The Bridges Program is based out of a commercially zoned building. The participants and staff proudly maintain the grounds and established gardens. Bridges is conveniently located just a few blocks from the City of Courtenay’s downtown core.
The Bridges Day Program serves up to twenty adults who have expressed a desire to gain paid employment and independence in the community.
Future Focus encourages participants to attend Bridges Monday thru Friday.
There are four permanent job supervisors assigned to the group. The members are supported to improve their employment skills while participating in paid work and life skills training.
Most of the program activities and work contracts take place within the communities of the Comox Valley and the surrounding Regional District.
In 1988, the original members of the Bridges Program formed a working collective, “Bridges Co-Op Contracting Services”.
The cooperative was based on consensus and working agreements. This concept has evolved over time with new members. The members are covered by WCB and share their gross expenses and pay themselves a worker share based on the actual hours they have worked in the current pay period. Pay day is every second Friday.
The members of Bridges Co-op Contracting have their own bookkeeping system, bank account and signing officers. The position of bookkeeper is a paid job for a Bridges member.
At present, Bridges Co-op Contracting has ten individual job placements in the community in addition to many lucrative ongoing crew contracts.
The Bridges Program promotes active healthy lifestyles. We provide opportunities for life-long learning, volunteering, woodwork, art, music, cooking, exercise, friendship, leadership, advocacy and community inclusion through recreation and paid work.
A percentage of gross earnings is reinvested back into the collective.
Bridges Co-op Contracting makes large purchases of equipment and tools and keeps the equipment well-maintained and serviced. The business has proven to be a successful contributor to the economy of the Comox Valley. Earnings that are reinvested back into Bridges Co-op Contracting also go toward recreational activities for the Bridges participants.
The Bridges Day Program has a celebration for the individual that showed the most growth each month. The employee of the month is voted on by all the program’s participants.