Meet Lucas

From Isolation to Independence

Kitchener, ON — Lucas has been working at The Raw Carrot Kitchener site for over five years.

His mom, Dagmar, shares that Lucas began facing severe mental health challenges as a teenager. “Around age 14, he developed intense anxiety that later became depression. He wasn’t able to finish high school, and it set him back in many ways.”

After years of therapy and volunteer roles, finding paid employment proved difficult. “Most employers don’t want to take a risk on someone with visible mental health challenges,” Dagmar explains. “But The Raw Carrot looks beyond those barriers.”

Lucas has found more than a job in the kitchen. He has found community. “He loves it because there’s a real sense of belonging,” his mom says. “He doesn’t have many relationships outside our family, so this goes far beyond a workplace. The people he works with respect him, enjoy being with him, and genuinely care.”

Over the years, Lucas has grown tremendously in confidence. He has never missed a single day of work. “We’ve seen incredible development in his self-confidence,” Dagmar says. “This job has given him stability, purpose, and people who value him.”

That growth recently led to another milestone. Lucas now lives in his own apartment in downtown Kitchener and is able to walk to work. “It’s been an amazing step toward independence,” Dagmar shares. “The Raw Carrot has played a big part in that.”

For Lucas and his family, meaningful employment has meant more than a paycheque. It has meant dignity, belonging, and hope for the future.

Stories like Lucas’ show that when someone receives a hand up through supported work and a place to belong, they thrive. We invite you to get involved to help create more opportunities in even more communities across Canada.