Local Business Eases the Transition for New Canadians

At Danby Appliances in Guelph, CEO Jim Estill has taken on an extraordinary commitment: sponsoring 58 Syrian refugee families as they resettle in Ontario. Paying their rent, expenses and helping them find jobs. And his generosity does not end there.

On Thursday, February 9th, Eiry and I met with Jim and Danby’s HR Director, Melody Esfahani to introduce them to Lutherwood’s Mentorship Program for Internationally Trained Professionals. We are excited to share that Danby will be the first organization to join our program!

The Mentorship Program has been running for a couple of years now and actively seeks individuals in our community to be mentors for New Canadians who need a bit of support learning about and entering the Canadian labour market. This is the first time an organization has stepped forward to be an active source of mentors. What does this mean for us? We will now be able to match our clients with a Danby employee who has identified his or herself as a mentor. After we submit a client’s resume, Danby will seek out a match from the department that is most closely related to our client’s experience. After completing the paperwork, the mentor and mentee can begin working together.

Estill’s motto is to “do the right thing” and this is what he tells the 150 employees at his warehouse every day. We are grateful to be working with such a wonderful organization and hope that organizations continue to join the program as it becomes well known throughout the region.

If you are interested in learning more about the program and how you can help, contact our Guelph Employment Office to speak with our Mentorship Program staff.