agreed to carry some of our recent cedar and pine furniture at their retail stores. These were items we initially manufactured for a commercial customer.
Grandview Highway and North Vancouver stores are stocking several items and taking special orders. All made of BC woods, at our social enterprise in East Vancouver. The items include chairs, benches, wooden saw horses, and planters.
The FabShop trains and employs at-risk youth seeking to move into the workforce.
The last inventory of Vancouver’s 2010 Games street banners are now on sale at the Flag Shop. The banners are a great gift and memento of the 2010 Vancouver Games. These beautiful banners were donated by the City of Vancouver and are being used to raise funds for Tradeworks legacy ‘Fab Shop’.
The banners come in several styles and many are signed by VANOC CEO, John Furlong, and three Canadian Olympians.
The Flag Shop is located at 1615 Powell St. in East Vancouver – www.flagshop.com
The RONA 2010 Fabrication Shop operated for almost three years in advance of the games, producing over 11,000 items needed for the events and venues. But the special feature of this Fab Shop was that it integrated a training and employment program for at-risk populations. The employment program was very successful and Tradeworks has agreed to take over the facility and project as a ‘legacy’ of the games. It now operates as a unique social enterprise sustained through a blend of sales revenues, fund-raising revenues, and government contributions. www.thefabshop.ca
This past December, Tradeworks Custom Products’ Women’s workshop said goodbye to another graduate group from their program. From the seven participants who completed the program, five of the women are either now employed in the trades or are enrolling in trades training. A couple of them decided to share their experience in the program and give thanks for all those who supported them along the way.
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“The program has changed my outlook significantly, where I previously settled for working for low wages in the service industry at jobs I got no satisfaction from and did not stay with for significant periods while trying to find enough extra money to be able to work on art related projects, I now see a future where I can work creatively for decent wages, happily and gainfully employed.”
“Low income women who do not see a real or purposeful future for themselves are given the skills and shown opportunities without which they would remain unemployed or not gainfully employed and feeling hopeless and like a burden on the societies in which they live.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with Tradeworks and the Women in Trades Program, especially Kate and Arleen [since] without their patience, belief and constant support I could have not finished the program as I have [had]some health issues including previous addictions, depression and panic disorder. [This has] made it difficult for me to successfully complete other job finding and [career] training programs. [This situation] is very common to women who have lived in low income neighborhoods and been raised in situations which result in low self-esteem and often little practical knowledge of how to pursue their dreams in a realistic way. For me the value of this program is immeasurable, thank you.
-Jennifer
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“I was offered day-care service to take care of my son while I studied, [which] was highly appreciated. [These benefits gave] me the opportunity to see what [the program was like] and to learn what it teaches. [I was also able to] update my knowledge and attain new skills. [This enhanced] my confidence to compete in the job market and sharpened my capability to contribute [to] Canadian needs.”
“My 5-year old was proud of me because he [liked] my group project – a wooden house model which was made [with the help of Kate and her team].”
-Michelle
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Tradeworks Women’s Workshop offers this ten –week course to help 
participants develop skills in joinery and woodworking, as well as assist them in exploring other career options available in the trades. This pre-employment program is a great opportunity for inner-city women to expand their workplace
This March, the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) along with its member organizations, will be holding a public event for those interested in community economic development in BC.; Tradeworks is taking the lead organizing role. This two day event will focus on bridging the gap between different sectors and highlight successful applications of CED principles. This is a great chance to share, network and learn about economic development projects going on in your own community and how you can get involved.
The event will be held in Vancouver at W2 Storyeum on March 3rd and 4th and registration will begin later in January. For more information, check out their Facebook event page.
