Meaningful Employment: Contact Renovations

Today we feature an employer who hired help through the Entrust Meaningful Employment Program. Paul Foster, President and Founder of Contact Renovations shares his experience below.

I started Contact Renovations after returning from a series of three 1-year long trips travelling abroad in search of surf.  When I returned to Canada the last time (with new wife in tow), I knew I didn't want to settle back into being an operations manager for timeshare resorts in Whistler, BC.  As I am originally from the Edmonton area, and the economy was still holding strong (2007) in Alberta in comparison to the rest of Canada, we decided to make Edmonton home. I looked for work in the hospitality sector, but options were very limited. As such, I started doing some renovations for friends and family to pay the bills while I was searching for work. One thing led to another and here we are today, starting year 7 for Contact Renovations. It's been an exciting ride, recently highlighted by us winning "Best of Houzz 2016".

I decided to approach Entrust to hire some cleaning help around the office because I was impressed by one of the clients that Rory brought out to one of our BNI luncheons. He was so excited and appreciative about his job, and you could tell it really boosted his self esteem and overall sense of independence. When thinking about our cleaning needs at the office, it became very clear that this would be a great fit for someone with a disability.  Not only does the work get done, it is being done by someone who truly appreciates the opportunity and is excited about being part of a team. 

Interested in hiring through the Entrust Meaningful Employment Program? 

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