Who We Are / What We Do?
Hrpurpose is a federally registered Canadian charitable organization dedicated to providing housing, programs, training, and employment support services for individuals with mental and physical disabilities.
Founded by Mr. Luke McKenzie, who himself lives with a disability, Hrpurpose has been actively serving the Etobicoke North community since March 2019. Through partnerships with community organizations and service providers, Hrpurpose supports low-income individuals and people with disabilities, helping them access essential services and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Why We Do it?
Changing your state of mind changes your state of life.”
Our passion is to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve an equitable quality of life in all areas—work, home, and play.
We are committed to creating opportunities for personal and professional growth, ensuring that everyone has access to the support they need to thrive, regardless of their mental or physical challenges. Through our programs and services, we aim to foster inclusion, independence, and a more equitable society.
Our Key Benefits
For individuals with disabilities
- Permanent, affordable housing solutions for low-income individuals and persons with disabilities.
- Enhanced quality of life through optimized resources and day support programs at work, home, and play.
- Employment access, though tailored training and resources improving employment access and economic outcomes.
- Entrepreneurial Skill Development, offering digital training and mental health support to boost employability and entrepreneurial successful reintegration.
- Increased Visibility, enhancing the visibility and impact of entrepreneurial ventures within the community.
- Access to Funding, facilitating access to funding opportunities through organized events and workshops.
- Networking Opportunities, providing valuable networking connections through structured mentoring sessions, networking and collaborative events.
For our Stakeholders & Partnerships
- Better-equipped employers that effectively integrate and support underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities.
- Inclusive Services mindset for service providers and vendors trained to deliver accessible goods and services that meet the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Community Integration: Promote the inclusion of entrepreneurs in projects and community initiatives, fostering collaboration and growth.
- Collaborative Environment with partnerships, organizations, government, and community groups to create sustainable development addressing community challenges.
Our Services
Empowering Your Personal and Professional Vision with HRPURPOSE
At HRPURPOSE, we believe that success stems from transformative experiences. Our services are crafted from authentic testimonials and key principles that have helped many achieve their goals.
We provide personalized solutions that turn obstacles into opportunities, empowering you at every step. Let’s work together to bring your vision to life and make a meaningful impact!
We guarantee a series of essential steps designed to provide our clients with stable personal quality of life and professional integration.
Affordable Housing Program
Our affordable housing services aim to provide permanent housing for low-income individuals, with a priority for those with disabilities. The goal is to ensure stable shelter for our clients.
Our process is centered on creating a supportive environment that empowers individuals to secure and sustain permanent, comfortable housing and home care through the following key steps.
- Awareness: Clients learn about available housing through community partners and agencies.
- Contact: Interested clients reach out to schedule a visit and interview.
- Orientation: If approved, an orientation session is arranged.
- Agreement: The housing agreement is signed, and the client is registered.
- Support: Our staff assists clients with sponsorship and relocation needs.
- Permanent Residence: Once moved in, the client enjoys a stable, permanent home.
Alternative Training For Persons With Disabilities
This exploratory and preparatory program simplifies the process and makes it easier to determine the client's potential to pursue long-term training and employment in a specific career path. The goal is to prevent negative outcomes after investing a lot of time, effort, and money, through the following key steps.
- Pre-employment counseling: This involves determining if the individual is ready for a job. (Including but not limited to physical and psychological evaluation)
- Registration and assessment: This includes identifying the accommodation needs of the individual.
- The Ministry of Colleges and Universities authorized aptitude course chosen from the categories below and work-integrated learning: This step involves determining the individual's full-time job affinity, endurance, natural skills, acquired capacity, and likelihood of career success.
- Categories In Partnerships: Technology | Business | Healthcare | Others.
Employment (The Anchor Program)
The Anchor Program (TAP) for the organization, integrates persons with disabilities into the workforce through inclusive training, mentorship, partnerships, and ongoing research to enhance accessibility, retention, and career development, through the following key steps.
- Employment Support and Skill Development : Employment support and skill development programs equip individuals with disabilities with tailored training and job search services to enhance career opportunities.
- Mental Health Support: Mental health programs focus on support and recovery, offering counseling, education, and community resources to enhance the well-being of individuals with disabilities.
