“SSCOPE is a member of the Social Purchasing Portal, an online marketing
and collaboration tool for small local businesses.” Visit www.sppwinnipeg.org for more information. Pictured left to right are: Madelyne Ellis (staff), Yvette Chartrand (member), Garrett Wood (member), Robert Scott (member), Sean Keenahan (member), Bob Rempel, staff
Take a look at the latest SSCOPE 2013 newsletter with great stories about Tyler Fehr, one of our members, a story about the Winnipeg Jets mental health initiative, a feature on Split Crooked, a featured act at our May 24-25 Festival4MentalHealth at SSCOPE and much more. We welcome your comments after you read the newsletter. Please be a SSCOPE ambassador and forward a copy to your friends and network.
Read it HERE
SSCOPE’s thrift store development plans profiledwinnipegfreepress.com/our-communitie…
— SSCOPE Inc. (@sscopeinc) April 10, 2013
Sign up for SSCOPE’s Twitter messages @sscopeinc and get news and deals first.
View the SSCOPE story in The Times directly HERE
Bob Rempel, SSCOPE Executive Director accepting the $5,000 award for 2013 from LITE’s Executive Director Tana Hendren and Allan Beach, Board Chair on March 20
LITE (Local Initiatives Towards Employment) recently provided $5,000 funding to SSCOPE for the third straight year to further develop its StreetSSCOPE program as a pre-employment program. The amount was an increase of $1,000 from previous years. The program called Employment Uplift will prepare youth, females and men with long gaps in job history and with mental health or related problems for possible employment in SSCOPE’s regular business enterprises in the future or in the workforce at large. Approximately 35 individuals will benefit from the program from approximately mid April to end of October, 2013. This is the only major non business revenue generating program or social enterprise at SSCOPE. All grant funds will be directed to wages, benefits and training materials for the employee members of the program.
SSCOPE is pleased to announce three new volunteers in key positions in the organization, supporting the Executive Director.
Jason White- Jason is an experienced marketing specialist and consultant to business, particularly in the tourism business field. Through the assistance of the non profit Spark, SSCOPE was linked with Jason. We are excited about the potential for Jason to help us better market our services and program to potential new customers and partners in Winnipeg to continue to create more opportunities for our employee members and support mental health recovery and coping even better in the city.
Jason White, left and Bob Rempel, SSCOPE Executive Director
Yan Yu Sha-a student in her second year Accounting at Red River College with top marks in her program, She has joined us as a financial and accounting assistant with responsibility at this time for the work required to create monthly financial statements. We are thrilled to see how quickly she has picked up our system.
Jim Timlick
Jim Timlick-Jim is a former director of media relations for the Blue Bombrs and an experienced editor and reporter who is assisting SSCOPE with expanding our communications initiatives in support of the growth we require for our social enterprises in order to create more employment. He has great contacts in the community and we are very happy to have him decide to join with us. Jim is also a Board of Directors candidate.
SSCOPE continues to recruit new volunteers and staff as we attempt to create the staff and volunteer team that can take the organization to our organizational goal of 400 employee members by 2016, along with four retail and office locations in Winnipeg, and programs in at least two other communities outside Winnipeg. Please contact SSCOPE at 987-6300 if you can help serve as a volunteer Team Leader within SSCOPE and help us develop new and current employment programs for our members and support the other organization objectives.
We are also hoping to be able to make an announcement shortly about the successful recruitment of a Financial and Accounting Supervisor and Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, with prime responsibility for our Festival4MentalHealth and Live Fridays events.
We are often asked by potential partners and donours who are the people SSCOPE benefits? Our program of casual and part-time employment options benefits a wide variety and for many at a different time of the year. Hence we have over 200 who will be employees this year with us, but average payrolls of 40-65 person. Our members have a range of mental health issues from schizophrenia, to bipolar disorder to depression and anxiety. Some are on heavy doses of medication, others less so, or are on therapy. Some individuals have not been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, but they have been admitted to our program because we have ascertained that there is a need and there is a fit. Each one is here to work and gain employment experience again.
