2008 ANNUAL REPORT
40 years young: a year of service and new ideas
Message from Richard
LaPointe, Chair, Board of Directors
T
ing, skill and real life experience to the
board.
The newest initiatives, the Centre’s youth
groups, are up and running. This year HEYY
has added TTY, the equipment that supports
communication with people with hearing impairment. HEYY is planning to have some of
their volunteers acquire ASL (American Sign
Language) in order to facilitate outreach.
he Neighbourhood Centre (formerly, the
Neighbourhood Information Centre) celebrates its 40th year of service to the neighbourhood
surrounding
Main and Danforth. It remains as vibrant and important a service agency
this year as any year past.
I have been involved with
the Centre for 15 of its 40
years and have seen many
changes in the agency.
When I first got involved,
the budget was just under
$140,000; this year the
In 2008, we updated our logo and website,
budget is almost $500,000.
Youth in Action has completed their film, Peace, Life
and Struggle, and it is being prepared for international distribution. Peace,
Life and Struggle, is a movie made by youth, telling
their stories, in their
words, in their music and
with their art.
The longstanding programs
are operating with increased professionalism without losing the
caring and compassionate approach that is
the hallmark of the Centre. They remain relevant and critical to people in this community, and are generously supported by the Centre’s core funders, the United Way of Greater
Toronto and the City of Toronto. With the
continued involvement of donors and volunteers, we are able to keep these programs
running year after year.
www.neighbourhoodcentre.org
I served on the board with
the first executive director,
Natalie, during her last year with the agency.
After this came Lorna, Betsy, Beryl and this
year, Cheryl. Over the years, I have worked
with the “old hands”, Jeannie and Gina, and
more recently, with Archna, Jim and Alex,
the “new hands”. Together, the service of
these dedicated people is beyond valuation.
The Centre has a volunteer pool that, over its
40 years, has been ready to serve, and many
of us go back 20 years or more. The board of
directors represents an excellent crosssection of professionals; lawyers, nurses,
CPAs to mention a few, and local community
members round out the board. All of these
community minded people bring their train-
As I look to the future, the Board of Directors
is beginning discussions with potential agency partners to build scale through collaboration, and create a stronger infrastructure for
our community.
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I am also pleased to report that the Centre is
leading a feasibility study to re-vitalize Hope
United Church. With this re-vitalization
complete, 10,000 sq. ft. of regenerated space
will be available for community use. The location of Hope United makes it a cornerstone
of the neighbourhood, and a warmer and
more welcoming appearance for the south elevation of the church would bring life and vitality to the corner of Main and Danforth.
As with any organization, problems arise and
stimulate new ideas and fresh approaches;
there are good times and there are not so
good times.
In 2008, the Board of Directors set a strategic plan for the next three years (details can
be found at the end of this report), and with
the commitment of our staff, volunteers,
funders, friends and the community, I confidently see the Neighbourhood Centre thriving
and serving the community for another 40
years.
RICHARD LAPOINTE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE
BOARD IN 2008
Thanks to the 2008 Board of
Directors for their dedication
and community leadership
A
CHAIR
Richard LaPointe
TREASURER
Pamela L. Newey
SECRETARY
Murray Guy
MEMBERS
Jaunita Downey
Rev. Douglas Ducharme
Joseph Galea
Nicholas Maraj (on leave)
Steve Pollard
John Wilkie
The focus is always on the
needs of the community
T
he community cohesion and responsiveness of the Centre’s employees, volunteers and Board represent a model of what a
local community agency can be.
The Centre became ground zero for the residents affected by the blast at 2 Secord Avenue on Sunday, July 20. The City evacuated
residents to Secord School and Community
Centre, and emergency support services operated for several weeks from our location.
Board of Directors governs charitable
non-profit organizations such as the
Neighbourhood Centre. In 2008, the Centre’s
The Centre’s employees quickly mobilized –
Board of Directors dedicated an extraordiproviding triage services, ongoing updates
nary amount of time and
and one-and-one counselthought to developing the
The Centre became ground zero for ling and support. Longerhuman resources policy
term, the Centre has rethe residents affected by the blast
and procedure, a threeat 2 Secord Avenue on Sunday, Ju- mained involved in Secord
year strategic plan, reviewResident meetings, and
ly 20 … The Centre’s employees
ing the Centre’s programs,
provides specialized inforquickly mobilized – providing triand reviewing the governmation services.
age services, ongoing updates and
ance model.
The response to the blast
one-and-one counselling and sup- at 2 Secord Avenue is just
port.
one example of what hap91 BARRINGTON AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO| MAIN & DANFORTH | WWW.NEIGHBOURHOODCENTRE.ORG
pens every day at the Neighbourhood Centre.
Every day and every month the Centre’s employees and volunteers walk the talk. In
2008, the Board of Directors dedicated themselves to a review of program and strategic
planning, and identified the Centre as:
ing residences, the Neighbourhood Centre
gave me a place to pick up my mail. I have
always found the information counsellors I
work with to be very kind, understanding and
polite. I find the spirit here positive and welcoming, and I love to visit.

