Employ to Empower
2020 Local Heroes Documentary Edition
Funded

Employ to Empower

Employ To Empower is facilitating entrepreneurship in one of Canada’s poorest postal codes.

Length20:00
GenreDocumentary

Pitch video

Synopsis

Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) community is full of strength and resilience. Christina Wong, one of the youngest Executive Directors in the DTES, left her corporate job to start a charity called Employ To Empower (ETE) to create change by providing long term support to residents through entrepreneurship. One of ETE’s entrepreneurs, Deirdre, a fiber artist, is spreading love, humor, and political statements through her art by yarn bombing throughout Vancouver. Another one is Mark, who is cleaning up the streets one crap at a time, making the community a safer and cleaner place for people. His service is now offered to over 400 businesses, only hiring people who face barriers as his way of giving back. ETE empowers the residents to create a ripple effect of change in the community.


Production

Interview Roster

Mark Defreitas
Mark Defreitas

Mark is an Employ to Empower program entrepreneur and a proud resident of the Downtown Eastside. He is creating change through his business Crap Trapper, cleaning up the streets one crap at a time.

Austin Lui
Austin Lui

Austin connected Employ to Empower to one of the entrepreneurs. This showcases the power of collaboration.

Theodora Lamb
Theodora Lamb

A trusted community partner that provided the first opportunity for Employ to Empower program entrepreneur Mark.

Deirdre Pinnock
Deirdre Pinnock

Deirdre is one of Empoy to Empower program entrepreneurs. She adds value by sharing her story of strength and resilience.

Christina Wong
Christina Wong

This story would not be possible without Christina's vision and drive to bring Employ to Empower to life.

Scott Shaw
Scott Shaw

Scott was one of the first board members to join the charity and acts as a trusted mentor for the leadership team and program entrepreneurs.

Production Design

Soft natural light
The streets when it's cold and wet.  A time that not many people get to experience.