Can delivery of your meals help change the lives of the people who deliver them? We think so. That’s why we’re proud to use Good Foot Delivery for our morning meal deliveries in downtown Toronto. Good Foot is a courier service whose couriers all have some form of developmental (or other) disability.
Essential Meal Delivery owner David Greensmith describes the service as “absolutely reliable” and says it is just as committed to excellence as he is. “So this is not a charity thing. It’s a win-win that delivers for customers and builds a better community.”
Career opportunities for the developmentally disabled are often limited. The best many can hope for is a dishwashing job.
That’s one of the jobs Harley Colero did before he became a Good Foot courier a year ago. He had also been a cleaner in a gym, but much prefers Good Foot because “I get to meet all kinds of people and see parts on the city I would never see.” He says he loves his job.
Mike Zwarts, another Good Foot courier, agrees. He says having a useful and important job “is much better than being stigmatized. You get connected with people.”
Good Foot Managing Director Greg Kasparian has his own perspective. “I’m in the office almost every day and can see the amazing growth of the couriers. They get to the next stage of adult development. They are being asked to assume responsibility, often for the first time.They become independent, confident, and capable. The progression can be very fast.”
Due to their disabilities – ranging from autism to hearing impairment — many couriers receive government assistance through ODSP, the Ontario Disability Support program. As their hours and wages increase, the ODSP payments are reduced. Everyone wins: the couriers, Good Foot clients and the taxpayer.
Good Foot couriers deliver small packages on foot. They travel by subway and bus on TTC, Toronto public transit. Each courier is equipped with a smart phone that receives pick up and delivery information.
Good Foot’s social aim is at the core of its mission. And clients benefit, too. Good Foot’s website says it’s proud to give companies the option to act in a socially responsible way “that serves their image, utility and bottom line.” Other Good Foot clients include CIBC, Public Mobile, Thomvest Ventures, and The Toronto Fringe Festival.