What Employers Are Saying

"My working relationship with the management of Flowercart and Partners in Employment Outreach is ideal."

Terry Dean, Former Area Personnel Manager, Michelin Tire Plant Waterville

"It is a privilege to have been asked to be a part of this dedicated organization. It has also given us the opportunity to assist an individual gain a sense of value through employment, and allows our organization to fulfill one of its goals: providing support for members of this community."

"Personally, my experience with Partners In Employment has been a good one. They are a great resource for employers needing workers for varying job tasks, and with Job Developers as driven to match employers with workers as Juanita is, Partners In Employment is sure to be an asset to any business".

Trevor Morine, Supervisor, Scotia Recycling

October 2003

To my Partners and Friends:

When I started my Spice Company back in 2000, I quickly came upon the realization that I could not do everything; even though I wanted to keep it small and simple. Besides the accounting, advertising, and the designing and selling: the heart of this humble endeavor was the creating, blending, mixing, measuring, bagging, labeling and packaging. I just could not do the measuring, bagging, labeling and packaging. These operations required, time, patience, care and immaculate, sanitary conditions. Because of the great cost for space, and automated equipment was out of the question!, I just could not do the work myself. My wife Karen has a full time job, and though she tried to help me when she had some spare time, we could not do it. Princess, our 4-year-old cat, claimed that working with spices was not in her job description.

Some 30 years ago I was a volunteer in a Sheltered Workshop. In those days one of the biggest problems was convincing the powers that be, that physically and mentally challenged individuals had futures, and if given an opportunity, would be outstanding contributors to any society. Under funding was the order of the day, as well. I remember trying to convince parents to send their children to the Centre, they were afraid for their children and many were convinced that they had no hope for advancement. Parents then, had very little in the way of support and communication and a closet mentality was quite prevalent.

For some reason, as I was considering my problem, the idea of a Sheltered Workshop, came into my head. I had just moved to the community of New Minas and was recently married. I had no idea about Flowercart and its wonderful training facilities. Thirty plus years had passed and I was really out of touch.

After some inquiries, I was directed to the main Centre of Flowercart, which I had passed by in my car dozens of times without knowing what it was. (9412 Commercial St., New Minas)

The first impression was the unmistakable smell of freshly baked bread..and then I was led to a man by the name of Kevin West. I was sure I was in the wrong place. Kevin led me down a flight of stairs into rooms with tables filled with what one may call:work in progress.

After explaining what I needed, Kevin calmly said, “This is one of the many things we do.” He proceeded to show me around, pointing to a variety of commercial jobs in progress, with requirements way more difficult and sophisticated than mine would ever be! People, busy, working, chatting……..enjoying their work. All my dreams of 30 years ago had come true!

That day I left Flowercart with a big weight off my shoulders. I had the feeling that somebody had thrown me a lifeline and I had learned how much positive change has taken place for those with certain challenges. (I must say, in all my life, I have never met a person that did not have a challenge or two.)

All those who measure, fill, label and box the spices have become my friends and partners, and I could not run my Spice Company without them. When I have to pick up finished product from their premises, I look forward to their joyful greetings and cheerful smiles.

Chef Mario Bluguerman

Businesswoman spreading the word on hemp products

Franey plans workshops to help others profit from plant’s potential

By Gordon Delaney (The Chronicle-Herald, November 17, 2003)

Anne Franey believes in the benefits of hemp. So much so that she is now marketing more than 20 products through her small, Annapolis Valley-based company, Totally Hemp Ltd. She is even offering workshops to others who want to get into the business of marketing a myriad of hemp-based products. Ms. Franey plans a series of workshops after Christmas that will extol the virtues of hemp products and help others get started in business.

“We’ve accumulated a lot of information over the years,” Ms. Franey said in a recent interview, referring to her business partnership with Annapolis Valley businessman Chops Viger. A former Canadian Forces fighter pilot who later owned a Canadian Tire franchise in New Minas, Mr. Viger spent a lot of money in the early stages, growing and processing a good quality hemp crop in the Valley. For a few years in the ‘90s, the tall, fragrant hemp plants could be seen growing in many farmers’ fields. Less is being grown now, as much of that supply is now being used to make hemp-based products.

Oil from Valley-grown hemp is recognized as being high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is found in few other oils. GLA helps the body reduce bad fats like cholesterol and provides needed energy. It has also been proven to help reduce symptoms of PMS, atopic eczema and arthritis. Hemp oil is high in essential fatty acids, which help the body’s metabolic process, reducing high blood pressure and slowing degenerative diseases. “There are an endless array of things that can be made from hemp,” said Ms. Franey. Her company is now marketing over 20 products, including cold-pressed hemp seed oil in a 375-ml bottle. She takes a teaspoon a day, much like mothers who used to feed a spoonful of cod liver oil a day to their children in the 1950s and ‘60s. But for those who like to pamper themselves, she is also marketing skin-care products. The number one seller is a healing cream for dry, flaky skin or psoriasis. She also has a wrinkle defence cream for the face. And she has a shower gel, rubbing oil, a salt and hemp oil scrub and many other products. She even has hemp-based pet care products, with built-in flea and tick protection. They include a hemp dog shampoo, and she has worked in developing a product for helping clean up horse hoof problems.

The products are totally Nova Scotian, with the packaging being done at Flowercart in New Minas, a centre for adults with a developmental challenge.

Totally Hemp products can be found mostly in farm markets and health food stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. The upcoming workshops will focus on growing, marketing and creating hemp products. Anyone seeking more information should check out the company website at www.totallyhemp.ca.

A note to Readers from Flowercart’s Executive Director about Businesswoman spreading the word on hemp products

Flowercart participants and employees were happy to be mentioned in the Chronicle-Hearld as the company providing packaging services to Totally Hemp. A list of some of the products packaged and participant involvement includes:

Product	Participant involvement
Cold press hemp oil as food supplement	- Four participants in bottling - Three participants in labelling and finishing the packaging
Hemp capsules as food supplement	- Three participants in bottling and labelling
Hemp shampoo	- Five participants in bottling, labelling, and finishing the packaging

Flowercart participants also package rubbing oil, hand cream, and bug repellent for Totally Hemp.

Flowercart’s business relationship with Totally Hemp is a clear example of the win, win, win relationship that develops when a successful private sector company works with a non-profit sector organization such as Flowercart. (The third winner in the relationship, of course, is the clientele being served!)