I have been volunteering at 3H Craftworks Society on 4th Ave. and only recently have I come to realize that it is a social entrepreneurship firm! Its crafts are created by artisans with disabilities. Craftworks hire adults in Vancouver who are unable find regular employment due to physical challenges or mental illness. As volunteers, we cut out pieces of felts and prepare materials to be sent off to the employees, who often work on the crafts in the convenience of their homes. The finished crafts will be sent back to the Craftworks store on 4th Ave., where the crafts are displayed and sold. The profit generated by the sales are used to pay the disabled employees and the program manager.
Craftworks is an excellent example of social entrepreneurship because it is not simply driven by the perception of a social need or by its compassion. Rather, Craftworks have a vision of how to achieve improvement through innovative means. It has developed a new model of operations with the social mission to empower the disabled in Vancouver. Personally, I see Craftworks as a social enterprise that generates social returns far greater than its financial ones.
Employee Testimonial: “The work provides satisfaction knowing that many children have found pleasure in the things I produce” – 65-year-old male employee (stroke victim).
Further Employee Testimonials: