Summer months usually bring a slow down, but now fall has arrived Staci van Hees is worried.
Van Hees is an employment consultant with Powell River Association for Community Living (PRACL) and helps run Confidential Paper Shredding at Community Living Place in Cranberry. Confidential Paper Shredding is a not-for-profit employment program which employs seven people with developmental disabilities. The service gives employees a chance to gain some workplace training and offers skill assessment, so that employees can obtain jobs in the community when they are ready.
“Ultimately, our goal is to have people working in community jobs that match the skills and interest of the clients with the needs of the employer,” said van Hees. “Confidential Paper Shredding is a great starting point for us to assess the skills of the employee and to ensure the job seeker is job-ready.”
While the program is not-for-profit, the shredding company does charge a fee which goes toward paying for operating costs and employees’ hourly rates for their work. Van Hees is worried because the program is running out of paper to shred and, without work for the shredders, shifts are being cut.
“If we don’t have paper for our employees,” said van Hees, “they aren’t able to work and that can affect their quality of life. Though it might not be a lot of money, these guys don’t have a lot of money to live on in the first place.”
PRACL is asking for the public’s assistance to keep the employees at Confidential Paper Shredding busy.
“No job is too big or small,” said van Hees, adding that they will come and pick up loads over 100 pounds. “We have a secure storage area for large loads and our employees uphold a strict contract of confidentiality.”
Paper shredding is not necessarily just for banks or hospitals, van Hees added, it’s for anyone who wants to protect themselves from identity theft.
For more information about Confidential Paper Shredding or to discuss employment opportunities, interested readers can call PRACL Employment Services at 604.485.4628.