For a look at some of the faces of SSCOPE take a look at this video from late 2011 up on Youtube. Part 1 and Part 2
The Myths of Mental Illness…it’s worth reading, by clicking the link, and perhaps help you understand why providing meaningful jobs to those working hard to recover and cope with mental health problems is so important to help them get healthier. Please use the comments to let us know what you think about the Myths and whether the SSCOPE system is an effective support program.
This gallery contains 24 photos.
Tweet December 21 at SSCOPE. Great day, wonderful support from donours to our employee member Christmas party which coincided with our Live Fridays Christmas show in the evening. Without the very generous support of Wescon Enterprises, Parkside Ford, Creswin Properties … Continue reading
We are receiving donations every day now as we get closer to our December 21 Christmas dinner and all day Christmas spirit event at SSCOPE, including great discounts to the public in Treasures Thrift Store.
Today’s donation brought with it a wonderful note from a customer that has been with SSCOPE for a few years now, that should gratify all staff, volunteers and our employee-members.
“I am enclosing a cheque for… to be donated to SSCOPE for the holiday season and to thank all of your staff for the diligent, hard work that your employees do. I am very grateful for this service that you provide and feel that you are a wonderful community organization to do business with. Please express, my thanks and happy holidays to all the staff. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.”
We very much appreciate this great testimonial. Our staff hear many more daily. Thank you to all our valued Customers in 2012. We fully recognize that we are a Customer driven organization, even as a non profit.
Hoppin’ Hedges-An Indie Rock Alternative Group from Landmark, comprised of Dustin Toews and Evan Hildebrandt
Come early and hear some great performers on SSCOPE’s Treasures Thrift Store CoffeeHouse Stage starting at 7:00 pm and then join the Christmas sing along and jamming at the end of the night as we ramp up the good feeling and Christmas spirit at 1466 Arlington St. just a fews before Christmas Day.
Hear Hoppin’ Hedges (link to their music Here) at 7:00 pm, Mountain Meets Prairie at 7:45 pm and The Riff Vandals (link to their music Here) at 8:30 pm.
The Riff Vandals play a variety of uptempo originals and covers that get the feet tappin’ and the hands clappin’ with some Christmas songs thrown on December 21 at SSCOPE.
Jamming and Christmas sing along at starting at approximately 9:15 pm.
All bands and performers are playing in support of SSCOPE’s programs in Winnipeg to support mental health recovery through real jobs, and helping SSCOPE raise additional funds during the Christmas season to ensure that SSCOPE’s over 75 currently active members-employees enjoy a great Christmas.
In 2012 close to 200 individuals will have worked for SSCOPE on a casual or part-time basis, with the organization aiming to get to 400 individuals they support in the next four years.
Admission is by Donation. Food Services available. For more information email sscope@sscope.org or phone 204 987-6300
Watch for the following two messages at the large signboard at the Portage and Fort, courtesy of Creswin Properties. SSCOPE member-employees sincerely appreciate the ongoing partnership we have with Creswin and their staff.
You can view short videos of the past Live Friday performances, click the name below, and previous ones, just search: SSCOPE2 on Youtube.com
Join us December 21 for our last Live Fridays before Christmas, with Hoppin’ Hedges, Mountain Meets Prairie, and the Riff Vandals at starting at 6:50 pm. If you are a performer or group and you want to perform for SSCOPE’s employee members and the Winnipeg community, please call 987-6300 (204) or email sscope@sscope.org. Live Fridays is the fourth Friday of every month and all performers during the year are eligible to be asked to perform for our fourth annual Rockin’ the Bridge/Festival4MentalHealth on May 24-26, 2013
We are pleased to announce that Manitoba Public Insurance has agreed to support SSCOPE and our growth with a donation of a like new saftied Van. SSCOPE will use the van to transport an additional crew and equipment for our growing Snow Removal services, and for future Food Deliveries from our Food Services program.
This comes a year after Manitoba Hydro chose to donate a used SUV to SSCOPE to meet our needs last winter. We continue to use it to this day.
