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Chilliwack non-profit earns employer award for fourth straight year

Chilliwack Society for Community Living recognized as national employer of choice
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A group of clients and staff at Chilliwack Society for Community posed for Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 24, 2021. (Submitted photo)

Chilliwack Society for Community Living has earned a national award as an employer.

They were named a winner in the 6th Annual Canadian Nonprofit Employer (NEOC) of Choice Award, alongside just 11 other organizations. The Chilliwack Society For Community Living (CSCL) is a non-profit organization that supports adults with developmental disabilities, children and youth with special needs and their families in the Chilliwack and surrounding areas, since 1954.

The NEOC Award is a tool that measures a nonprofit’s leadership attributes, HR practices and employee opinions.

“We are proud to be recognized, for the fourth consecutive year, as a non-profit employer of choice in Canada,” said Julie Unger, executive director. “(Our) employees are the lifeblood of the organization and we are committed to continual improvement in making their work a rewarding experience. This recognition helps us attract great talent to our teams so we can further our vision for a community that welcomes and includes everyone.”

In the announcement of the award recipients, NEOC explained the importance of non-profit sector work.

“In a quest to create ‘decent workplaces’ thought leaders are debunking the myth that employees in the non-profit sector are willing (and should be expected) to work in exchange for the opportunity to ‘do good,’” they stated.

“Today, talented people can find a socially meaningful career outside a traditional non-profit organization, which intensifies the competition for qualified staff. Non-profit employers of choice generally do a better job of attracting and retaining talent due to superior HR management, strong organizational cultures, clarity around job expectations, and relevant training and career development.”

Other recipients in B.C. are the Louis Brier Home and Hospital in Vancouver, and the Richmond Hospital Foundation. Other recipients are UNICEF Canada, Operation Eyesight, Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services, Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, Newcomer Women’s Services, Canadian Mental Health Association - York Region and Peel Region, and York Support Services Network.

Jeff Doran, president of CCEOC Inc., said 2020 was an extremely difficult year.

“But even with all the challenges caused by the pandemic, these organizations took the time to assess their operations and recognize their employees for all their hard work and sacrifice. My hat is off to all of these amazing nonprofits.”

Applications to participate in the 2021 NEOC Award program will be accepted starting March 1, 2021, at http://neoc.ca/.

READ MORE: Chilliwack Society for Community Living places hand-painted Remembrance Day rocks at cenotaph


@CHWKcommunity
jpeters@theprogress.com

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The leadership team at Chilliwack Society for Community Living gathered virtually on Pink Shirt Day, Feb. 24, 2021. (Submitted photo)
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Pink Shirt Day, Feb. 24, 2021. (Submitted photo)


Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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