Common Ground Co-operative

Common Ground Co-operative is an award winning, non-profit organization providing employment and educational services for adults with developmental disabilties here in Toronto.

We support a total of five social purpose enterprises in the food and cleaning industries owned and operated by more than 65 adults with developmental disabilties who we call Partners. Those enterprises are:

The Lemon & Allspice Cookery - A catering company that has been in business since 1998 when three Partners, a part-time job coach and community members created an alternative to sheltered workshops and mainstream employment placements for their adult children with developmental disabilities.

The Coffee Shed - Coffee kiosks which sell the baked goods and food prepared at the Lemon & Allspice Cookery in addition to Fair Trade Organic coffee, cold beverages and snacks purchased from suppliers. There are currently three Coffee Sheds locations; one at Surrey Place Centre across from Queen's Park (started in 2001), one at the University of Toronto (started in 2003), and one at JVS Toronto (started in 2004) in the city's North end.

CleanABLE - Launched in 2010, CleanABLE is our newest social purpose enterprise. Partners of this business provide the professional and quality cleaning of therapeutic, daycare and waiting room toys used at Surrey Place Centre to decrease the risk of spreading germs. After a successful two year run, CleanABLE has expanded to Surrey Place Centre's North Office location and looks forward to the possibility of additional expansion next year.

The enterprises succeed due to the hard work and dedication of the Partners, and with the help and support of Job Coaches provided by Common Ground Co-operative who work alongside the Partners each day to help them strengthen and grow their personal and professional skills, to assist with quality control, and to help maintain and increase customers.

Job Coaches also develop and deliver and array of workshops for Partners covering topics they are interested in learning more about such as self-awareness, fitness and nutrition, abuse awareness and prevention, customer service, safe social networking, and financial literacy and more.

To learn more about our services and programs, please visit our website at www.commongroundco-op.ca