We have received a few emails lately with some neat things happening around the inner city.  So we are passing them on to you!  We love to hear about other events in the area, and even blog about them if we get the chance (we’re pretty passionate about our area).

• Oppenheimer Park Reopening on July 24^th
• Heard about Calabash Bistro?  I wrote a blog post about my delicious experience there.  It’s on Columbia, between Pender and Hastings.
• Enchanted Evening Concert Series at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden in Chinatown.
• Chinatown Night Market.  Every Fri, Sat and Sun 630pm-11pm.
• Powell Street Festival, celebrating Japanese Canadian art, culture and heritage.  Free, July 31 + August 1, 11:30am – 7pm.
• SOLEfood Urban Farm is now selling their vegetables!  Grown locally on the DTES, by local residents.  See here for dates and locations and current vegetables.
• Firehall Arts Centre, until July 19th Dancing on the Edge.
• Events happening in the DTES this month.  Check out this great community website.

Joe's story. One of the many happy tales we hear at BOB.

Here at BOB, our employment team connects businesses to hire locally, connects local residents to jobs, and supports them to see it be successful in the long term.

Check out our latest news!  The link below includes:

• Joe’s story.  He started working at United We Can.
• Employer Profile – FROGBOX
• A selection of our current job connections.
• Upcoming Events

BOB’s Employment News – July 2010

Early last month BOB released a request for letters of interest for companies, social enterprises or other groups who were in need of consulting. In order to qualify the proposals were required to have a social benefit to residents or businesses in the inner-city, with particular emphasis on proposals that were green. After a few weeks of collecting these letters of interest BOB’s Consulting Program Committee chose several recipients who will receive a portion of the $36,000 allocated to this program. According to Brian Smith, Business and Social Enterprise Developer at BOB, the committee thought all submissions were very good in principle, with some fantastic ideas being presented, but in the end the ones that were chosen were at a stage where returns or benefits would be most immediate. They are as follows:

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden $5000

Concept: Green Audit for traditional Chinese garden including office, visitors service area giftshop and business operations. Improving sustainability best practices.

EMBERS Staffing Solutions $5000

Concept: A business plan to analyze the viability and employment potential of of starting and operating a weatherization business focused in the Greater Vancouver Area. Full service green retrofits, air sealing and blower door testing, insulation, water conservation etc.

Saul Good Gift Co.$7500

Concept: Brand development (including brand discovery workshop, development of brand pyramid and 3 COR brand drivers) website development, redesign of logo and packaging and marketing collateral, to aid in the growth of company and increased procurement from inner-city suppliers and social enterprises (such as Tradeworks Training Society)

Recycling Alternative. $4200

Concept: Assess the success to date with the organics waste pickup service; evaluate the opportunity to target and partner with local community organizations providing food services in the DTES; Develop an initial business plan for pursuing these target clients.

Strathcona Business Improvement Association. $5,500

Concept: Materials exchange network, development of online infrastructure to run the exchange via a web platform.

Potluck Cafe and Catering. $8000

Concept: Creation of a business plan for reusable dishware/container service social enterprise in the DTES, reducing waste from to go food containers and creating healthier storage options for housing challenged residents.

Megaphone $1300

Concept: Fundraising consultant to help raise the profile of the publication and assist in a fundraising campaign over the summer, ending Sept 5th.

Vancouver Aquaponics Initiative (Limited funding for consultation with David Lee)

Concept: Creation of a feasibility study and business plan for a sustainable urban aquaponics project in Vancouver’s inner-city (Tilapia, Salmon and organic vegetables/fruits)

Behind Will to the right is the sunset, to which he rode off into shortly after drinks at 6-Acres on his last day

In his time with BOB, Will Oakley achieved much as Job Developer. Having successfully connected BOB with numerous new employment partners while continuing to building the strong working relationship between BOB and existing partners, Will kept BOB on the radar in the business community and his finger on the job market.  We wish him the best of luck as he and his partner Rebekah continue their worldly travels before returning home to Australia. BOB is very excited to announce that taking over for Will is Andrew Bryson. Andrew comes to BOB after managing the corporate franchise office of one of Vancouver’s most successful companies, where he developed a keen awareness of many of the challenges that businesses face in today’s labour market. Andrew is eager to help BOB continue to connect with the business community and create opportunities for residents and employers.

Andrew Bryson looks forward to continuing the strong working relationship BOB has built with our numerous employment partners and connecting with future employers

“Businesses usually love the idea of social enterprise and inclusive revitalization but many aren’t aware as to how that will help them or positively affect them and their bottom lines.”  Andrew is looking forward to more businesses understanding the value of hiring locally in his new role as Job Developer.

Away from work Andrew likes to spend a great deal of time with his wife and twin daughters and enjoys folding origami, bike riding, reading, exploring and playing games of all sorts. We’re excited to welcome Andrew to the team and look forward to being a part of his success.

Despite the downpour early in the afternoon, nearly 100 of BOB’s friends and supporters enjoyed the cozy shelter of the Marquee Tent, as we held a fun fund raising event for Fast Track to Employment and BOB just a stones throw from the  track at Hastings Racecourse yesterday. Fancy hats, celebrity judges, thousands in raffle prizes and the thunderous rush of racehorses every 20 minutes made for nonstop entertainment in what was a fantastic afternoon.

After careful deliberations our celebrity judges, John Fluevog, Reilly and Miranda Lievers of Blue Olive Photography and Kim Cathers of Project Runway awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards to our creative attendees.

First place winner, Candice Johnson. Her hat charmed the judges with its stylish 1920s classic look

Third place went to BOB’s own Brian Smith who’s hat looked like a combination of Tom Petty in Last Dance with Mary Jane and Jimmy Hendrix’s top hat while 2nd place went to three fashion savvy girls from the neighbourhood, Savanna (14) Paisley (13) and Patty (13) who will be starting their own youth run skateboard and clothing shop here in the DTES very soon! And 1st place went to a very deserving Candice Johnson, who’s hat emulated the classic look of a sophisticated 1920s lady of leisure. (and who coincidentally played the raffle quite strategically I might add)

We would like to extend a very special thanks to Hastings Racecourse for their generous donation and for selecting BOB and FTE to partake in their Community Days program and to all of our prize donors and celebrity judges.

Shirley stands with the 2nd place winners, Savanna, Paisley and Patty

Our fantastic prize donors:

Our amazing Celebrity Judges:

John Fluevog- Don’t miss the current exhibit at the Vancouver Museum entitled Fox, Fluevog and Friends where John’s shoes and the colourful history behind them are examined!

Kim Cathers- Her creative talents in fashion design have been seen from coast to coast on Project Runway Canada!

Reilly and Miranda Lievers of Blue Olive Photography- One of the hottest wedding and special events photography duos in western Canada!

Now those are some quality celebrity hat judges.

Our impressive winning horse:

Shirley Chan, Liz Charyna and Fred Leonard awarded the winning horse with the Building Opportunities with Business, Race for Revitalization blanket. The champion mucked its way to the finish line ahead of several other horses in a battle against the elements.  After winning on 9 to 1 odds Will came down for the presentation to thank the horse in person.

Thanks again to all involved for making a Day at the Races a fantastic event.

And if you’re wondering who took all these amazing photos, it was BOB Employment Support Coordinator Lani Johnson! Check out her amazing new photo blog.