2000 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 donated by Manitoba Hydro fall 2011
The MPI van should be operational for SSCOPE within two weeks, just in time for the busy five month snow clearing season. Yes, this will give us additional capacity as well now to add new snow customers.
Watch this site for a picture of the new van soon. SSCOPE now has five vehicles in its fleet, including one three ton cube van with power tailgate for moving and delivery jobs and other uses.
As well SSCOPE continues to accept donated vehicles from the public and business for a fair market value tax receipt which are either used for our fundraising after sale at auction, or for practice vehicles for our employees to learn additional automotive skills.
Please contact SSCOPE Director of Development at 987-6302 for more information.
Here’s a thank you coupon for all of those who are making Treasures Thrift Store, a regular stop in their search for good and inexpensive reusable items. Watch for Treasures to grow and grown. New items daily. Click Here for coupon.
Like SSCOPE on Facebook and win an instant discount to Treasures at 1466 Arlington St in Winnipeg. Gently used donations put every day. Our Hours Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 3:45 pm. Late Shopping on October 19, November 23 and December 21 along with Live Music.
Please check out the latest SSCOPE radio spots and tell us what you think. All voiced by the venerable Winnipeg radio announcer, Roger Currie. More to come. Tip: On windows machines: Click “open” if you want to play immediately, or “save” if you would like to download and play later.
Enjoy Paulo Borges, Winnipeg singer-songwriter with a Latin feel, Friday September 28th at SSCOPE at 7:00 pm and then stay around as the Caribbean rhythms and reggae beats start to heat up with the Paradize Band at 8:15 pm. Everyone Welcome.
Paradize Band, at SSCOPE Street Festival May 2012
Come out and support the mental health by SSCOPE in the community. Admission is Free with small Donation or Thrift Store purchase. Thrift Store open late and SSCOPE’s Little Food Feat Mobile Food Unit will be providing great food for sale and sampling all evening, plus free popcorn and coffee. It’s at 1466 Arlington St, between Burrows and Magnus.
Mental Illness is costing the economy of Canada over $20 billion annually through lost employment and growing at nearly 2 per cent per year says a recently released Conference Board of Canada study.
Helping those with mental illness return to being productive members of the economy would greatly aid our economy says the report. Much more has to be done for mental health and through employment creation activities, it obviously concludes.
SSCOPE strongly supports the conclusions of the study. We add that our tested and proven approach to creating our own social enterprises and partnerships that gainfully employs those with persistent mental illness within the total economic sphere of the community is an important part of the range of solutions needed.
SSCOPE is looking to expand its Board of Directors members to 11 from the present 7 over the next two months. We have many exciting growth opportunities in the years ahead as we work to double our workforce to nearly 300 employee members by 2015.
If you a well connected member of the community and feel the SSCOPE cause, we invite you to join us immediately.
A Board of Directors application can be downloaded here and submitted by fax (415-7900) or as a scanned document to sscope@sscope.org
For more information about the Board of Directors or the organization, please contact the Executive Director at 987-6302
For Photos of the 2011-12 AGM held on June 22, 2012 and to view the year in Photo-Video shown at the AGM click HERE
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1466 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, MB R2X 1T8 Phone: (204) 987-6300; Fax: (204) 415-7900 Email: sscope@sscope.org; Web: www.sscope.org & festival4mentalhealth.org
Supporting mental health through gainful employment since 1991-21 Years of Service To Winnipeg in 2012
“One in four Canadians will have a mental health problem at some point in their lives”
NEWS RELEASE/PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTJune 22, 2012 (For info: Bob Rempel 987-6302o or 250-6300m)
SSCOPE announces 2011-12 financial results and new Social Enterprise thrust in 2012-2015
SSCOPE Inc, a leading Winnipeg non profit organization with a mission to deliver social enterprise employment and support programs to support mental health recovery, has announced unprecedented employment creation results for 2011-12 fiscal year, along with gains in Net Assets and Net Income.
Over $146,000 was provided in direct employee-member wages and benefit programs for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, compared to $66,000 in the preceding year and Net Revenue after expenses was $24,675 compared to $1,661 in the previous fiscal year.
More than 150 employee-members benefited from SSCOPE’s programs in 2011-12. Net revenues were strongly supported by growth in social enterprise generated revenues which have grown by 90 per cent in one year and now are nearly 60% of total revenues.
“Our donours and funders have recognized the track we are on to expand our impact in the community and provide more intensive supports to our members and as a result we were also able to increase our fund raising and partnership gifts by nearly 400 per cent over the previous year”, said Executive Director Bob Rempel.
“It’s still a relatively small amount, Board Chair Ryan Clement stated, and with our goal to expand our program to nearly 300 members by 2015, and become financially self sufficient, we continue to hope for strong support from the community in the years ahead.”
Plans for 2012-13 are already being implemented, and as part of our 3 year plan, SSCOPE will create new and expanded social enterprises and training for our members in Automotive, Cleaning and Janitorial, Light Manufacturing and Window Washing, Construction and Renovations and Retail.
Our new Food Services thrust utilizing Food Trucks is now underway and our Property Services work, particularly snow removal, is buoyed by our three year contract with the City of Winnipeg for forty of their major public properties, Rempel said.
Clement added that for the future, the organization will continue to expand it’s volunteer opportunities program from the Board level on down and is currently embarking on a recruitment program to fill the necessary skill sets needed in the organization to allow for major fund raising to continue and new programs to be developed.
Rempel noted that that SSCOPE will be conducting a public awareness campaign throughout the year about the benefits of supporting Social Enterprises within the community, “Are You Enterprising Socially?” The organization has achieved some critical success in its annual “Festival4Mental Health” music and performance fund raising event, with the 2013 event set for the weekend of May 25.
It also is continuing with its Fourth Friday Music Night series at its Treasures Thrift Store at 1466 Arlington St beginning again on September 28th.
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All the lovely members of Sweet Charity, our noon hour peformers, at our Hospitality Tent for performers and volunteers
a slightly fuzzy Rick Cabel, SSCOPE Star Karaoke winner, singing "With A Little Help From My Friends"
Treasures by SSCOPE retail is expanding its Music and Video Department and is asking for the community to search for all types of musical and video equipment and recordings you have stashed away that will help SSCOPE in our work to create more employment and programs for those with mental health issues. Pickups of a large quantity of donations can be arranged by contacting us by email at sscope@sscope.org or by phone to 987-6302.
We will make special arrangements and provide donation receipts to pickup on Estate house clear outs, as well as accept vehicles and boats, property and securities for donations. Please call our Director at 987-6302 for donations valued at over $1000.00
We sincerely appreciate your support of our programs and ongoing developments at SSCOPE.
Larry Updkike (l) and Greg Glatz, The B-Side Apostles, who will be playing Friday February 24th at SSCOPE's Treasures Stage at 8:15 pm
The B-Side Apostles who are Larry Updike of CBC Radio, CJOB & Siloam Misson fame & Greg Glatz, the Rock and Roll Preacher, will be playing Friday Feb. 24 8:15 pm at SSCOPE’s Treasures’ Stage at our An Intimate Evening with…for mental health and SSCOPE series of performances every fourth Friday.
Should be a great night for our Employee-Members and the North End community adjacent to our building.
Check out their Facebook page here. Tickets for music and dinner available in advance online at our website.
Please Note: This meeting will now be held on Friday February 24th at 11:00 am, just prior to the optional Smoking Cessation orientation session.
There is a SSCOPE employee members meeting on Friday February 10 at 12:00 noon at 1466 Arlington St. to review new employment and support programs with the membership and get feedback on existing programs. We encourage everyone who wants to be considered for being part of the new employment programs to be in attendance. Staff and Board of Directors representatives will be in attendance.
This will be the first meeting at which SSCOPE will be encouraging members to bring along key support staff in their lives as well, including family members, organizational staff and even potential new members of our program.
As always there will be lots of food and beverages for everyone, plus a Gift Certificate for Treasures by SSCOPE store for all who attend.
February 24th Event Poster. Please call 987-6302 to book your tickets.
SSCOPE has recently added a 2011 Ford F150 XLT 1/2 ton Truck to its complement of work vehicles thanks to the generosity and support of the Winnipeg Foundation, the Thomas Sill Foundation, and the Manitoba Community Services Council. It was purchased from Parkside Ford in Winnipeg after a competitive bid process. The vehicle will be primarily used as the lead vehicle for equipment and crew transportation for our Property Maintenance division. SSCOPE also continues to operate our 2000 3/4 Ton Crew Cab vehicle,, our 2007 Ford F450 3 Ton Moving and Deliveries Van, plus a rental passenger van for moving crews as needed.
Work is continuing on our Employee-Member Lounge and Training Centre at SSCOPE’s 1466 Arlington St location. Demand for our job experience and employment programs in a supportive environment continues to expand rapidly and SSCOPE wants to add a training component to our activities. Just to start we have already been training over 10 employee-members in some basic construction and renovations skills, a new program for our organization.
We are grateful to all the businesses that have already donated goods and materials and we hope others will join and come on board in the next few weeks as our work continues with a Food Services area and a Performers area.
Thank you from our over 140 employees members whose lives you are positively impacting by your generosity to: (listed in random order)
Battlefield Equipment
CT Rental
Kenroc
Reimer Soils
Ambrosie Lighting
EECOL
PlasticFab
General Paint
Western Paint
Home Depot
Rona
Princess Auto
Stanley Black & Decker
The Official Ribbon Cutting of SSCOPE's new facility at 1466 Arlington St. L-R: Yvette Chartrand representing SSCOPE's employee members, George Paskieka, SSCOPE Board Chair, Bob Rempel, SSCOPE Executive Director, Councillor Mike Paktaghan, City of Winnipeg
Our employee members and the community responded enthusiastically to our August 19 opening of Treasures by SSCOPE and the official ribbon of SSCOPE’s new facility at 1466 Arlington St.
Donations for Treasures started to flow in on Friday and we are very grateful. We accept donation from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday, or by special arrangement by calling 987-6300
We particularly want to thank two of our current employee members: Elton Plett who performed for us after the ceremony and Garry Yanyu, who handled all the cooking for many hours. Elton does some great music and Garry is preparing to study to be a chef, and we are grateful to have two people with excellent skills assisting us.
We also want to thank Rona at Kenaston Boulevard for loaning us a commercial grade BBQ and Sobeys at Burrows and Keewatin for donating soft drinks to SSCOPE employees and the community for the day.
Special
Our 2010 Garage Sale at Vimy Ridge. Bigger and better this year on May 28th. Starts at 12:00 noon.
This is our online advertising regarding our new Donate to SSCOPE…support Mental Health program.
“SSCOPE Inc. will pick up your donated items for resale and reuse at our garage sale and a soon to be opened retail and food services training location for our employee members. Watch for our opening announcement re our 1466 Arlington location.
Automoibiles, books, vinyl, other music, working electronics, arts and crafts, furniture, collectibles, building materials, etc. Donation receipts for items with established market value over $100. We appreciate your support. Please call our office at 987-6300 or email us. We also pick up your usuable unsold garage sale items.
Our website is http://www.sscope.org . We create and provide employment for people with a mental health disability. Lawn, snow, moving, window washing, cleaning services, general labour and more. You can support SSCOPE and mental health by hiring for work you need done as well. Our membership is growing rapidly and we need more work.
Join us at Rockin’ the Ridge 2011…for mental health at 12:00 noon for garage sale, great music all afternoon and a lot more for all ages. Vimy Ridge Park, Winnipeg. Winnipeg’s first summer festival each year. Donations welcome.”
Of note: SSCOPE is initiating it’s new programs to create more employment in Winnipeg during Mental Health week May 1-7th. We fully support an excellent initiative by one of Canada’s leading corporate entitities, Bell Canada, called, “Let’s talk about mental health”, featuring Manitoba native Clara Hughes.
Let’s talk….! Let’s act…!
Our latest flier about our Lawn Services is available for download here. In it we say to Winnipegers: “You can do more with your Lawn Services dollar! Please consider supporting SSCOPE in 2011 and get great service and a great looking property by signing up for our 2011 Lawn Maintenance Season program: spring through fall. For all who sign up for full Year Round work with SSCOPE we have a special deal as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations: Get your spring cleanup this year done at 1991 Rates. Our gift to you for your support of our work to help those with mental health and related issues in their recovery and coping.
Our employee members list continues to grow steadily and they want and need more employment opportunities through us. We are aiming to add another 48 lawn and property service customers in 2011 if possible.
Worker's 20th Anniversary Party, March 30th Cake Cutting
As we move towards our May 28th public awareness day on SSCOPE and mental health, Rockin’ the Ridge 2011 at Vimy Ridge Park, we want to raise the level of discussion amongst our various stakeholders-customers, employee-members, supports and funders about the stigma about mental illness that prevails today and affect all of us, including those in our organization and the organization itself.
Here’s a Mental Health Commission of Canada link to their initiatives on stigma reduction, to help us talk about it in a more informed way.
Our employee-members continue to face stigma about their conditions every day. We at SSCOPE want to continue to be part of the ongoing Talk about Mental Health to keep lessening the amount of stigma and barriers they face.
Join us on May 28th at Vimy Ridge Park and “Walk for the Talk” about Mental Health and help support SSCOPE and the work we do to provide employment and income for those that need a fresh start in a caring and supportive environment.
The SSCOPE employee members, staff and Board of Directors are extremely grateful to our many customers and users of our services who stepped forward and contributed to our annual employees’ Christmas lunch and gift. From cookies, to small gifts, to cheques, to strong evidence to our workers of your support through words and letters, it has been very much appreciated.
In addition we want to acknowledge Parkside Ford and Cam MacIvor who made a significant contribution to SSCOPE in a timely fashion in January to assist us with unexpected operating expenses that arose.
We are grateful again to the Assininboine Credit Union and Nan Colledge, community involvement manager, for their third year of support to our employee-member support programs and particularly their support of our Cleanup and Recycling programs, including Christmas tree, toilet and leaf recycling job creation and our associated expenses. We learned of their continuing generosity and support of our initiatives with respect to a better Winnipeg, as we create needed employment and income for those with a mental health disability, in early December 2010.
The Assiniboine Credit Union has also signed on early as a sponsor for our May 28th Rockin’ the Ridge 2 at Vimy Ridge Park, a day of music, fund raising, food and fellowship as we kickoff the summer festival season in Winnipeg.
The SSCOPE Winter 2010 newsletter is now available
for online reading or download and saving by clicking
the following: SSCOPE Winter2010 Newsletter
We hope you enjoy it. Please call 987-6300 if you have
questions or comments or email sscope@sscope.org
CALL FOR BOARD MEMBERS/BUSINESS LEADERS/FUNDING PROPOSALS
SSCOPE Inc. is seeking leaders to join its Board of Directors and assist us in achieving successful major funding campaigns to support enhanced services. SSCOPE supports mental health with employment and training through our own social enterprises and community partnerships.
Particular skill sets or experience we are seeking include financial; legal; fund raising, business and marketing, with, or an interest in mental health and community programs. A strong community network is also preferred.
Board Members of SSCOPE Inc. commit to attend and participate in monthly meetings and be active between meetings in ongoing board level projects. The monthly commitment for a Board member can vary, but on an average is between 3 – 5 hours a month.
If you are interested in getting more information about this potential volunteer experience, please call (204)987-6302 to request an application. You may also download an application from our website at www.sscope.org Your application and a current resume should be received by October 27th, 2010 for consideration and appointment at our next meeting on November 17, 2010.
Download the Application Form as a pdf file here
Download the Application Form as a .doc file here
Download the SSCOPE Factsheet here
