At Coast Mental Health, having a place to work is an important part of finding a meaningful place in the community. 

Through our social enterprises, people living with mental illness have opportunities to earn an income, build skills and make connections through work. At the same time, these businesses provide services to organizations and communities across Metro Vancouver.  

Recently, Scale Collaborative and Thriving Non-Profits interviewed Margaret Flynn, Coast’s Senior Manager of Social Enterprise, to learn more about Coast’s social enterprises and how we are strengthening them for the future. We’re pleased to share the resulting story, Building the Foundation to Grow: How Coast Mental Health Strengthened Its Social Enterprises.

The Coast Social Enterprise Foundation operates three businesses: Landscaping with Heart, The Social Crust Café and Catering, and the Transitional Employment Program, also known as Coast On-Site Solutions.  

Each creates paid employment opportunities for people who face barriers to work. This reflects Coast’s broader approach to recovery, which recognizes housing, community supports, and employment and education as important parts of helping people pursue their own goals.  

Read the full story to learn more about Coast’s social enterprise journey: Strengthening Social Enterprise at Coast Mental Health.