Working For Change

It is a nonprofit umbrella for social enterprises that employ people with lived experience of mental health challenges, addiction, homelessness, and related barriers. Revenue from its businesses goes directly into staff wages and supports.

The organization runs 12-week employment readiness programs that help people who have been out of work rebuild professional and social skills in a group setting. Contact details for program staff are listed on the site's program pages.

Its social enterprises include Out of This World Cafe, Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises, and the Raging Spoon Catering Company, working in food services and landscaping or horticulture. These enterprises provide supportive, trauma-informed jobs for people facing barriers to work.

Programs serve people facing chronic barriers to employment, including those with severe mental illness, and they accommodate people on medication. The focus is on long-term unemployed individuals seeking a slow, supported transition back into work.

The organization is based in Toronto and its enterprises operate locally. Call ahead to confirm current program availability and intake details.