In the fall of 2003 a group of Calgary business owners met to discuss the concept of providing ‘face to face’ employee care in their companies. That winter they formed a partnership with Outreach Canada with the intent of moving that idea forward.
In the spring of 2004, Dr. Gerry Kraft (the Executive Director of Outreach Canada) introduced Bruce Mitchell (a longtime educator and Christian counselor) to
Jack Vandeventer and Al Becker, the owners of Trijay Flooring. That summer Bruce joined the Outreach Canada team and became the Director of what is known today as Corporate Chaplains Outreach Canada.
In three years, Corporate Chaplains has grown from one Chaplain serving in the flooring industry to a team of seven dedicated Chaplains serving in the food service, home building, manufacturing and tourism industries.
Early in 2008, Corporate Chaplains expanded into BC with programs at All Weather Windows in Langley and Phantom Screens in Abbotsford, serving over one hundred employees in these two companies. Expansion is also set to take place in the Ottawa, ON area in Spring, 2008.