Social Enterprise/Community Benefit Holiday Shopping

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International

MADE51, Online (ships from US, Hong Kong, Netherlands)

  • Site: https://shop.made51.org/
  • Products: Handicrafts
  • Benefits: Marketplace for products made by refugees in collaboration with social enterprises

UNHCR country operations identify groups of refugees with artisanal skills and potential, or interests. We link these groups with social enterprises in the artisan sector that work in or near the refugees’ communities.

Together, refugees and social enterprises develop unique product lines that make up the ‘MADE51 Collection’. Social enterprises sell these products alongside their existing collections and manage orders, production, and logistics.

We help foster successful, sustainable collaborations by offering seed funding, technical support, and a global marketing platform for the refugee-made products. MADE51 also facilitates large orders and bespoke product collaborations with retailers.

National

Amnesty International (Canada), Online

Just Us! Coffee Roasters, Online (also has locations in Nova Scotia)

  • Site: https://justuscoffee.com/
  • Products: Coffee, tea, accessories, sweets
  • Benefits: Worker co-operative with focus on sustainability

Refugee Marketplace, Online

Refugee Marketplace, as part of Jumpstart Refugee Talent, empowers refugee entrepreneurs by providing them with resources and support to establish and expand their small businesses within the market. As a Canadian non-profit dedicated to the economic empowerment of refugees, Jumpstart is proud to launch this online platform open to refugee entrepreneurs from across the globe.

Rescue Coffee Co., Online (and available at locations in NB, NS, PEI)

  • Site: https://rescuecoffeeco.com/
  • Products: coffee beans and accessories
  • Benefit: fair trade coffee, and a share of proceeds support animal shelters

Here at Rescue Coffee Co., we are devoted to making a paw-sitive impact on the communities we serve, by enriching the lives of both the humans that produce our coffee, and the animals that benefit from our rescue efforts. Each cup of coffee we create contributes to the welfare and wellbeing of our coffee farmers and producers, and to our furry friends that benefit from the efforts of the rescue organizations that we support!

We offer Premium, Fair-Trade, Organic coffee roasts that are created by providing safe, healthy and fair working conditions for our farmers and producers. In addition to that, we donate 10% of our profits semi-annually to organizations that rescue animals in need.

Shop For Good, Online (Pickering)

  • Site: https://shopforgood.ca/
  • Products: online print shop, gifts
  • Benefits: run by and primarily benefits the Women’s Multicultural Resource & Counselling Centre of Durham, but marketplace items from different local charities

Shop for Good (www.ShopforGood.ca) is a digital social enterprise operated by the Women’s Multicultural Resource & Counselling Centre of Durham. Shop for Good is an online art and crafts marketplace for WMRCC community members, other Canadian charities and nonprofit organizations, and individuals from underrepresented communities. It allows charities and individuals (primarily underrepresented communities including women, immigrants, people with disabilities and individuals experiencing poverty) to sell their handmade goods online.

Ontario

Fleurish, Barrie

As a Social Enterprise, our mission is to not only provide beautiful floral arrangements and products to our community, but to orchestrate a paid transitional work experience that empowers women to find personal success. We utilize our floral shop as the foundation for hands-on learning, to assist each individual in developing and practicing work-readiness skills that will help them find meaningful and gainful employment. This is accomplished by supporting their needs, providing hands-on skills training and confidence building, as well as establishing a safe and therapeutic work environment conducive to growth and development.

541 Eatery & Exchange, Hamilton

  • Site: https://www.fivefortyone.ca/
  • Products: cafe, food, and catering, offers gift cards
  • Benefits: meals can be “paid forward”, and business offers support and space for community programs

541 Eatery & Exchange is a non-profit pay-it-forward cafe working to help our neighbours overcome the impacts of isolation, poverty, and injustice by cultivating a community of mutuality in our neighbourhood. Inspired by our Christian values, we are dedicated to welcoming all our neighbours inclusive of their circumstances, identity, and status.

Daymaker Coffee Roasters, Mississauga

  • Site: https://daymakercoffeeroasters.ca/
  • Products: coffee beans
  • Benefits: 3.21% of every sale goes to supports for people living with Downs Syndrome, and for one select blend, 25% of sales supports Canadian Down Syndrome Society

Studio.89, Mississauga

  • Site: https://studio89.org/
  • Products: cafe, food, and catering (pick up only), social media indicates they offer gift cards
  • Benefits: focus on ethical and sustainable products and community support

Studio.89 is a non-profit fair trade, vegan cafe and community hub. We partner with local organizations and schools to empower marginalized youth through leadership training and educational workshops and programs. We also provide a free community space to local organizers. Studio.89 encourages community dialogue, interculturalism, artistic expression, and conscious consumerism with a specific focus on youth leadership development. Our social enterprise aims to benefit humans, animals, and the planet.

