Bulletin - May 2023
Community Tax Program Recognizes MetroWorks’s CFO!
MetroWorks is part of the CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, and our CFO, Nora, frontlines these efforts. This year we helped community members file over 150 tax returns.
The Parliamentary Secretary Peter Fragiskatos, including Lena Metlege Diab and a few other representatives, invited members of the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program to the Halifax Central Library to say thank you to the volunteers. More than 31,000 Nova Scotians accessed assistance from these tax clinics in 2022.
In her social media posts, Lena Metlege Diab said: “I was proud to share my appreciation for the good folks at the YWCA, Society of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Nova Scotia, MSVU, MetroWorks, MLA Patricia Arab’s office, the Lakeside Legion, Halifax Public Libraries, Dalhousie, and many more who lend their time and know-how to others each year when tax time comes around. I’m also pleased to see PS Fragiskatos announce that our government will be tripling the amount of base grant funding that organizations can receive for hosting free tax clinics. That will help even more residents in our community to receive the supports they need. Thank you, everyone! Your good work does not go unnoticed.”
Congratulations Nora!
MetroWorks Partners with GEO Nova Scotia
We previously announced that our EDGE program now has a dedicated division that offers an online-only option to serve any participants across Nova Scotia. Having access to reliable internet is something not everyone has access to, and is needed to participate in this new way of offering EDGE to the community.
MetroWorks is now a partner with GEO Nova Scotia. GEO stands for “Getting Everyone Online,” and the mission of this initiative is to transform lives through digital inclusion. MetroWorks is specifically a partner with GEO Nova Scotia’s “GEO Connects” program that provides new computers and / or high-speed home internet service to Nova Scotians who can’t otherwise afford it.
Make sure you check out GEO Nova Scotia online! You can find their website here.
Stone Hearth Catering the 38th Annual Lobster Dinner for Dartmouth General Hospital
Stone Hearth’s catering team is hard at work planning and preparing for this big occasion at Fisherman’s Cove. This is one of the largest fundraisers for the Dartmouth General Hospital and last year, all funds raised were going towards purchasing an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine. This year, the Hospital hopes to purchase a new Orthopedic Robot.
“This Mako Smart Robotics technology helps our Orthopedic Surgeons increase the precision of knee and hip replacements – helping patients get back to their lives sooner, and reducing the number of revision surgeries needed in the future.”
If you want to learn more about this event or purchase tickets, you can find all the info at this link. Make sure you check back for next month’s bulletin to find out how the event went!
Congratulations Sara from Common Roots BiHi
Sara, one of the Project Coordinators, has been at the farm for 10 years, and was even at its original location at the corner of Bell and Robie (shoutout to those who remember!). Sara is the reason we have the beautiful BiHi location on Bayers Road that the community knows and loves today.
She has accepted a new position as the Executive Director at Veith House, and we are sad to see her go, but looking forward to seeing all the amazing work she will continue to do for the community.
Soon, you will see us welcoming a new Project Coordinator to the BiHi location!
Professional Development for Options Staff
Barb, a Job Developer, and Sheena, the Customer Service Facilitator, both attended the Career Development Practice: Building a New Era from CDPC (Career Development Professional Centre). It’s a pilot project that focuses on dissecting the career development process in today’s rapidly changing workforce.
The course focuses on todays’ realities, critical skills, and the essentials for high quality, reflective professional practice. If you want to learn more about this program you can find CDPT Training on their website.
The whole Options team also attended a conference for the Work Activity Programs across Nova Scotia. This year, the conference was at the Inverary Resort in Cape Breton and the theme was to Energize, Elevate, and Collaborate. The team is looking forward to applying all their new learnings to the Options program!
