Helping Hands is an organization that cares about its staff and clients equally – that’s why they’ve been acknowledged as Living Wage Champions by the Ontario Living Wage Network.
Helping Hands, Orillia knows a happy, healthy staff is the best staff to support a happy, healthy clientele. Their entry into the Ontario Living Wage Network shows they know it, as it indicates their committed support for Canadian living wages. Given Canada's current high inflation rates, living wages represent a much-needed investment in the local economy and in a skilled, healthy workforce.
>>> You can learn more about what it means to be part of the Ontario Living Wage Network at https://www.ontariolivingwage.ca/
As network members, Helping Hands also throws its weight behind the Canadian living wage movement, which aims to alleviate the country’s high levels of low-wage poverty. A living wage is an hourly wage that reflects what the people of a community need to earn to cover the costs of living in that community. By contrast, a minimum wage is a legal minimum hourly wage set by provincial governments that all employers must pay.
As certified employers, Helping Hands, Orillia are part of the Ontario Living Wage Network’s member directory and map of nearly 900 employers. They also have promotional materials and content that can help other Orillia employers become aware of the movement, like a hardcopy certificate for display, window decals, a logo package for use in print and online, and social media recognition.
One of the organization's Personal Support Workers, Sara Kizilian, said of her experience with Helping Hands, “You feel like you make a big difference in the world and in their life. I wouldn’t change my job for the world. With Helping Hands, you’re more than just a number - you feel cared about and supported by management. You start not being able to imagine yourself anywhere else, and you instantly feel part of the team.”
Besides guaranteeing to pay its employees a living wage, Helping Hands, Orillia has also committed itself to several employee-oriented priorities as part of its strategic plan for 2022 to 2025. These include establishing a budget based on training needs, creating a peer system to onboard new hires, and hosting staff lunch-and-learn sessions focused on growth and development.
Since 1972, Helping Hands has been providing community support services for seniors and disabled adults based on core values of “caring, accountability, participation, respect, and integrity.” They're a proud member of the Couchiching Ontario Health Team, a group of healthcare partners who are designing an integrated healthcare continuum for the Orillia community.
“Our vision is to embrace the ‘journey of aging’ with respect, care, and support,” said an organization spokesperson. “Our programs aim to help seniors cultivate independence and to travel the aging journey with positivity and comfort.”
Want to learn more about the Ontario Living Wage Network? Do you know of an employer who would make a great addition to it?
>>> Learn more - and perhaps help to contribute to a great movement for employee well-being - at https://www.ontariolivingwage.ca/