- Talent Matching Initiatives for Inclusive Organizations :Talent Matching Initiatives for Inclusive Organizations focus on aligning diverse talents with employers committed to an inclusive and accessible workplace environment.
- Community Development and Outreach: Offers comprehensive training, engaging workshops, and dynamic community projects aimed at strengthening local connections and fostering inclusive, sustainable development.
Recreation
The program aims to enhance recreational participation and enjoyment for individuals with disabilities by exploring new technologies and methodologies. It addresses the psychological, emotional, and physical stress caused by communication and mobility constraints, ultimately promoting a happier and healthier quality of life, through the following key steps.
- Research: Identify and implement innovative technologies and methodologies that enhance recreational activities for individuals with disabilities.
- Assessment: Evaluate the specific needs and preferences of clients to tailor recreational opportunities.
- Engagement: Facilitate access to recreational activities that encourage physical fitness and stress management.
- Support: Provide ongoing support and resources to ensure clients can fully participate and enjoy the activities.
- Feedback: Collect client feedback to continuously improve the recreational offerings and experiences.
Day Support Program
The Day Support Program is designed to provide life-skills workshops for low-income individuals, including those with physical and developmental disabilities. This initiative emphasizes collaboration with existing service systems and community partners already supporting clients with diverse needs, through the following key steps.
- Client Assessment for Adaptive Devices: Personalized assessments to identify necessary adaptive solutions.
- Accessibility Technologies: Access to special needs technologies and resources.
- Life Skills Programs: Financial literacy, independent living, relationships and other day to day activities life skills.
- Learning and Employment Services: Skill development and equitable access to job opportunities.
- Updates on Accessible Technologies: Education on the latest advancements in adaptive technologies.
- Accessibility Rights Awareness: Empowering clients about their rights under government legislation.
- Employer Education on Accessibility: Training employers on accessibility and accommodations responsibilities.
- Accommodations Engagement: Collaborating with companies to provide flexible solutions that meet accessibility and accommodations guidelines and regulations.
Community Programs:
Women Safe Future & Inclusive Employment Initiative.
The NETWORK Program focuses on empowering Women Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (WEWD), minorities and underrepresented women groups through inclusive training, personalized mentorship, strategic partnerships, and mental health support, driving the development of their entrepreneurial skills and facilitating their reintegration into the workforce and community.
- Training, Insertion, Employment: Offering training to enhance digital and entrepreneurial skills, coupled with mental health support, to aid in their successful reintegration into the community.
- Partnerships : Increase visibility and impact, and access to funding and networking (through events, meetings, workshops, and fairs) to strengthen and promote entrepreneurial ventures, aiming to include them in projects and the community.
- Mentoring Club: Establish a support network with mentors, mentees, advisors, educators, entrepreneurs, and business owners, while creating spaces that foster support, leadership, self-confidence, and mentorship.
Our Team
Luke McKenzie , Executive Director - Operational Management
Having spent nearly 2 decades as a public servant, Luke McKenzie’s journey is at the heart of HRPURPOSE. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs associated with disability and mental health in his own life, Luke’s experiences have shaped his unwavering dedication to this cause. His personal story is one of resilience and empathy, underlining the importance of support, inclusion, and empowerment in navigating the complexities of life with a disability.
Cinthia Claros, Director & Community Programs Coordinator
I am a dedicated social services worker with over 20 years of experience in the field. A 2010 graduate of George Brown College, I am a registered SSW with OCSWSSW (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers) and currently serve as a public servant in Service Canada’s Social and Development Division. My passion lies in supporting communities and contributing to meaningful social development.
Viviana K. Moreno - Economic Developer Programs & Community Engagement .
I am a passionate Strategic Community Relations and Economic Development Specialist with over 15 years of experience. In 2024, I graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a certification in Local Economic Development. I specialize in developing socioeconomic programs and community engagement strategies, fostering partnerships across the private, public, governmental, and NGO sectors. By addressing key stakeholder concerns, I create initiatives that enhance the well-being, prosperity, and quality of life within communities..
Shauna McKenzie-Onita Industry Advisor
Shauna McKenzie-Onita is a transformative industry advisor with over 15 years of experience. As a DEI expert, she recommends solutions to address the unique diversity needs of our clients, ensuring the delivery of the high-quality service they expect and deserve. Shauna has become a catalyst for positive change and driving inclusive excellence.
