During the Hot Chocolate Festival in Vancouver earlier this year, we partnered up with Delta TV and discovered East Van Roasters – a delicious chocolatier and coffee company. And although their products are a reflection of perfection, the establishment is helping create more than just chocolate.
The company has a “Pre-employment Program” specifically for women who are struggling with addiction, some of which who even used to call the downtown eastside home. East Van Roasters has brought these women together and allowed for them to be so much more than a stigma from their past.
East Van Roasters employs the residents of The Rainier Hotel, a single-room occupancy for women who might have been homeless in the past and some that suffer mental health issues.
While crafting fine bean-to-bar chocolate products, the employees of East Van Roasters have come together and built a team who have been given a second chance.
Just like Bell, one of the employees we had the chance of speaking with in the video below.
Life is about second chances, new beginnings and hope for tomorrow. Though much is not guaranteed in how each day will unfold, there are times when a push in the right direction can make all the difference in someone’s own personal strength and growth. We hope this video can inspire you in some way, just as the story behind it has inspired us.
Written by: Crystal Scuor
