Seven winners will step up on the podium at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on
Thursday, to accept an award for overcoming barriers to employment

TORONTO, June 2 /CNW/ -

JVS Toronto's Strictly Business winners are:

    
    -   Rickeshia Brooks, a young woman who, despite her family and friends
        telling her she'd never amount to anything, was the first person in
        her family to graduate from high school.
    -   Professional Warehouse Demonstrations, the company that does food
        demos at Costco, and has partnered with JVS' Disability Services to
        hire job seekers with disabilities.
    -   BMO Financial Group, for their commitment to training, hiring and
        mentoring a diverse staff, which has changed perceptions of people
        with disabilities.
    -   Faye Oxley, who worked in minimum wage jobs for 20 years, and,
        despite numerous personal and professional challenges, has gone back
        to school to become a social worker.
    -   Eugene Alexeev, a Russian-born veterinarian who showed great
        determination in becoming accredited in Canada and finding a job in
        his chosen profession.
    -   Super Seal Manufacturing, a family-run business that, despite a
        slowing economy, has gone to great lengths to keep their staff
        working.
    -   Options Building Services, an engineering firm, whose president has
        taken a pro-active approach to mentoring and hiring newcomers to his
        firm.
    

In addition to the winners, this year's Keynote Speaker is Martin Goldfarb, who established one of the most successful market research companies in the country, Goldfarb Intelligence Marketing. His topic is "Putting Optimism to Work: Mentoring and Building Confidence". In addition, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Eric Hoskins will be speaking about the importance of supporting newcomers and providing local immigration partnerships.

JVS Toronto is a non-profit organization that was founded over 60 years ago to assist Jewish immigrants in finding employment after World War II. Today, the organization works with thousands of people from diverse backgrounds with diverse needs. JVS Toronto helps clients identify their strengths and goals, and develop the necessary skills and knowledge they need to succeed in school, work and life. Since 1947, this remarkable organization has enabled over 500,000 people to fulfill their potential.

    
    WHO:   JVS Toronto
    WHAT:  The 8th Annual Strictly Business luncheon
    WHEN:  Thursday, June 3rd, 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (VIP Reception from
           11:00 - 12:00)
    WHERE: Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Concert Hall
    WHY:   To celebrate both employees who have triumphed in the workplace by
           overcoming barriers to employment and the businesses that helped
           them succeed.
    

For further information: Abby Robins, Director of Communications and Marketing, JVS Toronto, [phone], ext. 276 or [phone] (cell), www.jvstoronto.org, [email protected]