Help with your questions
– NIGISTI HAILEYESUS (ERITREA)

A community place

Building skills that build community
These three directions represent the ideas
that capture the role and directions of the
Neighbourhood Centre.
CHERYL MAY, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
Kudos to the Centre’s staff
I
n 2008, the Centre’s employees kept the
programs operating smoothly.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Beryl Tsang, Interim (January to June)
The words of clients say it best
Cheryl May, Interim (June to December)
M
PROGRAM COORDINATORS
y name is Abdillahi Hassan. My wife and
I are newcomers to Canada. Canada is
our new home and is the best place I’ve ever
seen. It offers free health care and social assistance to the newcomers. Canada has many
community support services in every area. To
be honest, the Neighbourhood Centre helps
and supports newcomers. On top of that, the
staff are nice and open-minded people who
are ready to listen. They provided me with
winter clothes and boots. They also helped me
with citizenship and immigration matters. The
other thing that makes my life easy is having
a free fax machine and Internet access that
are available for the use of newcomers. I
thank the staff of the Neighbourhood Centre
for the great services. I also thank the Government of Canada for their precious help. I
am grateful for the services and I am willing to
give my time and work as a volunteer for the
Neighbourhood Centre and the country as
well.
– THANKING YOU, ABDILLAHI
T
he Neighbourhood Centre has helped me
with many tasks – filling out forms, explaining letters, writing letters, accessing benefits and social programs. When I was chang-
Betsy Szilock (on leave)
Alex James
Archna Kurichh
Gina McDonald
Jeannie Mazur
Jim Taylor
Nikki Roberts
FINANCE
Aijun Zhang
We couldn’t do it without: core
volunteers!
W
eek in and week out … the Centre’s core
volunteers round out the team.
ADMINISTRATION & RECEPTION
Mandy Arsenault
Roxanne Williams
Melissa Boodram
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MAINTENANCE
Sandra Ann Trebell
Month by Month: A year
in the life of the
Neighbourhood Centre
January: The volunteer
program connects newcomers
to community
We learned many things while working on
this animation project. Our most significant
finding was that while newcomers want to
volunteer and be part of their new culture
many barriers make it hard for them to do
so. Pressing issues such as childcare, transportation costs and culture shock need effective solutions if civic engagement is to truly
take place.
A solution to promoting volunteerism for
newcomers can be volunteer pairing where
one person offers support and referrals to the
other.
In a future project, we would set up an advisory committee of individuals from various
identified communities to support and bridge
barriers.
The volunteer program was very successful
with both new and old faces. 121 new
volunteers were recruited & participated in
the annual Holiday Hamper Program and
A suprisingly low response rate to the initial
eight
new
volunteers
recruitment and outreach
assisted with the Income
for the project, added to the
… while newcomers want to volun- fact that many of the
Tax
Clinic,
both
in
teer and be part of their new culreception
and
tax
individuals interviewed did
preparation. A total of
ture, many barriers make it hard for not meet the project
3,384
volunteer
hours
position
requirements
them to do so. Pressing issues
were given to all our
meant that we had a lower
such as childcare, transportation
programs, which include
number
of
project
costs and culture shock need efour
Clothing
Depot,
participants than expected.
fective solutions if civic engageAdministration & Office
Outreach was conducted at
ment is to take place.
Support, & Cleaning.
volunteer fairs, community
NEWCOMER ANIMATION
events,
schools
and
PROJECT
libraries,
social
service
organizations,
gatherings at religious places of worship, and
With the support of the Ontario Trillium
booths at seasonal bazaars and festivals.
Foundation, we conducted a newcomer
animation project to increase the presence of
our volunteer program in the community to
ethnocultural communities.
A total of 21 newcomer women, speaking
Mandarin, Bengali, Farsi. Spanish and Tamil
participated in our volunteer program. All
attended volunteer orientation sessions and
were placed with our agency’s different
programs and services including: Childcare
Registry; Clothing Depot; Income Tax and
Information and Referral.
We were pleased all of the women were
offered volunteer placements as a result.
They were placed in social service and
community agency settings, and gained
experience ranging from early childhood
education, tax preparation, receptionist,
computer tutor, outreach, and friendly
visiting to seniors.
THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS COORDINATED BY
ARCHNA KURICHH.
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March & April: The Centre
turns into a bustling community income tax clinic
The 2008 Tax Clinic ran from the beginning
of March to the end of April, serving clients
with scheduled appointments. During this
time, Jeannie and Gina had over 250 appointments. The clinic ran smoothly thanks
to the volunteers. We had fabulous reception
helpers who successfully assisted clients
with income tax drop offs and pick-ups.
We continued to offer clients the option to
drop off their income tax when appointments
were no longer available. With the help of