Camino Co-Op/La Siembra Co-operative, Ottawa

  • Site: https://camino.ca/
  • Products: chocolate and coco-based products and related
  • Benefits: Fair Trade importer and marketer worker-owned co-operative

We established our organization La Siembra as a worker co-operative back in 1999. Our co-op became the first registered importers of Fairtrade Certified cocoa and sugar in North America and today we work with 25 producer co-ops, supporting more than 47,500 family farmers in 14 countries.

Pomp & Sass, Oakville

  • Site: https://pompandsass.ca/
  • Products: hand-woven towels and other textile items
  • Benefits: Woman-owned business with focus on sustainability; portion of profits goes to Canadian Women’s Foundation

Dispatch Coffee, Toronto location (based in Montreal)

Buy a Pair, Give a Pair (of socks), Province of Canada, Toronto and online

  • Site: https://provinceofcanada.com/pages/1-for-1-socks
  • Products: Socks (shop also has other apparel and accessories
  • Benefits: shop sells Canadian-made and sustainable products; in this program, for every pair of socks / slipper socks purchased, a pair is donated to one of several homeless shelters with whom they work

Black Creek Community Farm, Toronto

Double Take Thrift Store, Toronto

  • Site: https://doubletakeysm.ca/
  • Products: Vintage/thrifted apparel (with some accessories/footwear and housewares) as well as upcycled designs; holds workshops
  • Benefits: Social enterprise of Yonge Street Mission, including providing work placement positions

Ethical Local Market, Toronto

  • Site: https://ethicallocalmarket.com/
  • Products: Gifts, food, housewares, clothing
  • Benefits: Carries products from a number of local, fair-trade or eco-friendly vendors; sales also support Progoti, an ethical apparel brand

Good Intentions, Toronto

Pretty Clean Shop, Toronto

  • Site: https://www.prettycleanshop.com/
  • Products: Refills of (and reusable containers for) home and bath/body products; also gifts and housewares
  • Benefits: Focus on sustainable and Canadian-made products

She Sells Sanctuary Boutique, Toronto

  • Site: https://shesellssanctuaryboutique.ca/
  • Products: Gifts, art, housewares
  • Benefits: Goods from overseas are curated by owners to ensure fair trade and benefit vulnerable populations in Asia; other goods sourced from local (Canadian) producers

The 519 (Catering), Toronto

Cheekbone Beauty, St. Catharines

  • Site: https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com/
  • Products: Cosmetics
  • Benefits: Supports multiple, largely Indigenous-focused charities and has its own scholarship program

Quebec

Dispatch Coffee, Montreal

British Colombia

Craft Connection, Nelson

The Craft Connection is an artist co-op that opened in 1983. There are 6 working artists (members) that run the inside dealings of the store and sell their work in it. We also maintain a staff of four that keep the store looking great and are here to help you find what you need. There are over 250 consignee artists supported by our store that are mostly from around the Kootenay area, some from BC and a few from other parts of Canada. We have the largest selection of high standard craft that you will find.

East Van Roasters, Vancouver

We work to create and provide meaningful employment opportunities in a dignified and compassionate work environment for at-risk people living in the [Downtown East Side]. We work to challenge the stigma associated with drug addiction and lift up the people involved in our social enterprises through mentorship-based immersion in meaningful work. To nourish our community with excellent coffee, chocolate and baked goods.

Budgie Box Gift Co., Vancouver

  • Site: https://www.budgiebox.ca/
  • Products: prepared and customizable gift boxes
  • Benefits: Small businesses and other social enterprises

BudgieBox sources high-quality goods from ethical Canadian small businesses that have incredible stories of resilience. creativity, optimism. and dedication to giving back to the community. Each gift box showcases wonderful products and the stories of the small businesses behind and a handwritten card to make the recipient feel extra cared for.
BudgieBox’s mission is to bring joy to everyone that receives one and to bridge a stronger and meaningful connection between the recipient and the wonderful small businesses behind the products inside.

Obakki, Vancouver

  • Site: https://obakki.com/
  • Products: Housewares, textiles and accessories
  • Benefits: Ethical compensation and assistance for international artisans

The Obakki Foundation exists to ensure that our artisans have access to basic needs and the opportunity to grow, thrive and provide for their own communities. Over half of our artisans receive support from the foundation––with over 30 years of proven results, and over 4 million people impacted, it truly is the beating heart of Obakki.

Second Hand Hope/Soap for Hope Canada, Victoria

  • Site: https://secondhandhope.ca/
  • Products: second hand (mostly) clothing and repurposed soap products, mainly sourced from hotels
  • Benefits: distributes second-hand goods and hygiene products to vulnerable and low-income households

Soap for Hope Canada is dedicated to eradicating hygiene poverty by providing access to essential hygiene products and clean linens to vulnerable people: from Children to Seniors, to low-income Families, Refugees, Indigenous Communities, Homeless people, and people in evacuation centers for fires and floods.

