Social Impact Awards recognize those who are making a difference

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Ottawa – An Ottawa-based tea packaging and retail business that employs Syrian refugees and a volunteer-run charitable organization providing gently used household items to those in need are the recipients of the inaugural Ottawa Social Impact Awards for their lasting social impact and significant potential for growth..


The awards are a partnership between the City of Ottawa and Impact Hub Ottawa and were presented today during the Social Enterprise Unleashed Conference by Mayor Jim Watson, Councillor Catherine McKenney, and Impact Hub’s Managing Director, Katie Miller, to SuraiTea Inc. and Helping with Furniture.


“These awards highlight impressive community initiatives and social enterprises that are making a lasting social impact on our city in ways that emphasize the power of the collective rather than the individual,” said Mayor Watson. “Congratulations to both the winners of this award and the nominees, whose work is making a significant difference in our city both socially and economically.”


Social Impact Award winners


Social Enterprise Category

Ottawa-based SuraiTea Inc. sells premium handcrafted teas, while offering Syrian refugees a first employment experience in Canada in tea packing, business development and sales.


Community-based Initiative Category

Helping with Furniture (HWF) is a volunteer-run charitable organization providing gently-used furniture and household items for those in the Ottawa area who are restarting their lives because of situations of hardship.


The winners received:

• A one-year membership to Impact Hub Ottawa, a community of creative and entrepreneurial changemakers, and access to its collaborative workspace and resources.
• A meeting with senior City staff to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration.
• An opportunity to be featured on apt613.ca.
• A one-year membership to Kind Village, recognition as an official Kind Business, and featured on kindvillage.com.
• A reserved spot at Building Skills for Change, the first Ottawa workshop run by the Institute for Change Leaders.

The City and Impact Hub Ottawa issued a call in October requesting nominations of community initiatives and social enterprises that were making a positive social impact through innovative, collaborative, and scalable work. A total of 45 nominations were received. The public was invited to vote for the nominees that they felt were the best for Ottawa. A total of 7,121 votes were cast, narrowing the field to five nominees in each of the two categories.


The 10 finalists were then reviewed and evaluated by a panel of business and community leaders who selected the winner for each of the two categories.


The Ottawa Social Impact Awards are a legacy initiative of One Young World, the preeminent global forum for young leaders aged 18 to 30. The 2016 One Young World Summit took place in Ottawa from September 28 to October 1, 2016 and attracted 1,300 youth delegates from 196 countries.


For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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