volunteer income tax preparers, over 500
taxes were prepared.
The Centre is committed to helping residents
with tax filing as part of our focus on income
support, and provides the service year round.
INCOME TAX VOLUNTEERS
Carolyn Schmidt
Mandy Arsenault
Melissa Boodram
Roxanne Williams
Slyvia Alarcon
GINA MCDONALD AND JEANNIE MAZUR COORDINATE THE INCOME TAX PROGRAM.
May: HEYY recruitment, orientation and training
Hearing Every Youth through Youth offers
non-judgmental, confidential peer support to
children and youth over the phone and on
line. HEYY now offers this support in 23 lan-
guages to address the needs of Newcomer
youth. HEYY line volunteers complete thirteen weeks of training on all issues that affect youth.
In 2008, HEYY received funding from Service
Canada to hire summer students to promote
the HEYY line throughout Toronto at summer camps and youth events. Emily Du led
the team as the HEYY Outreach Team Mentor as this was her third year with the HEYY
crew. We welcomed Ana Shyla, Vashnavie
Gnanasarravanapainan, and Pam Chaudhri
to the HEYY crew. They promoted the HEYY
line to over 1,500 children and youth in
schools, community agencies, summer
camps and youth organizations.
HEYY partnered with Workman Arts Rendezvous with Madness film festival for the second year and the Centre’s youth coordinator,
Nikki Roberts, was a panelist for the youth
component.
HEYY received additional funds from the City
of Toronto to add a TTY service to the HEYY
line, making it inclusive to the deaf community. The Youth Planning Action Committee
(YPAC) has identified the need to develop
HEYY positions and training to deaf and
hearing impaired youth and to train all HEYY
youth American Sign Language.
After the success of the winter craft sale in
2007, HEYY and the Weekend to End Breast
Cancer reunited to hold two successful fundraisers at East York Community Centre.
YPAC tried new fundraising ideas by holding
a HEYYloween party at Secord Community
Centre. While, the event did not raise any
money, the youth learned valuable lessons
that will be carried forward to their next
event.
NIKKI ROBERTS COORDINATES THE HEYY PROGRAM.
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June: Youth In Action screen
their film, “Peace, Life and
Struggle”
I
t was a busy year for Youth In Action (YIA).
The group began filming in early May and
then spent hours editing their film, Peace,
Life and Struggle, culminating in the film debut on June 18th at the Fox Theatre in the
Beaches. The debut was well attended by
employees, volunteers and friends of the
Neighbourhood Centre. The audience were
very supportive and gave valuable feedback
on the film. YIA then took this information
and made changes to the final cut.
Following the debut, YIA collaborated with
the Parkdale Youth Festival, and ran their
first youth film festival component.
Bengali Community Services were working
on a film on the newcomer Bengali youth in
Crescent Town and asked YIA members to
mentor the Bengali youth and help them to
complete the film. YIA members and coordinator, Nikki Roberts, were recognized for
their contribution to the community in the
film.
all inspired by the story of one of the youth
who attended the Summit and decided to
make positive changes. Since the Summit,
the person has successfully gone on to volunteer at a partner agency helping other
troubled youth.
NIKKI ROBERTS COORDINATES THE YOUTH IN ACTION PROGRAM.
July: DYAC hosts community
event for 2 Secord
T
he Centre is trustee for the Diverse Youth
Advisory Council (DYAC), which seeks to
engage and empower youth. In 2008, DYAC
members participated in a variety of community events, including a community event for
residents of 2 Secord. Members also took
part in promoting for DYAC at Youth Day,
Jane-Finch Basketball Tournament, and
planned a community BBQ/Event in Kingston Galloway. The event was well received
and supported by Toronto Community Housing. The youth worked efficiently to pull off
this community event, which also promoted
DYAC. In every case, DYAC was successful at
planning, coordinating and holding youth-led
events.
YIA learned some valuable lessons this year.
The annual Silence the Violence Summit was
DYAC’s primary activity is to create a partheld at Hope United on October 28, but just
nership in five new priority neighbourhoods
before the Summit, the group’s laptop was
and to offer opportunities to youth city-wide
stolen. Undaunted by the setback, YIA pulled
to participate in our annual DEFY “Challenge
together and made a new plan for completing
Yourself” event. DYAC encourages youth to
the film. They showed the original version at
embrace various forms of
the Summit and began
working on the changes afYIA learned some valuable lessons recreation, especially nontraditional and to hold on
ter the event.
this year. The annual Silence the
Violence Summit was held at Hope to what recreation means
Silence the Violence was a
to them.
great success this year and
United on October 28, but just beYouth taking part in this
workshops offered included
fore the Summit, the group’s lapproject are between the agunderstanding
mental
top was stolen. Undaunted by the
es of 14-29 years of age.
health, conflict resolution,
setback, YIA pulled together and
Twenty youth consistently
prison 101, healthy sexualmade
a
new
plan
for
completing
attend weekly meetings. A
ity, and peaceful expresthe film.
majority of youth are from
sion through art. We were
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priority neighbourhoods within Scarborough.
