Loeb Centre for Vocational Training

Helping people who are developmentally disabled to work in our community!

The Loeb Centre is a day program for adults with a developmental disability who are 21 years of age or older. The program is based out of our facility at 161 Donald Street at the Vanier Parkway and in the community.

Most individuals start their training at Donald Street, doing contract work for customers or working to ensure the smooth operation of the building. Over time, as skills are acquired and interests develop, people are introduced to various volunteer experiences in the local community of Overbrook at CHEO or Downtown.

At Donald Street, people work with their peers in groups developing basic work habits and skills in:

Maintenance

Cleaning and maintaining the entire building and grounds throughout the year.

Food Services

Operating the cafeteria and running a school “Meals on Wheels” program and small catering service.

Production (these services are suspended until further notice)

Providing a number of customer services: shredding documents, mail preparation, assembly of small products, cutting survey & garden stakes and recycling aluminum pop cans. We also make and sell unique scratch pads and greeting cards from recycled material. We also sell bags of shredded paper for litter or other uses.

Office Routines

Providing reception, photocopying and administrative support.

Life skill training is another important aspect of Donald Street and includes:

• physical fitness.
• computer skills.
• leisure activities.
• committee work.
• literacy skills.
• community awareness.
• art, music & drama.
• yoga.
• pet therapy.
• massage therapy.

Community Volunteering 

At this time, we are concentrating our community volunteer experiences in the Downtown and Overbrook areas of Ottawa. Our staff team has established a variety of volunteer opportunities in both areas, generally within easy walking distance of each other. People develop social skills and work routines in regular work settings and their instructor provides them with the training and support needed for them to do the job successfully. Other important parts of the volunteer program are job readiness training, community awareness and bus training.

Some of our current work experience sites are:

• The Well - General maintenance, cleaning & sorting clothes.
• CHEO Full time paper shredding & box cutting.
• Marché Linos - Busing tables.
• Children's Treatment Centre Office support stuffing/labeling.
• Rideau Centre Food Court Cleaning tables.
• Snowsuit Fund Sorting suits & hanging them up by size.
• Island Lodge Leisure activities.
• The French Baker Cleaner, dishwasher.
• Quinlan Centre Reception.
• Food Bank Packaging.
• OCAPDD Head Office Assistant.
• The Ottawa Public Library Book stripping & CD cleaning.
• Dalhousie Daycare Housekeeping assistant.

Do you have a volunteer opportunity at your workplace that would be suitable for one or more individuals with staff support? If you are located close to downtown or the Overbrook area, please call us at 613.569.8993 extension 620. Together we'll analyze your work site and select the right individual to meet your business needs.