Leg Up Employment Program
Furniture Bank’s Leg Up program works with employment agencies and partners to provide work experience, life & skills training and employment opportunities to youth, newcomers to Canada and other individuals facing barriers to employment.
Every year, participants are employed across Furniture Bank’s operations, including our furniture warehouse, on our pickup & delivery trucks, in our call centre, or as administrative & IT support, providing Furniture Bank with a valuable source of skills.
As our social enterprise grows, we seek to expand this employment to over 20 participants per year and to engage out-placement corporate partners so that participants are given the opportunity to move on to full time employment.
Leg Up program participant Tom Bendo shares his experience:
Before Furniture Bank I had held many jobs, from management positions to general labour, security to dishwashing. Because I could not afford to pursue formal post secondary education after high school, my career options were limited despite having plenty of work experience.
I first came to Furniture Bank as an unemployed volunteer at a crossroads in my life and from there I worked my way to becoming a driver. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Furniture Bank has given me by investing in my work ethic rather than my history, and providing me with the tools to develop career skills.
It has been very rewarding being able to experience and contribute to the front line of client interaction, delivering to people in need and picking up donations from people who want to help. Being able to do that while being a part of an organization that is learning and growing has been nothing short of inspiring!
The Furniture Workshop
Furniture Bank is pleased to take the wraps off our new Furniture Workshop program, a program funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Working with volunteer and paid instructors, the program seeks to train select Leg Up participants in furniture repair, upholstery and woodworking.
Not only will this give participants an opportunity to learn additional skills, it will also allow Furniture Bank to provide a repair service to select damaged items of furniture.
Learn more about our furniture workshop here.
Leg Up Impact
The Toronto Enterprise Fund found that participants in employment programs such as Leg Up:
- Earned an average of over $450 of additional income per month, empowering them to pay bills, save money and identify financial goals beyond daily survival
- Saw improvements to their housing situation, food security, health and an overall increase in quality of life
- Said they had an increased sense of purpose and an enhanced sense of self-worth and belonging
- Attributed these successes to the unique supports provided by their social enterprises’ accommodated work environments.