Half of the youth are of African-Canadian decent, the rest of the youth are South Asian,
Asian and European decent. The opportunity
to talk openly builds confidence, and youth
have become more inclined to express their
needs and wants. They also have the opportunity to plan, participate and lead community events, which builds confidence. As a
council, DYAC also strongly encourages
overall inclusion of all members.
days to ensure the depot runs smoothly.
ROSALIE BECKFORD COORDINATES DYAC. IN
2008, NEIL LAPOINTE WAS CO-FACILITATOR.
Rob Tuppeney
September: Clothing Depot
kicks off for another year
The clothing depot gets rolling in September
and operated through to June. It is a volunteer operated program that has helped many
local people over the years. Items range from
household goods to gently used clothing, and
prices range from .25 cents to $1.00. People
can also fill up an entire garbage bag for just
$5.00.
Every week, 5-10 people visit the depot. They
pick up seasonal items such as children’s
winter coats and boots, and get things to set
up a new place to live. Some people come up
from Heyworth House, and if they identify
themselves as coming from the shelter, the
items are entirely free of charge.
CLOTHING DEPOT VOLUNTEERS
Amanda Arney
Melissa Meharchand
Christine Yange
Sherry Baker
Gail Ponniah
Melissa Boodram
GINA MCDONALD COORDINATES THE CLOTHING
DEPOT.
October: We are ready ... let it
snow!
W
hile we didn’t have the absolutely massive snowfall of winter 2007, we certainly had our hands full at times in 2008. The
Centre’s snow team handled it without a
hitch. This terrific team provides a valuable
service, ensuring mobility and safe access to
the homes of seniors who would otherwise
face tremendous difficulty during the winter
months.
During 2008, we reviewed our program, and
have hopes of making it even better in 2009.
We are looking at options for expanding the
program, such as connecting people who
need their snow shoveled with people who
will shovel for a fee, and creating a volunteer
snow corps – neighbours
helping neighbours!
In 2008, the depot was active from Tuesday
morning, when volunteers arrived at 9 am to
receive and sort donations
and work through to 11
am. On Wednesdays, the
volunteers opened the de… with a little creativity and not a
pot to the public from 1 to
lot of effort, we could increase the
3pm. The Centre is very
number of people who receive help
fortunate to have seven
with snow shoveling.
very dedicated volunteers
who rotate their time and
We feel that with a little
creativity and not a lot of
effort, we could increase
the number of people who
receive help with snow
shoveling.
91 BARRINGTON AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO| MAIN & DANFORTH | WWW.NEIGHBOURHOODCENTRE.ORG
IDEA #1: COMMUNITY SNOW SHOVELLERS
The Neighbourhood Centre could promote a
community snow shoveling service and act in
a coordinating capacity. We would conduct
outreach and advertising targeted toward
seniors and residents who would like to have
their snow shoveled, and match them with
people who can commit to providing the service. The snow shovelers who work in this
second tier would register with the Centre,
and the Centre would provide the template
for agreements and suggested fees.
IDEA #2: VOLUNTEER SNOW CORPS
Another possibility is to work in collaboration
with local secondary school students to fulfill
their 40-hour volunteer requirement, and
identify people who would like to help out
neighbours on a voluntary basis. The Centre
would send out sign-up sheets during the
first week of September and hold snow corps
orientation early November. The Centre
would call out students and other volunteers
in just the same way as the paid shovelers.
cial, toys, food and clothing assistance to the
Christmas Hamper program.
HAMPER SPONSORS
Canadian Tire, Warden & Eglinton
Coyle Corrugated Containers Ltd. (boxes) –
12 years of commitment
D.A. Morrison Junior High
Faith Presbyterian Community Church
Hope United Church
Kiwanis Club of East York
Kraft Canada (Peek Freans)
Lauren Simpson & Wishing Well Lion’s Club
Marion Douglas and the Knitters Circle
Professional Hair Care Products
Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 22 and
Branch 11
Secord School Staff & Home and School
Thomas Morton and Family
The volunteer corps would go a long way toward helping people with disabilities and/or
those who face difficulties with keeping up
with snow shoveling, such as single parents
and seniors.
Tom’s No Frills, Victoria Park & St. Clair
IN 2008, JIM TAYLOR COORDINATED THE SNOW
PROGRAM WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM’S
ORIGINATOR, JEANNIE MAZUR
HOLIDAY HAMPER VOLUNTEERS
December: Holiday hampers
for neighbours in need
T
he Holiday Hamper brings joy to the holiday season for many of our neighbours. A
large group of committed volunteers is responsible for this program.
We would like to acknowledge the volunteers,
and the amazing sponsors who gave finan-
Toronto Bus Company
Toronto Police Service, 54 Division
Trewin Family
Addis Kebiet
Ahmel Zaris
Akash Malhotra
Albert Louie
Amamina Hersi
Amanda Arney
Amanda Collie
Amandeep Singh
Amar Gill
Aninditee Das
Anson Mackenzie-Bird
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Arthur Lam
Hui Fang
Ayub Ghiassi
Ildiko Pamer
Azar Ayaz
Jamie Morgan
Azreen Sikder
Jing Biao Fang
Baljot Kalsi
Judy Roberts
Berion Ha
Kabin Mahebir
Beth Stone
Kate Zhang
Bridy Krishnaraja
Katherine McGuire
Cassandra Jesus
Kim McDonald
Cheryl Wooley