Soap for Hope Canada primarily works with the hotel industry, collecting gently used hygiene products, linens, and lost & found items. We repurpose these items and distribute them to vulnerable people through Community Facilities or sell them in our thrift store at affordable prices.

Alberta

Local Laundry, Calgary

  • Site: https://locallaundry.ca/
  • Products: Clothing and accessories
  • Benefits: Canadian made, benefits a variety of charities, particularly the “Giving Garments” line

Through our Giving Garments™ program, we have donated over 10,000 essential items to shelters in need, providing warmth and comfort to those who need it most. With each purchase of a Giving Garment™, you’re not only treating yourself to a cozy new accessory, but you’re also making a tangible difference in someone else’s life.

But our commitment to giving back doesn’t stop there. We strive to make our Giving Garments™ with eco-friendly materials, which helps reduce our environmental impact and supports our mission to use business as a force for good.

for KINGDOM & SPARROW, Online/Calgary

  • Site: https://www.forkingdomandsparrow.ca/
  • Products: Clothing and accessories
  • Benefits: locally produced/finished clothing and accessories, funding and participating in job training for vulnerable women

The women we support are overcoming challenges such as sexual exploitation, domestic violence, addictions, homelessness. Many are single moms, young women exiting foster care, or women working to break free from cycles of poverty. We partner with local agencies to connect with those who could benefit most from job training and mentorship.

Our Trainings include:

Job Readiness Training — helping women identify strengths, build resumes, and grow job application confidence.
Print Shop Apprenticeship — hands-on training in screen printing, time management, product quality control, and event preparation, giving women practical skills and mentorship in a supportive environment.

Manitoba

Upbeat Artworks, Winnipeg

Established in 2004, Artbeat Studio is the first of its kind in Manitoba and stems from one family’s personal experience with mental illness. Nigel Bart, founder and longtime studio facilitator of Artbeat Studio (now retired), was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 19 and has since used various forms of art to help with recovery from the illness and the stigma that surrounds it. His family wished to bring that access to the arts and the related mental health benefits to others, and so founded this organization.

Nova Scotia

Glitter Bean Cafe, Halifax

Glitter Bean Cafe rose as an alternative to working in an unfair work environment under private ownership. Workers who lost their jobs banded together to form a worker co-op and breathe life back into our much-loved, cozy cafe. We remain unionized with SEIU 2, a victory won by cafe workers in 2013. Glitter Bean exists to provide employment and community space that affirms the dignity, wellness, and joy of queer, BIPOC and equity-deserving communities. We are collectively owned and democratically governed by our workers who are majority queer and queer folks of color. Our little business is unique and strives to be values-based, heart-forward, and relational.

Countries Which Accept Canadian Refugee Travel Documents (CRTD)

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United States

  • CRTD accepted
  • Visa required
  • Checked 2025-06-05

Germany

  • CRTD accepted
  • No separate visa required for visits of up to 90 days
  • See German Government site
  • Checked 2025-06-05

Mexico

  • CRTD accepted
  • Visas required unless you are also a Canadian PR
  • See Mexican Consulate site
  • Checked 2025-06-05

Italy

  • CRTD accepted
  • No separate visa required for visits of up to 90 days
  • See Italian Consulate site
  • Checked 2025-06-05

United Kingdom

France

Free Online English Learning Resources

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Canadian Content

Free Open Online Courses

Coursera

edX (audit courses for free)

The Open University (UK)

Other Resources

Other Resources and In-Person / Hybrid Classes

The first step for choosing a program, especially, community-funded programs is usually an assessment.

School Boards and Settlement Agencies in Ontario

Applying for Social Assistance in Toronto – Spanish, Tamil, and other languages

Posted on by in English-Spanish Resources, English-Tamil Resources, Multilingual Resources

The City of Toronto offers an information sheet in multiple languages:

The Spanish and Tamil versions are also archived below:

8cd6-How-to-Apply-for-Ontario-WorksSPANISH-LATIN-AMERICAFINALDownload
9403-How-to-Apply-for-Ontario-WorksTAMILFINALDownload

Bilingual (Spanish/English) Legal Aid Ontario Consent Form

Posted on by in English-Spanish Resources

LAO routinely requests that clients sign a consent form – titled “Applicant – Consent to Inspect Documents and Records” – either online or in hardcopy before they will continue coverage of legal services. While we certainly review the rights and duties of a person covered by LAO with our clients, we thought it would be helpful to produce a bilingual version of the letter, in English and Spanish, for reference.

LAO Consent to Inspect Documents and Records (Bilingual EN-SP)Download

“Getting a Work Permit” as a means of staying in Canada

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Many clients have come to me over the years who have delayed making a refugee claim or other application because they believed – and often, were told – that they could get a work permit instead, and stay in Canada that way.

