Hire these certified social enterprises that benefit local communities and offer quality product and services—delicious donuts, reliable printing and speedy delivery.
Social procurement is a powerful way to create positive community impacts when meeting planners bring business events to cities like Toronto. Purchasing goods and services from certified social enterprises not only boosts small businesses, there are important ripple effects, such as job training and employment opportunities and helping those in need build independent lives.
1. Do Good Donuts and Café
Founded by Melanie Côté in 2021, Do Good Donuts is an employment social enterprise that provides paid, on-the-job foodservice training for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They work in the kitchen alongside staff without disabilities to create delicious themed and custom donuts and cookies for clients like NASA, Disney, Fidelity Investments and Capital One. At community markets, they greet customers, take their orders and payments, and package customer purchases.
“We do our best to take on as many challenges as we can because we really believe that people need to hear and think more about the kind of work that we do for people with disabilities.”
– Melanie Côté , Founder of Do Good Donuts and Café
“We work to understand the kind of experience planners are trying to provide, particularly around diversity, equity, inclusion and the belonging aspect of the event,” explains Côté, whose 10-year-old daughter Alma was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome called Williams Syndrome, and is the company’s chief sprinkle officer.
Do Good’s call to action is: Let’s change how people think about hiring young people with disabilities.
“We do our best to take on as many challenges as we can because we really believe that people need to hear and think more about the kind of work that we do for people with disabilities,” Côté continues. “Many grew up without seeing anyone like themselves working at a job. That mindset of going to work and getting paid is very validating and it encourages confidence.”
Good to know: Do Good Donuts won first place in the 2022 Meridian Credit Union Small Business Big Impact Awards, and can ship orders anywhere in Toronto and across Canada.
2. Eva's Print Shop
Inspired by the charitable legacy of Eva Maud Smith, Eva’s offers a unique combination of safe shelter and transitional housing at four Toronto locations, street outreach, counselling, training and life skills programs to youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
When clients use Eva’s full-service digital print shop in downtown Toronto, youth benefit under the company’s profit for purpose social enterprise model. Eva’s can handle just about any print job, from small and wide-print formats to customized notebooks, annual reports, bindery services, special mailings and even T-shirt printing. “We work with a lot of corporate clients on flyers and promotional materials, giant transit posters and something as simple as postcards,” says Tracie LeBlanc, Senior Director of Communications and Development.
Eva’s offers a unique combination of safe shelter and transitional housing street outreach, counselling, training and life skills programs to youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Eva’s accepts monetary donations as well as new items—which can be collected as part of a group donation drive—for things such as winter boots, jackets and hats, Black hair and skin care products, sports and recreation equipment, cookware, linens and gift cards.
LeBlanc suggests that planners check the website and call ahead to learn about the types of items needed and accepted. “We accept only new items,” LeBlanc notes. “We want young people to have new things, and we want to make sure donated items are right for the 16- to 24-year-olds we’re working with. It’s a very important age where how they present themselves to the world means everything.”
Good to know: Charity Intelligence Canada rated Eva’s among its Top 100 Rated Charities for 2023 and one of Canada’s top 10 youth impact charities in 2022.
3. Good Foot Delivery
Good Foot Delivery is a professional same-day courier service providing training and meaningful employment for the neuro-diverse community. Clients who choose Good Foot are supporting both inclusivity and sustainability since couriers only use public transit to deliver packages around the city.
“It could be anything from delivering important documents or dropping packages off at hotels for attendees,” says Ada Swierszcz, Business Operations Manager. “Another area we can assist with is door-to-door flyer distribution if, for example, the community is invited to an event.”
Clients who choose Good Foot are supporting both inclusivity and sustainability since couriers only use public transit to deliver packages around the city.
Clients can create an account and place orders on the website, or contact Good Foot directly if a more tailored service is required. “New customers allow us to offer more shifts to the neurodivergent community, which allows them to have more independent lives, financial ability and to not be dependent on government assistance,” Swierszcz adds.
Good to know: Good Foot offers the support and tools required to develop life, social, friendship and professional skills for success in the workplace and within the community at large.