Collett Mckenzie - Social Services Coordinator
Collett McKenzie is a dedicated advocate for affordable housing, with extensive expertise in supporting disabled and low-income individuals. As a certified Personal Support Worker, she has owned and operated a licensed rooming facility that provides comprehensive care and support services. in addition, Collett is an active community counselor and a leader in life skills workshops. Her passion lies in empowering women to achieve safety, financial security, and long-term independence.
Amit Garg - Director & Business Strategist
Amit Garg is a seasoned business strategist and accomplished director with a proven track record of founding, managing, and successfully selling multiple businesses. With a wealth of expertise in strategic planning and operational leadership, he has consistently driven growth and value creation across diverse industries. His continued commitment and visionary guidance have been instrumental in helping Hrpurpose achieve our strategic objectives and long-term mission.
Our Experience
HRPurpose is led by a team of experienced community services workers, who each have a track record in assisting people with disabilities find meaningful employment and optimal personal well-being; and that they came together in 2019 to form a non-profit.
The INCLUSIVE project aims to reform the current employment landscape by fostering an inclusive workforce that embraces individuals with disabilities. This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between skilled individuals with disabilities and potential employers, promoting workplace diversity, understanding, and equality.
The project aims to designed to focus on investing in women, especially young, Indigenous, racialized, immigrant, refugees and other underrepresented, at risk, vulnerable and low income women in need, by providing them the skill set, knowledge and experience to improve their economic conditions.
The YIELD (Youth Inclusive Employment and Leadership Development) program, proposed by HRPurpose, seeks to create job opportunities and develop leadership skills for marginalized youth, particularly those facing barriers like disabilities and socioeconomic challenges.
The ACCESS program aims to bridge a gap by providing specialized training to employers on AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) compliance, helping them engage and retain employees with disabilities. The initiative educates employers on legal requirements, rights, and fosters a culture of inclusion. With support from over 23 organizations, ACCESS addresses workplace barriers like discrimination, inaccessible environments, and lack of accommodations. Given the evolving nature of work and reported gaps in employer readiness, ACCESS is both relevant and timely for promoting inclusion in the workplace.
The CAREER project aims to convert job postings into accessible digital formats like electronic braille, audio, and PDFs to ensure visually impaired individuals have equal access to job portals. HR Purpose aims to translate 500 job postings and assist 1,000 visually impaired job seekers within a year, helping match them with job opportunities.
CAPABLE: Community Advancement and Partnership for Accessible and Balanced Learning and Employment. is a trailblazing initiative developed by HRPURPOSE, dedicated to fostering the empowerment and inclusion of equity-deserving and vulnerable groups, with a special focus on individuals with disabilities. This project stands as a beacon of change and progress.
The THRIVE program aims to strengthen the internal capacity of the organization to support individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges. It focuses on skill development, creating employment opportunities, improving infrastructure, and establishing a framework for evaluating programs to ensure effective support and growth.
Our Sustainability Commitment
Our Vision and Alignment with the SDGs:
HR Purpose will develop a sustainability strategy that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on promoting inclusive employment, fostering community engagement, and ensuring accessibility for marginalized groups, particularly individuals with disabilities.
Key SDGs to focus on include:
- Goal 1: No Poverty: By providing training and employment opportunities, we aim to help individuals break the cycle of poverty and achieve financial independence.
- Goal 4: Quality Education: Through our training programs, including the Her Purpose initiative, we aim to enhance skills development and educational opportunities for women and individuals with disabilities.
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: We will enhance job opportunities for marginalized groups, promoting equitable employment practices.
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities : Our initiatives will address systemic barriers and promote social inclusion.
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Build partnerships with private, public, and non-profit sectors to strengthen community networks and resources.
Our Contribution to DEI Strategy in Canada:
- Empowerment Through Training: Focus on enhancing skills and providing resources to marginalized groups, especially women and individuals with disabilities.
- Awareness and Education: Facilitate workshops for employers to promote understanding of accessibility laws and inclusive workplace cultures.
- Community Engagement: Collaborate with various organizations to co-create solutions that improve accessibility and resources for individuals with disabilities.
Our programs can contribute to developing your DEI strategies and action plan.
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