Thank you, Mr. Chair. Witnesses, thank you very much for coming here to assist us in our study on exploring employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
My questions will be for Ms. Gunn. I have visited your organization and have seen the work you began after you retired from life in the corporate world: starting a charity, the good food box program, and Christmas hampers. You have developed many programs that are very helpful. You are highly decorated, with many awards and nominations for the good work you have been doing. The list is very long, so I won't use my time that way. I certainly want to thank you for helping to improve the lives of those people who are in need in our communities.
During this study, I have learned that Canadians with disabilities have a tremendous amount to offer employers, but they seem to be under-represented in the field. I will focus on one of the programs you developed at the Community Kitchen Program, the moving forward program. You talked about it a little. You talked about the successful example of Jason, whom I have met personally. I have actually talked about him in our committee. He is such an inspirational young man. He's very proud to get back to a normal life. I understand that the moving forward program was developed specifically for those living with mental health issues.
I want you to comment on three things. First, I want you to share with the committee whether you think programs like the opportunity fund for persons with disabilities are helpful. Second, in dealing with the employers to get all these individuals back to a normal life, what are the challenges you want us to address, and what are the solutions you would propose? Third, is there anything the federal government could do, specifically the non-monetary initiatives considering the financial situation, to address what is available to persons with disabilities?