Newton BIA and Missible Possible launch new initiative to create jobs for those in need

Vancouver-based charity Mission Possible has partnered with the Newton Business Improvement Association (BIA) on a new initiative, called the Clean Team, to hire individuals facing challenges in finding employment.

Mission Possible began in 1992 as a faith-based volunteer agency, operating a drop-in centre and serving meals to the community. Over time, the organization shifted its focus to meeting community needs, such as providing employment opportunities to individuals who experienced difficulties. The company supports its employees by providing them with training to enable a smooth transition into a real-world work environment.

The Clean Team initiative is one of the ways Mission Possible is providing employment opportunities to those who are facing mental health challenges, poverty, disability, and homelessness. The Clean Team provides jobs in litter pickup and property cleaning. As employees advance in the company, they may begin to assume responsibilities such as pressure washing and landscaping.

Mission Possible Executive Director and CEO Matthew Smedley says the initiative began when the Newton BIA learned about the work Mission Possible was undertaking. The Newton BIA is a Surrey-based association that supports local businesses and helps the community. The BIA reached out to Mission Possible to collaborate and create the Clean Team.

The collaboration was inspired by Kenneth Green, a retired local trash collector and long-time community member.

“It was a long-term relationship that the Newton BIA had with [Green],” Smedley says. “[It’s about] trying to honour that commitment and the work he had put in to care for the area.”

For Smedley, the primary goal of the initiative is to create meaningful and accessible jobs, while also empowering employees and developing their skills to facilitate a smooth transition into the workforce.

“It is about trying to create jobs that will be a starting point for folks who are re-entering the workforce,” Smedley says. “[Employees are] working alongside an individual who is supporting, training, and helping them build their skills and their confidence, with the goal being able to transition them into permanent work outside of our organization after six to 12 months.”

​Smedley says he does not see the trend of unemployment diminishing in the near future, so having supportive jobs for those who need them is critical.

“I think the unemployment rates are creating challenges for those who are accessing employment already, and so that builds extra pressure for those who are excluded to try to break into the job market,” he says.

Smedley adds that over 1,200 people came through the doors of Mission Possible, eager to join the Employment Readiness Program, which enables individuals seeking employment to join the Clean Team for a six-month period. Out of those people, 148 started work in the program.

“There are so many people experiencing poverty in the Lower Mainland,” Smedley says. “There’s a lot of need in the Lower Mainland, and so we’re trying to grow that and create more jobs and opportunities for people to get started and work.”

As the Clean Team initiative progresses, so does the demand for employers. Smedley says Mission Possible is always looking for employers who want to hire inclusively and give somebody the opportunity to enter the workforce.

“We’re always trying to put the word out there — that’s an important thing for us as well.”