Dollars for Doers: Gateway Association

Matt Storey, corporate counsel in Stantec’s legal group out of the Edmonton, Alberta, office, believes that there’s a duty to donate your time to help others when you have the ability to do so. In this spirit, Matt volunteers with Gateway Association for Community Living and uses his legal background to serve on Gateway’s board of directors.

Gateway is a family and employment resource center, and its mission is to empower people who live with developmental disabilities. By providing education, family support, and mentorship, Gateway seeks to foster an understanding of inclusion in the community and to assist families by providing crisis support, visioning, navigation, planning assistance, family coaching, and collaborative advocacy.

Gateway also builds meaningful employment relationships that work for both employers and job seekers who live with developmental disabilities. Gateway staff get to know the individual seeking employment: who they are, what their skills and values are, what their schedule is like, and what they enjoy doing. From there, the individual can be matched with an employment opportunity where they enjoy their job—and excel at it. Once a position is found for an individual, Gateway stays involved by providing ongoing support to both the employer and the job seeker for the entirety of the working relationship.

“We are thrilled to see our board members find new fundraising opportunities for the organization,” says Gateway’s executive director Sahana Parameswara. “We are very excited to have the support of Stantec, which has had such a long and meaningful connection with this city.”

Gateway has been in existence for more than 40 years and has continued to evolve throughout its history to meet the needs of the people it serves. “In speaking with families and stakeholders, you see how passionate people are about the work that Gateway does and what a difference Gateway makes in so many lives,” Matt says.

When Matt read about Dollars for Doers in the Edmonton Community Connector this past summer, he knew it would be a good opportunity for Gateway. “It’s great to see Stantec recognizing causes that are important to its staff,” Matt says. “By creating opportunities that benefit organizations like Gateway, you really see Stantec’s commitment to the community in action.”

To learn more about the Gateway Associations organization, click here.