Chrysalis Society

This summer we continue to feature charities in and around Edmonton and are excited to highlight the work that Chrysalis does for our community. Keep reading to find out more, how you can help support their efforts, and upcoming events. 

The mission at Chrysalis is to enrich the lives of adults with disabilities. They have offices in Edmonton and Calgary, providing services to over 300 people. Chrysalis has over 50 years of leadership and are guided by a vision where people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and valued for their contributions. 

The impact of Chrysalis 

Chyrsalis’ motto is to make ‘change, growth and opportunity’ happen for people with disabilities, who have a range of needs, some complex and with mental health challenges. Their focus is on providing a safe and caring environment that offers full inclusion and citizenship in a society where everyone’s unique strengths, talents and gifts are recognized in a meaningful way.  

Chrysalis offers employment training and coaching, meaningful day programs, and significant opportunities for community enrichment. All the innovative programs and services are developed and tailored to meet the unique needs of the people accessing them. They focus on quality-of-life improvements with defined qualitative and quantitative outcomes, measure progress continuously and change approaches as needed.  

Employment Services at Chrysalis focuses on matching the skills, talents, and abilities of their job seekers with employers looking to hire dedicated employees. Currently, they are supporting over 100 people in their employment stream with part-time, full-time, or contract work. The program builds confidence through skill development and helps candidates find meaningful employment. The Employment staff provides support with resume building, job applications, interview preparation, job search, job support and training. They also have a personal development class, which is a 6-week course designed to teach people basic life skills and set them up for employment success.  

No one that comes to Chrysalis is expected to fit into pre-designed programs. Instead, they build a program for each person they serve to ensure personal goals are met. This is accomplished through a process called Human-centered design, or HCD, which was fully adopted in 2018. The approach is championed by diverse thought leaders from IDEO in the United States, who have designed products for Apple and other well-known companies by understanding the needs of people first and designing products to meet those needs. This process focuses on collaboration, generating ideas, and designing solutions by meeting regularly with the people who come to Chrysalis for service and their families and guardians. Getting to know each situation and individual, allows for collectively developing goals and helping people achieve success on their own terms.  

How can you help? 

Community connections and support means Chrysalis can collectively change the lives of the people they serve. While the government partially funds their operations, approximately one million dollars must be raised every year to sustain programs and services.  

You can support Chrysalis in the following ways: 

Purchasing from or recommending Chrysalis Woods and Plastics: Chrysalis has two well-established social enterprises that produce custom wood and plastic products. All profits directly support Chrysalis Society.

Offer employment opportunities to the people they support: In-kind donations are always welcome and include furniture, art supplies, musical instruments, and more.  

Sponsor or host a table at the annual gala fundraiser. 

Make a financial donation through their website.

Volunteer your time: Share a skill you have (yoga, photography, Zumba, etc.) with People in Service at Chrysalis, or help around the building with manual labour (painting, yard clean up, gardening, etc.).

Attend and spread the word about monthly Chrysalis Connects Info Sessions: These sessions are an hour long and include lunch, a short program, a tour of our facilities, and networking opportunities. The goal of these sessions is to make new connections and friends and uncover ways we can collectively support each other. 

Upcoming events 

Mark your calendars for the following dates: 

Annual Gala Breakfast Fundraiser: October 18 from 7:30 to 8:30 am. Join Chrysalis to celebrate Disability Employment Month in a whole new way. They are looking for event sponsors and table hosts for this event!  

Monthly Chrysalis Connects Info Sessions: Come learn more about what Chrysalis does to support and advocate for people with disabilities and tour the facilities. Bring your friends and colleagues, and share the invitation with your network!  

For full details, and upcoming events, click here.

We want to thank Chrysalis for the amazing work they are doing for our community, and for creating an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for those living with a disability. We encourage you to read the stories of success of some of the people that Chrysalis has helped, which exemplify the impact they have, and continue to have!