Good Foot Delivery Receives Transformative $855,000 grant from the Canadian Government
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 11, 2020
TORONTO – Good Foot Delivery has received a transformative $855,000 grant from the Canadian government that will help the organization accelerate the growth of its In, Up and Out program.
Good Foot Delivery is a Toronto-based delivery service that provides employment opportunities for individuals from the neuro-diverse community. The organization’s In, Up and Out program will enable 20 of Good Foot’s staff members to develop the necessary skills and experience to transition into more challenging job responsibilities and into Toronto’s broader workforce. This project is being funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities program.
“The In, Up and Out program provides a unique opportunity for people who are neuro-divergent to continuously learn and grow in a way that is atypical of comparator programs,” said Kirsten Gauthier, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Not only will Good Foot offer initial training and employment to our staff, but we will work with them on an ongoing basis to strengthen their skills and experience in order to maximize their potential and their independence.”
The two-year grant provided through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities Program will transform the organization’s ability to train, employ, integrate and empower its employees. Further, the enhanced program will help Good Foot generate awareness and incentivize additional business partners to employ staff in meaningful positions in our community.
“Our government is dedicated to partnering with Canadian organizations who are working to increase the number of persons with disabilities in Canada’s labour market,” said the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. “By partnering with creative and innovative organizations like Good Foot, we are providing persons with disabilities with the necessary tools to overcome barriers to employment. Supporting the employment of persons with a disability isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business.”
About Good Foot Delivery Good Foot provides a personalized point-to-point delivery service on foot and public transit creating employment opportunities for people from the neuro-diverse community. It is a social enterprise and registered charity. By supporting Good Foot, clients are supporting an environmentally friendly delivery service and helping members of the community get a foothold on independence.
About In, Up and Out The internally developed program model is designed to foster the growth of individuals from the neuro-diverse community (i.e. Good Foot’s “staff”) in the Toronto area through an integrated approach to professional and life skills training, meaningful employment, and workforce integration. The model adopts a three-stage approach to help empower our staff to lead lives that are more independent and fulfilling, as follows:
1. “In”. The program objective at this stage is to provide staff with a variety of life, social and professional skills training through a series of progressively advanced experiential workshops, while at the same time obtaining valuable work experience and employment income by serving as courier staff at Good Foot.
2. “Up”. The program objective at this stage is to provide staff with the opportunity to take on increased responsibility in the organization and participate more advanced skills training.
3. “Out”. The program objective at this stage is to provide staff with an opportunity to become integrated into the local workforce, by offering training, skills assessment, and job placement services through partnerships with local businesses, along with continuing support from Good Foot through quarterly follow-up meetings.
Media Contact:
Andrea Ernesaks
M 647.991.8849
aernesaks@navltd.com