Leeza Fabian
Cory MacDonald
Liz MacDougall
Dafina Llazicani
Maathshan Kandiah
Dagmar Caine
Mandy Arsenault
Danielle Dilleon
Marwo Nour
Darinderpal Singh
Masfiq Sabit
Delucksine Rajendran
Matthew Gordon
Deshawn Bawley
Mirela Dershi
Disha Patel
Mirlea Derushi
Douglas Free
Mohamed Payenda
Edna Flores
Morris Evangelista
Ekaterina Demeneva
Muhammed Tughra
Elentia Cajucon-Tobias
Nabil Al-Abry
Erin McLaughlin
Nahideh Neyrizi
Farhad Hamdard
Namra Wasif
Fatima Tughra
Nathan Williams
Fatima Tughra
Nazia Ahmed
Fuzail Bukhari
Paul Stoichevski
Genzeb Tsega
Pawandeep Creewal
Golnaz Abbas
Pirakavi Srithas
Gordon Jansen
Rebekah Lee
Grace Pak
Richard Caine
Heather Rose
Roxanne Williams
HongLuan Lin
Samad Uddin
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Samee Mahbub
Sarah Hathawa
Sarah Hathaway
Sazila Boudurmardova
Shahana Akhter
Shailaia Sandila
Shanaaz Gombakomba
Shoulaia Sandila
Skyler Best
Slyvia Alarcon
Sofia Dimitrova
Stacy Philip
Talha Hassan
Tanvi Patel
Tashriz Rayhan
Terrell Vassell
Tilly Booth-Scottie
Tracey Persaud
Tumin Quach
Zarin Tasnim
Zeeshawn Ahmad
GINA MCDONALD COORDINATES THE HOLIDAY
HAMPER PROGRAM.
Year Round: The Centre is a
friendly face and a community
place
H
ere’s a round-up of our programs and
services. Most operate year-round.
Community Information and Referral Service – Promoting access and equity through
supportive listening, befriending and provision of information and referral services, including form filling.
Community Resource Hub – Increasing selfreliance, job searching, micro-enterprise development by maintain open, no-cost access
to community computers with Internet access, fax and printer and photocopier services.
Needed: workshop leaders for job seekers and
small business.
Hearing Every Youth through Youth
(HEYY) Peer Support – Telephone helpline
and instant messaging “chat” service operated by youth for youth. January recruitment
for one year volunteer commitment.
Legal Clinic – Volunteer lawyer provides advice by appointment one evening per week
(no cost to users).
Open Circle –Dedicated to raising awareness
of diversity and providing opportunities for
dialogue and exchange between different
groups within the local neighbourhood. This
summer: community garden.
Parenting Workshops –Information workshops for new parents hosted by an information and referral counsellor.
Service Bridging – One-on-one support for
people who face barriers to service; includes
facilitating service provision, engaging interpreters, determining eligibility, and coordinating transportation.
Youth Planning & Action Committee
(YPAC) – One-year training, volunteering and
leadership program for youth with an interest in community work.
Income Tax Service – Community income
tax filing event supported by a large volunteer group who receive training from CRS;
income tax filing service also offered year
round for people who face barriers to filing
and/or back taxes.
Diverse Youth Advisory Council (DYAC) –
Training program for youth to gain skills and
confidence facilitating workshops for youth
that are focused on non-traditional recreation programming. Annual DEFY event.
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Childcare Registry – Identifying and maintaining directory of local childcare providers
as alternative or in addition to childcare centres.
Clothing Depot – Open Wednesdays 1 to 3
from September through June. Depot is focused on basic needs provision such as toiletries and household items, and seasonal
clothing exchange.
Home Help Registry – Directory of local
handy persons who welcome small jobs in
the neighbourhood.
Youth in Action – Youth council dedicated
to working to end violence in Toronto’s east
end through informational events and media,
including annual “Silence the Violence” event
in October.
Holiday Hampers – Food and provisions for
families and individuals living on reduced incomes during the Christmas season when
prices escalate and feelings of isolation are
acute.
Snow Removal – Low cost service operates
November through April, reducing isolation
and expenses for seniors and people with
disabilities.
The plan is rooted in one of Jane Jacob’s key
observations:
“Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings.
New ideas must use old buildings”
VISION
The Neighbourhood Centre will be a community place dedicated to building skills that
build community, and helping people with
their questions so that everyone can access
the information and the services they need to
achieve their potential.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Neighbourhood Centre coordinates activities and facilitates groups to improve resources and strengthen the neighbourhood,
and helps people to achieve their goals and
participate meaningfully in their community.
VISION
The Neighbourhood Centre will be a community place dedicated to building skills that
build community, and helping people with
their questions so that everyone can access
the information and the services they need to
achieve their potential.
VALUES
Equity and Diversity
2009 to 2011: The Neighbourhood Centre Strategic Plan
T
he Neighbourhood Centre’s strategic plan
is focused on placemaking, which is
about the experiences places have on our
lives and the things they make possible.
Project for Public Spaces has determined
that
“placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, ultimately creating good public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and wellbeing.”
Ref: http://www.pps.org/info/bulletin/what_is_placemaking

