Dennis and Angela launching their Spark mentorship match
“I come from the business community, and now working in a community organization that runs a variety of social enterprises, I need to constantly walk that fine line between the business and non profit worlds” says Angela McCaughan, executive director at Self-Starting Creative Opportunities For People in Employment or SSCOPE.
SSCOPE runs a variety of social enterprises that generate revenues to support their mission. They range from a retail thrift store through to yard care, moving and delivery services – as well as other “niche” opportunities, like cleaning and washing compost buckets every week for Compost Winnipeg. These business activities provide gainful casual employment to people with mental health issues, providing an avenue for them to eventually integrate into the mainstream work force. Like many social enterprises with the goal of employing people with barriers to employment, it is necessary to provide a workplace with built-in supports and flexibility so their employees can be successful. This approach and associated activities don’t generate revenue, in fact they cost time and money – and need specific skill sets to do well.
Angela approached Spark looking for a mentorship match. She was hoping to be paired with someone who can understand the business world she’s come from, the challenges she faces now, and how to get where she and her organization need to be in the future. We’ve matched her with just that person. He’s Dennis Dyck, who was for many years the ED at Volunteer Manitoba. Dennis also did executive director mentorship on a previous Spark match which was nominated for our annual volunteer of the year award, so we know Angela is in good hands. They’re meeting once a month over the next year to share resources, ideas and how to best navigate the many challenges of running (many!) businesses under one non-profit roof.
If you work for a community development organization in Winnipeg and are looking for short-term, project-specific help, or if you’d like to volunteer your expertise, start here. Our matches make it possible for organizations to achieve what they can’t do on their own – be part of that change today!
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