Fraserside Community Services is hard at work trying to replace a stolen truck for its mobile work crew.
The local non-profit has launched a fundraising campaign that’s running until March 21, with the goal of raising $40,000 to purchase a new truck for its mobile work crew program. On Halloween night, the crew’s truck was stolen.
“The crew is devastated, and we do not know how we are going to keep up with demand,” said Don Matthews, who has been the crew’s team leader for 27 years.
Fraserside’s mobile work crew is a social enterprise that benefits adults with developmental disabilities in the community. It generates revenue from landscaping and outdoor maintenance to pay the crew, while providing people who face employment barriers with the opportunity to participate in meaningful work and creating more inclusive communities.
According to Fraserside, the crew is contracted to provide outdoor work to more than 31 homes and businesses across the Lower Mainland, including landscaping, rubbish removal, power washing, recycling and groundskeeping. The crew uses a pick-up truck to accommodate the crew of seven and to bring along the necessary tools and equipment to complete their work.
With replacement insurance and with the little that’s been raised to date, Fraserside is halfway to its goal of covering the cost of a new truck for the crew. It’s aiming to replace the truck before the busy spring season, so the crew doesn’t lose work.
“The crew is ready to get going with more jobs, but we need the truck to make it happen,” Matthews said in a news release. “This work means so much to the crew and provides a sense of belonging in the community.”
Donations can be made toward the truck online at www.fraserside.bc.ca or by calling 604-522-3722 ext. 111.
Based in New Westminster, Fraserside Community Services Society provides housing, employment and social supports for people living with disabilities, people facing homelessness, living in poverty, suffering from chronic mental illness or substance use issues.
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