Work and Livelihood
Work and livelihood are critical social issues of our time
Only through work can we support the income needs of ourselves and our families. Work gives us identity and enables us to participate creatively in community.
The Working Centre’s Resource Centre at 58 Queen Street South in Kitchener is a hub for work, financial problem-solving and livelihood related issues.
At the Job Search Resource Centre you will find a lively drop-in space, where you can receive support in multiple languages to navigate community resources and problem solve issues that arise.
Volunteers speak multiple languages and support access to computers for job-search, completing online applications, supports with hydro assistance, filing EI reports, etc. The Resource Centre is a busy spot – seeing 125 to 175 people each day.
We are an EmployNext provider, where you can access personalized employment services and strategies and support for your job search. We offer a range of supports for employers as well. We formally support close to 900 people in their job search each year, and informally another 2,000 people.
Our team in the Job Search Resource Centre speaks 17 different languages.
Money Matters provides financial problem-solving, helping you to “unravel the knots” as you struggle to pay rent on a limited income, or face problems as different systems complicate next steps. We work to make sure you are accessing all of the social benefits that are available to you, often including completing back taxes.
Income Tax Clinics are held annually in March and April. Significantly supported by volunteers through the Volunteer Income Tax Program, thousands of people are supported to access federal and provincial tax credits that come once income tax returns are completed annually.
The Resource Centre is often seen as a problem solving place for those who are not sure where to go.
We work to thoughtfully listen, trying to hear when things get stuck. The issues of “work” are important – work is income and it shapes our engagement in the world around us. We appreciate the wide world of work, paid and unpaid, and how using our gifts and skills are an important part of the social fabric that sustains us.
