The Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses (OCAB) was founded in 1993 as a provincial organization that provides economic and leadership opportunities to the psychiatric consumer/survivor community, primarily through the growth of new consumer-operated businesses throughout Ontario. As of October 1, 2011 OCAB has changed its name to Working for Change.
This new name better reflects a growing list of initiatives that Working for Change manages. These initiatives now include leadership development; community based research; and a focus on policy-related reform, concentrating on the geographic scope of the Toronto area.
In addition, it still oversees the business operations of the Raging Spoon, Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises, and Out of This World Café. Working for Change also provides seasonal employment and training to over 50 individuals working at the City of Toronto’s Cooling Centres. In addition, Working for Change is home to the leadership development Speakers’ Bureau, “Voices from the Street,” as well as the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s “People with Lived Experience Caucus”.
For more information about this announcement, please call 416-504-1693.