Ontario Helping Job Skills Support Vulnerable Persons by Developing Strong Community Partnerships

January 19, 2023

Newmarket, ON – On Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy stopped in at Job Skills’ office to meet with the staff to hear how a $69,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is making a difference. Shelley Wister Smith, an OTF volunteer, joined MPP Gallagher Murphy and also spoke to the goals of the grant. Funds from the grant are helping with Job Skills’ community outreach project, which is dedicated to connecting and developing strong relationships with other community partners/organizations while working with vulnerable populations with multiple barriers to employment and who are living in, or at the risk of poverty.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the hiring process for many organizations,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora. “I am proud of our government’s initiative to help not-for profits like Job Skills. This funding will ensure that Job Skills can continue to strengthen our community by providing pathways to sustainable employment services to job seekers, newcomers, new entrepreneurs and employers.”

Thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund grant, which was awarded in the spring, Job Skills now employs a dedicated Community Outreach Coordinator (COC) to execute a focused outreach initiative aiming at residents at risk of, or in poverty. This outreach includes to shelters, faith based institutions, food banks and also to connect people to the necessary community services (housing, employment and financial aid).

Beginning on May 1^st, the COC has used a re-imagined mix of communication strategies to connect with a minimum of 200 organizations increasing the visibility and awareness of programs and services in the community. The flexibility of the COC to perform outreach and referrals, and the tailored services means that barriers to financial security/employment are addressed in a focused and individualistic way. The COC collaborates with community agencies to identify people eligible/in need of employment services.

“Job Skills recognizes that building and maintaining strong community relationships is an integral part of assisting vulnerable persons and strengthening the community. Creating a roadmap of organizations, services, and programs, gives Job Skills staff an essential tool to help job seekers living with multiple barriers to easily navigate the social service system, while eliminating challenges to identify appropriate referrals.” – Bethany Obermeyer, Executive Director, Job Skills. The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.