More education about The POST is needed in the community

The POST Thrift Store was a nominee for Employer of Persons with Disability Award of Distinction by the Chamber of Commerce in Edmonton. Although we did not win on a provincial level, I learned about how the business community sees a non-profit business.

I discovered that many people have the perception that if a non-profit runs a social enterprise or community based programs there are magical government grants and funding for them to run their programs. This is not so. As a non-profit our business goals are the same, to make money. The difference is a social enterprise puts their funds back into the agency to support some other aspect of that agency. One of our goals is to ensure inclusion as we address a social need in our community, for example, a supported work environment. If the business fails there is no government bail out for the agency, we fold.

For the purpose of the Business Awards and the criteria they use to make their selections for winners, mental health concerns, physical disabilities and cognitive disabilities are in the same category. The challenge comes from getting people to recognize that mental illness is a true disability that requires accommodation and care within the workplace. Those with mental health issues struggle to obtain and maintain employment because they have a disability you cannot see. They can also be the most complicated to understand and employers who lack knowledge often fear what they don’t understand.

Our non-profit business supports a youth based program, volunteers, and individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities and mental health issues. So to clarify, at The POST 24 per cent of the workers are paid staff, 62 per cent are volunteer staff and 12 per cent are youth in a work placement program. We also occasionally support those completing community service hours. Of all those individuals that are contributing behind the scenes to our daily business 50 per cent struggle with a mental health/physical or cognitive issue.

It is clear to me that we still have a way to go in educating the community and supporting those with mental health issues in the workplace.

For more information, please contact Lisa at the number below or to find out more about The Post Thrift Store and/or Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta South East check out our website at www.cmha-aser.ca.

Lisa Fahselt is the manager of The POST Thrift Store and can be reached at 403-5270326.