We are excited to announce that starting today we are bringing back our Follow Friday blogs!
Just like last year, we will feature a wide range of social enterprises on our blog. However, we have decided to expand our reach by featuring exciting and innovative social enterprises from around the world! If you have an organization you feel should be featured, please let us know in the comments section.
In 2012, our blog will also highlight the Trico Charitable Foundation’s enterprising non-profits Alberta (enp-ab) 2011 grantees. These posts will provide us with insider knowledge of the planned and established social enterprises currently in Alberta. Lastly, the Trico Charitable Foundation Team will be blogging on a variety of subjects related to social enterprise. Keep posted, each week will feature new and exciting information!
For our first 2012 Follow Friday post, I am thrilled to feature an arts based social enterprise, the Craftworks Society. If you are located in Vancouver you are probably familiar with their unique, fun and educational craft products. Established in 1966, the Craftworks Society facilitates the creation and retail of handmade crafts created by adults with disabilities.
The Craftworks Society has volunteers and adults with disabilities working together to produce quality handmade crafts. The craft’s produced in this program are very diverse and include: hand puppets, felt story boards, toys, Christmas decorations, halloween ghouls, easter bunnies and much more. They will even do custom orders when requested! (Just make sure to give some lead time for large orders).
The crafts they create are sold at the Craftworks Society location, craft markets and on their website via email. The monies raised are shared with the participants and re-invested into the Craftworks Society. This program encourages participants to be creative, raises their self esteem, provides valuable work skills and you end up with a unique, handmade gift. To find out more about the Craftworks Society visit their website http://www.3hcraftworks.com/ or follow them on twitter @craftworkson4th