Eastside Works

EMBERS EastSide Works

EMBERS Eastside Works is a low-barrier income generation hub located in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).

Who We Are

Eastside Works is a low barrier income generation hub located at 57 East Hastings St, in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). The goal of Eastside Works is to collaboratively build an innovative and inclusive employment model that ensures successful outcomes for individuals experiencing challenges to secure and maintain employment including mental health and substance use issues, extreme poverty and homelessness. Most importantly though, as a social innovation project, we work to use this model to inform changes required within traditional employment services in order ensure long term sustainability for inclusive employment services.

EMBERS Eastside Works

What We Offer

At Eastside Works we offer tailored, one-on-one support to individuals with high barriers to employment to achieve their employment goals.

Additionally, we offer our members support around other challenges in their lives that effect their employment including substance use issues and lack of other resources.

There are no eligibility requirements. The process starts with a short intake to identify goals and the supports required. We encourage anyone interested to reach out and start the conversation. Referrals from other organizations are also most welcome.

What We Offer

At Eastside Works we offer tailored, one-on-one support to individuals with high barriers to employment to achieve their employment goals.

Additionally, we offer our members support around other challenges in their lives that effect their employment including substance use issues and lack of other resources.

There are no eligibility requirements. The process starts with a short intake to identify goals and the supports required. We encourage anyone interested to reach out and start the conversation. Referrals from other organizations are also most welcome.

Services Offered

Employment goal setting and supports to achieve these goals including sustainment check-ins and coaching

Resume building

Job search assistance

Soft skills coaching

In-house employment opportunities

Referrals to other support services (basic needs and more)

Referrals to other supported employment opportunities

Income Generation Continuum

Current Programing

Our hub, located at 57 East Hastings Street, is open to everyone in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood for one-on-one consultation and programming.

Peer Employment Program

With funding from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, we have been running a Peer Employment Program since April 2021. This allows us to provide wage supports to partner organizations offering peer employment as well as EMBERS in-house placements.

Chinatown Community Stewardship Program

We currently manage the Chinatown Community Stewardship Program with support from the City of Vancouver. Through this program we are able to employ individuals in the community to work in Chinatown to help create a safer, more inclusive community.

Substance Use and Employment Program

With funding from Health Canada, our team works with individuals who are interested in receiving help to manage their substance use in order to maintain or gain employment. This model is based on a harm reduction approach and is tailored to each individual’s goals. Services include individual counselling, appointment assistance, addictions medicine assistance and group therapies.

Employment Support with SpencerCreo

In partnership with the SpencerCreo Foundation, we offer wrap-around support to participants of Eastside Works. This includes basic living supports such as legal, cultural connections, counsellors and food resources which are intended to help people maintain employment while navigating other challenges in their lives.

Onsite Workshops

Currently we are not offering onsite workshops – however, check back from time to time to see what workshops are available.
Learn more on how to get involved

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