July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

Introducing JVS Toronto’s New Board Chair

We are delighted to announce that Ariella Fuhrmann has assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Directors at JVS Toronto. Previously serving as the Vice-Chair of our Board of Directors and the Chair of our Agency’s Pension Committee, Ariella has been an integral part of the JVS Toronto community since 2015. She has brought immense value to the Agency with her background in law, and over 20 years of experience in the pension and benefits industry.

During her remarks at JVS Toronto’s 76^th Annual General Meeting, Ariella stated, “By offering my professional skills and expertise, I aim to build upon the solid foundation that has been established in recent years, ensuring that the organization remains stable, resilient, and continues to make a lasting impact well into the future.”

Ariella succeeds Avi Pollock, who served as Board Chair for a remarkable three-year term. She will be collaborating closely with Avi and the other members of the Board to advance the Agency’s vision, mission, and our newly developed Strategic Plan.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Avi for the incredible impact he has made during his tenure as Board Chair and eagerly anticipate reaching new heights under Ariella’s capable leadership.

May 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto Receives Imagine Canada Reaccreditation

JVS Toronto is proud to announce our reaccreditation under Imagine Canada’s prestigious Standards Program

Since our initial accreditation in 2016, JVS Toronto has maintained operational excellence in the program’s five key areas: board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement.

“It’s no small feat for an organization to earn Standards Program accreditation. It’s a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that is meant to build Canadians’ trust and confidence in the charitable sector,” says Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada.

Earning the Standards Program Trustmark symbolizes our dedication to transparency and solidifies the community’s confidence in the work we do.

See below for a message from Jonathan Kopman, Board Chair and Kim Coulter, President & CEO at JVS Toronto.

October 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Highlights from our 72nd Annual General Meeting

Chair Jonathan Kopman speaking at the podium

I Am More Than…

At the 72^nd Annual General Meeting of JVS Toronto on September 25, we shared how complexity of needs is a growing trend among the individuals we are seeing throughout our employment centres and across our programs.

In this year’s annual report, our theme is: “I am more than”.

I am more than the neighbourhood I come from.
I am more than someone who didn’t finish high school.
I am more than my disability.
I am more than a newcomer to Canada.
I am more than an older worker.

This theme reflects the fact that when individuals come to us looking for help on their journey to employment, there is often more to their story than what we see on the surface. Individuals are juggling an array of personal circumstances, many of which are complex. We need to recognize that when they come through our doors they are more than just a person looking for work.

JVS Toronto is a multi service organization offering services to many client populations. While their stories and circumstances may be different, for all of these populations, there is usually more complexity to their situations than we see right away.

At JVS Toronto, our vision is that every individual has opportunities for employment. We can’t achieve this vision alone. We rely on the support of donors, government, funders, employers and community partners to create and deliver specialized programs and services that address the unique and complex needs of the clients we serve.

[Read more…]

October 10, 2019 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto Announces 2019 AGM Award Winners

Recognizing client success, and the contributions of volunteers and employers, has been a staple each year at JVS Toronto’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). On September 25, JVS Toronto presented its AGM Awards to six very deserving recipients.

“Our award winners all have one thing in common,” said Jonathan Kopman, Board of Directors Chair, when introducing the 2019 awards presentation, “they made a commitment to use our services. Whether they are a client or a volunteer, we honoured them for making that commitment to better their lives and the lives of others.”

Congratulations to our 2019 AGM Award winners.

Photo of award winner — Daniel Clarke, Louis Mensah, Nancy Freedman and her daughter

Louis Mensah – Freedman Family Award for Young Entrepreneurs

This award recognizes a young entrepreneur who has completed one of JVS Toronto’s youth entrepreneurship programs, and successfully operating a full-time or a part-time basis business.

Louis began the Youth Entrepreneurship Program when he was in the early stages of developing his photography business, Mensah Memories. Prior to the Youth Entrepreneurship Program, Louis had a passion for film and photography, but he could not afford the very expensive equipment required to launch his own business.

After receiving funding from the Youth Entrepreneurship Program, Louis was able to purchase his own photography gear to start his business. Louis was never afraid to do the work that was necessary to achieve his goals, and he worked tirelessly to break into an industry that is very tough to crack. In the first few months of launching Mensah Memories, Louis’s client list included professional athletes, entertainers, and large corporations. Louis epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit with a can-do attitude, and proves that hard work can go a long way.

[Read more…]

May 24, 2019 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto and our link to The Tailor Project featured on The Agenda

*The Tailor Project, Toronto, 1947. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre.*

Agency founder, Max Enkin, was part of a group of Jewish business leaders who started the agency in 1947 to provide employment and vocational services to Holocaust survivors and veterans of the Second World War. Between 1948 and 1949, he was also involved in bringing Jewish Holocaust survivors to Canada from Europe after the war as part of the Garment Workers Scheme, now known as The Tailor Project.

Read more here about The Tailor Project.

Recently, during Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah; JVS Toronto attended A Common Thread: Celebrating the Untold Stories of The Tailor Project at Holy Blossom Temple. The event honoured Max Enkin and others who were instrumental in bringing Jewish people to Canada from the deportation camps after World War II as part of The Tailor Project.

The success of this event and importance of The Tailor Project lead event participants, Larry Enkin (Max’s son) and Paul Klein, CEO and Founder of Impakt, to receive an invitation to appear on an episode of The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Larry Enkin and Paul Klein included Kim Coulter, President and CEO of JVS Toronto, in the interview to provide the perspective of connecting immigrants to jobs in Canada, then and now, to ensure they can lead self-sufficient, meaningful lives.

Watch us on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Untold Stories of The Tailor Project.

Read more about JVS Toronto’s newcomer employment services here and Jewish community employment services here.

Watch the trailer of The Tailor Project documentary.