EMBERS AND ITS SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL PROCUREMENT EFFORTS

With three locations in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, this award-winning social enterprise is now expanding and opening an Edmonton office

By Lisa Kopochinski

With its mission to create economic and employment opportunities for people by providing them with jobs, training, and support, EMBERS has helped thousands of people facing barriers to work and lead productive lives.

EMBERS, which is an acronym for Eastside Movement for Business and

Economic Renewal Society, was formed in 2001 as a community economic development charity with the goal of creating economic and employment opportunities for people living on low incomes in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

“Over the years, EMBERS has helped thousands of individuals on their employment journey to lead productive lives through self-employment, job placements, training, and support,” said CEO Marcia Nozick.

In 2008, EMBERS launched its social enterprise, EMBERS Staffing Solutions, an award-winning not-for-profit temporary staffing agency, which uses a business model to address social problems.

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“Our staffing company employs people from all walks of life, many who are in a state of transition, be they immigrants, people re-entering the workforce after a set-back or health issue, or people starting over who face barriers to employment due to social discrimination or other challenges,” said Nozick. “Our experience shows us that there are many individuals who have capacity and a desire to work, but who need extra support to connect to a job and move ahead.”

EMBERS provides individuals a hand-up through job opportunities, job flexibility, and other supports, including free PPE rentals, access to transportation, extended dental and medical benefits, skills training, and other programs to empower workers to succeed and bridge the way toward full-time employment.

“As a social enterprise, EMBERS is self-sustaining and invests 100 per cent of its profits back into the community through higher hourly wages, equipment, and training for workers. In 2022 alone,

EMBERS employed more than 2,100 individuals and supported them on their journey back to work,” said Nozick.

New Edmonton Office

Presently EMBERS operates out of three locations in B.C.’s Lower Mainland region, with Vancouver being its flagship office. In May, EMBERS is opening a new branch in Edmonton where Nozick said the plan is to connect with many construction-related companies in Edmonton to hear the needs of the industry and how EMBERS can be part of providing a workforce solution.

“We’d been looking at opening up in Edmonton for a few years,” said Nozick. “We have a number of current construction customers in B.C. with projects in Edmonton, and who had expressed interest in working with EMBERS if we had an office in Edmonton. Then, last year, we connected with End Poverty Edmonton who introduced us to several community groups. We discovered that there was a gap that allowed us to assess, from a community’s perspective, if there was a need or opportunity for an EMBERS operation.”

She said the EMBERS team discovered an open and welcoming community that is promoting social procurement at an awareness and policy level incorporating multiple partnerships and players, including industry, government, and community.

“EMBERS was encouraged to open a branch as an organization that could fill a gap in the social employment sector— not to replace or duplicate what already exists among the employment services—