Bulletin - August 2023
In this August edition of our monthly bulletin, we have five updates on our local programming and initiatives! Common Roots Urban Farm BiHi has launched a new project for newcomers to Canada and Stone Hearth Bakery has just started their new social media content calendar. EDGE’s virtual programming has officially begun, and the Options team participated in some professional development training. Lastly, MetroWorks is sharing their space with the Eritrean Canadian Association of Nova Scotia (ECANS). Continue reading and join us as we share these updates with you, which celebrate the spirit, collaboration, growth, and cultural richness that defines our community.
The Newcomer Farm Project's Journey Begins
A new project has opened at the BiHi farm location! The Newcomer Farm Project officially started on August 14, 2023 and will continue until December 22, 2023. Program coordinator Anna said 10 amazing newcomers have already joined the program. They have already collaborated with the Woodside farm location, and have more events planned!
Right now, the program organizes weekly cooking classes where the newcomers can share a special recipe from home with the group. They also pick blueberries, a stable in Nova Scotia, and operate the farm’s community market. The group also volunteers within Halifax Regional Municipality and surrounding communities, and has already volunteered at food banks.
Something the group has already found helpful is just being together in a common situation: being new to Canada, organizing their new life in an unfamiliar place, and learning English. Learning a new language is hard for anyone, and this program has many opportunities for newcomers to learn English in a comfortable setting, at their own pace.
We are looking forward to seeing what this pilot project can accomplish!
Dough-licious Updates from Stone Hearth Bakery
Stone Hearth Bakery has begun its updated social media content calendar that will feature all the signature breads the community loves, plus photos and videos from the confectionary kitchen, and the catering kitchen. Of course, Stone Hearth’s social media wouldn't be complete without some bread jokes and tributes to being a proud social enterprise! Link to their accounts below!
Did you read the above story about Common Roots Urban Farm? The bakery’s employment program coordinator, Anna, is running that pilot project, so we have a new bakery program coordinator, Eveline! The program currently has 25 participants and they have just hired one of the participants on full time to work in both the bakery and the kitchens.
Stone Hearth Bakery social media accounts:
EDGE's Virtual Era
EDGE, which stands for Engage, Develop, Learn and Employment, has officially launched their online program. Now, the program offers in-person programming out of the MetroWorks office in Halifax and also reaches other Nova Scotian communities with their new virtual programming.
This online only division is open to all Department of Community Service’s Employment Support and Income Assistance youth in Nova Scotia. Stay tuned for more updates because eventually, the program will be able to accept community referrals.
The online team has succeeded in finding creative ways to make this approach hands-on in a virtual space. They have done a meal-prep cooking workshop where youth made freezer breakfast sandwiches for busy mornings, plus, did a painting activity where youth followed along a video tutorial and painted with their non-dominant hand!
The Virtual EDGE program also mails each participant a Welcome Kit. This kit has supplies they will need for the program like art materials, office supplies, and fidget toys.
Options Staff Dive into Professional Development
The Options staff are back from their summer break! For those that don’t know, the program temporarily closes for a few weeks in August for staff vacation time. As soon as the team came back they were already jumping into work! The team completed a two day professional development training that was dedicated to learning, administrating, and utilizing employment assessment tools. The Options’s program manager wishes to send a thank you to the Stone Hearth catering team for providing meals, snacks and drinks during this two day training session.
Options is now accepting referrals for their next round of programming that will begin on October 3, 2023. Participants that enter the program and complete the up to four week career exploration, may be eligible to develop work experience in one of the four in-house work areas at Options: Environmental Services, Customer Service, Food Service and Office Skills. To learn more about the Options program, you can view their page here.
ECANS Lights Up MetroWorks’s Office
Ever wonder what goes on in the MetroWorks office once all the staff goes home? Most recently, the Eritrean Canadian Association of Nova Scotia (ECANS) is using the space for their programming! ECANS is offering classes to youth ages four to 13 about Eritrean heritage, language and culture. Most of the students are newcomers to the community, but a few were born in Canada. We’re proud to be sharing our space with such a wonderful organization. You can follow the Eritrean Canadian Association of Nova Scotia on Facebook here to learn more about what they do!
