News
Boundary Pusher Award goes to Stella’s Brasserie
What a thrill and honour to receive the Boundary Pusher Award from the St. John’s Board of Trade on World Social Enterprise Day!
This recognition is so meaningful to us as a community organization and truly validating. It says to us that our commitment to social justice is the path forward. Our social enterprises not only produce revenue that supports our housing, mental health, and employment services at Stella’s Circle – they offer training and employment as dignified ways of helping people facing barriers build a brighter future. This award says that the risks we take every day running our social enterprises are seen by our community and appreciated.
Creating a fourth social enterprise out of Rawlins Cross was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We’re so pleased to thank Susan Drover, of SAM Design and the Stella’s Circle Foundation Board for her leadership in this project. Her vision and community connections were our springboard. Our social enterprise Home To Stay and Property and Development team executed her design with sharp skill and professionalism. They brought the dining room transformation to life with their flawless renovations.
To our Stella’s Brasserie and Hungry Heart Cafe culinary and front of house teams, we share our gratitude. It’s their incredible unique expertise and commitment to our work that created another seamless, exceptional dining experience.
Evan Bursey, our Manager of Social Enterprise and Laura Ivany, our Manager of Fund Development and Communications had the keys to this project to imagine and create a new business, a new brand, and a new way to do more social good. With only four weeks to do it, they put everything they had into this transformation. It was go big or go home, and they brought it home!
And it’s impossible to be recognized for our social enterprise without celebrating the deep wisdom, generous leadership, and heart of Rob McLennan, our Director of Employment Services. Rob brought social enterprise to Stella’s Circle over 17 years ago, with our flagship Hungry Heart Café, and has been tirelessly championing the social impact of this business model ever since. This award is proof that Rob continues to dream big and dream of a better community for everyone.
The story of Stella’s Brasserie as our fourth social enterprise is one of entrepreneurial spirit, courage, and an inspired shared vision between many. This team had a vision that we can do more. We can do more as an organization. We can all do more as business leaders. And as a community of customers, we can each do more. Social change lies in our individual purchase power. When we consciously choose to purchase with purpose – to hire catering, or commercial cleaning, or home renovations from a social enterprise – we don’t only get an expert service – we help build a better, more inclusive community.
Every dollar spent at a social enterprise has a ripple effect that strengthens our whole community. And that’s powerful. We experience that power every day at Stella’s Brasserie, as well as at Clean Start, Home To Stay and Hungry Heart Café. We push boundaries every day to balance both financial and social bottom lines to help transform lives. Tonight, we say a heartfelt thank you to the St. John’s Board of Trade for understanding the risk, the leadership, and the hope for brighter future that it takes.