The truth is, only a very small number of people are allowed to apply for a work permit within Canada. Getting a work permit also does not guarantee that you will be eligible for permanent residence, unless you are accepted into a specific program which allows that.

If you have made a refugee claim, or made and received first-stage-approval on certain other kinds of permanent residence applications, or if you have a long-term Temporary Resident Permit, you can apply for or renew a work permit from inside Canada.

Here are some of the few other people who can apply from inside Canada:

⯈ If you already have a work permit, you may be able to extend it and continue working for the same employer [click for details]

The Immigration Regulations1 (s. 199(a)) allow a person who already holds a work permit to apply for a work permit from within Canada. If your work permit required a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), your employer will probably need to get a new one.2

⯈ If you already have a work permit, you may be able to get a new one to work for a different employer [click for details]

The Immigration Regulations (s. 199(a)) allow a person who already holds a work permit to apply for a work permit from within Canada. The process is different than simply extending the existing permit; you will have to apply for a new permit, but can do so from within Canada, and may request permission to work for the new employer while waiting for the new permit to be issued.3

⯈ If you already have an Open Work Permit, you may be able to extend it if you are still eligible [click for details]

The Immigration Regulations (s. 199(a)) allow a person who already holds a work permit to apply for a work permit from within Canada. However, if you are apply to extend an OPEN work permit, you must be continue to be eligible for an Open Work Permit (just as when you initially applied). IRCC summarizes the people eligible for an Open Work Permit4 as follows:

You may be eligible for an open work permit if you

In each of these situations, you must meet additional criteria to be eligible.

⯈ If you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit, and wish to take on additional work that requires a permit, you can apply from within Canada [click for details]

Under s. 186 of the IRP Regulations,5 there are a very few, specialized categories of persons who can work without a work permit. For example, diplomats and their family members, or people whose work naturally involves travel or touring (such as performing artists or athletes or referees), or people whose work is not able to be differentiated from their lifestyle (namely priests and religious workers). The ability to work without a work permit is limited both by the category of person that is eligible, and the kind of work they can do without a permit – for example, a member of clergy can preach, provide spiritual counseling, and organize and hold religious rites or services without a work permit, but should not be primarily involved in classroom teaching, fundraising, or administration of the religious institution. For some people under this category, they may be able to obtain a work permit within in Canada to expand the kind of work they are doing (for example, a member of clergy taking on classroom teaching, fundraising, or administration of the religious institution, or possibly something unrelated to their calling), for which they may or may not need an LMIA.

  1. Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227 [IRP Regulations], s. 199, https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/section-199.html. See also Canada, Immigration, Program Delivery Instructions, “Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program: Persons who may apply from within Canada”, updated 16 September 2014, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/persons-who-may-apply-within-canada.html. ↩︎
  2. Canada, Immigration, “Extend a temporary worker’s permit”, updated 9 December 2024, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/hire-temporary-foreign/extend-permit.html. ↩︎
  3. Canada, Immigration, “Extend or change the conditions of your work permit: Changing jobs or employers”, updated 19 February 2025, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/extend/change-jobs-employers.html (archived). ↩︎
  4. Canada, Immigration, Help Centre, “Who can apply for an open work permit?”, 10 June 2024, https://www.ircc.canada.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=177 (archived). ↩︎
  5. IRP Regulations, s. 186, https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/section-186.html. ↩︎

Resources: What to do in an EMERGENCY

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Emergency Preparedness Guide

Toronto Hydro has a booklet you can print out to record important information, as well as listing important/helpful (Toronto area) emergency numbers. It is available in English (https://tinyurl.com/toronto-hydro-emergency-guide), Tamil (https://tinyurl.com/toronto-hydro-emergency-tam), Spanish (https://tinyurl.com/toronto-hydro-emergency-sp), and several other languages, as well as the tips being available on the web-page itself (and can be translated using Google Translate)

You can generate your own Emergency Preparedness Guide (personalized by Ontario city) on the Province’s website. Another template is available on the Federal Government’s website.

The City of Hamilton has a brief checklist available in English, العربية (Arabic), 简体中文 (Chinese), Čeština (Czech), Francais (French), Soomaali (Somali), Español (Spanish), Kiswahili (Swahili), ትግርኛ (Tigrinya), اردو (Urdu), and Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) 🔗here.

The Canadian Red Cross has a template available in English, Francais/French, العربية/Arabic,   简体中文 /Chinese simplified,  繁體中文/Chinese traditional, Farsi, Portuguese,  ਪੰਜਾਬੀ /Punjabi, Russian, Español/Spanish, Tagalog, and اردو /Urdu 🔗here.

Good To Know YouTube Playlist

Many of the videos on our Good To Know playlist include winter safety and emergency preparedness.

The City of London (Ontario) also has a video series: