Over the last few months, four of our Goodness Gift graduates have embarked on a new journey as Farm Assistants at 5N2, a charity kitchen dedicated to preparing and delivering fresh meals to local organizations supporting individuals and families facing food insecurity.
When connecting with Goodness Gift, the 5N2 team was looking for dedicated candidates to assist in their indoor hydroponic garden, helping maintain and support plant growth. After a one-hour training and hands-on interview, this partnership quickly became a meaningful success.
A Day on the Farm
As Farm Assistants, our associates contribute throughout the week by:
🌱 Cleaning and preparing foam strips in the hydroponic garden
🌱 Maintaining cultivation panels and planting seedlings
🌱 Tracking plant growth
🌱 Assisting with meal preparation and packaging
Together, the four associates have demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and dedication, making every day on the farm not only productive but also inspiring.
“One thing I'm most proud of at 5N2 is how well we work as a team.”
— Rommel, Farm Assistant & Goodness Gift Graduate
Learning, Growing, and Thriving
Each associate brought unique strengths to the farm – and learned new skills along the way.
“This is a job I enjoy because I get to gain more skills and put them on my resume. My favourite part is meeting new people and seeing how the atmosphere is.”
— Dylan, Farm Assistant & Goodness Gift Graduate“Goodness Gift prepared me by training me to become a better coworker, learn new skills, and prepare for challenging tasks. I’m so proud to have them with me.”
— MJ, Farm Assistant & Goodness Gift Graduate
Caption: Rommel and Dylan harvesting lettuce grown at 5N2
Through this collaboration, 5N2 helped address one of the biggest barriers to employment—the traditional interview process. By connecting directly with Goodness Gift, the 5N2 team co-developed a role suited to their needs, while we helped identify the best candidates for the job. The hands-on assessment allowed supervisors to see each candidate’s strengths firsthand.
“For the interview, I did an assessment where I showed my skills—and I got the job!”
— Dylan, Farm Assistant & Goodness Gift Graduate
A Partnership Rooted in Purpose
The 5N2 team shared how meaningful it’s been to welcome the group onto their farm:
“Having them as part of the farm team was truly rewarding. Each brought something unique to the table, and together they made every day on the farm productive, enjoyable, and inspiring.”
— Miguel, Farm Operator
We’re incredibly grateful to 5N2 for this meaningful opportunity, and to Corbrook Awakening Abilities for their generous support through wage subsidies that helped make this collaboration possible.
Corbrook is a non-profit, charitable organization that supports youth and adults with disabilities across Toronto and York Region. Through their wage subsidy program, we were able to partner with 5N2 to create paid employment opportunities for our associates.
At Goodness Gift, we believe in building partnerships that open doors for neurodivergent talent to thrive.
If you’re an employer looking for experienced, hardworking, and dedicated candidates, connect with us today.
Together, we can create workplaces where everyone can grow and belong.
