Meridian Credit Union is helping support economic growth in the region by helping newcomers and those with economic barriers learn valuable trades in order to secure gainful employment.
On Thursday, Meridian was on-hand to help celebrate the recent success of the collaboration between Elephant Thoughts and Meridian’s Reframe project, which helps fuel population and economic growth within communities by help people gain skilled job training in trades, while also giving them temporary housing while they learn until they can gain full-time employment and find housing on their own.
A celebration was held at the Elephant Thoughts campus, which is at the refurbished Launch Pad location in Durham.
Meridian’s Vice-President of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Social Impact, Sarah Saso was also on-hand, as the credit union shared their investment of $200,000 for the joint program, as the financial institution is constantly looking for ways to reinvest in the communities it serves.
“On our social impact investment side where we donate up to 4% of our pre-tax profit into the community – reinvest them into the communities where we operate – and this community is a large one, we have an obligation to support the local economy of that community, and that means people and that means housing,” explained Saso. “This is a strategic investment in which we operate to help people get jobs and help builders and communities grow together, that leads to that sort of economic prosperity.”
Meridian also helps successful applicants to their Reframe program by providing them with bank accounts through the credit union, and gives them one-on-one time with financial advisors to gain financial confidence.
Elephant Thoughts provides paid hands-on skills training combined with housing, transportation, food security and mental health supports. Local participants will also receive ongoing personalized financial coaching and post-program follow-up to help them succeed beyond the classroom.
During Thursday’s event, a success story of the Elephant Thoughts program that was shared was that of student Saeeda Al Qaddafi, who was enrolled into the culinary program. Since graduating, she is now helping teach the students who came after her, in what Saso refers to as a “neighbours helping neighbours” approach.
“We found Elephant Thoughts and the work that they were doing at their campus in Durham, which is around skilled trades, regenerative farming and agriculture, culinary, and renewable energy – climate focus, as an incredible partner for Reframe, because in addition to training people in those skills which the economy needs, they give them housing. And when they told us that they were re-launching the Launch Pad site, to do culinary skills and carpentry, we said ‘that this seems like a real, logical extension of your program, and we’re in’.”
Saso also said that through collaborative partnerships and community investment – both from financial and community resources – financial prosperity and community growth benefits everyone.
“It does take a village to make programs like these successful, and we hope that other people want to come onboard to support this amazing organization and its programs in this region, because they are transforming people’s lives.”
Of the students who apply to the Elephant Thoughts program, around 90% graduate.
Meridian founded Reframe in 2024 with a pilot program in Barrie. To date, Meridian has invested $1.3 million to enable its community partners to support hundreds of participants transform their careers and build their financial resilience. Currently, Reframe operates in Barrie, the Greater Toronto Area and in Grey, Bruce and Simcoe Counties.
The new Grey/Bruce Reframe partnership offers wrap-around supports that span the whole journey into employment. Meridian’s $200,000 investment will enable Elephant Thoughts to provide paid hands-on skills training combined with housing, transportation, food security and mental health supports.