Promoting respect for human rights and
equality for all

Reflecting diversity in our volunteers,
partners, board and staff
Dignity

Treating people as individuals and focusing on their needs

Listening to and learning from one another

Enabling individuals to successfully direct their own lives
Supporting Self-Sufficiency

Recognizing people’s right to determine
their future
91 BARRINGTON AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO| MAIN & DANFORTH | WWW.NEIGHBOURHOODCENTRE.ORG

Helping people to help themselves by
providing them with the resources to
make informed choices
Resourcefulness

Developing creative approaches and alternative solutions

Efficiently using resources for the betterment of our neighbours
Partnerships

Working with others for positive and lasting social change by:

Partnering with community organizations

Mentoring and nurturing new groups responding to community needs

Sharing resources, knowledge and skills
broadly in the neighbourhood
OBJECTIVES
The longer-term objectives of the Neighbourhood Centre are:


To develop and coordinate an integrated
program of community activities targeted
toward youth, families, seniors and immigrant newcomers.
To bring people together in supportive
community settings to promote wellbeing, increase community engagement
and reduce isolation.
KEY STRATEGIES
Critical
1. Follow principles for community-centred
program development by putting needed
services in close proximity to homeowners
and renters; celebrating different lifestyles
and cultures.
2. Improve communications and reach out
to more people by holding community
meetings and developing and maintaining
online and print resources specifically directed toward residents of the Crescent
Town area.
3. Strengthen governance and operational
clarity by reviewing all programs, completing a full SWOT analysis for each, and
clarifying strategic directions specifically
for each program.
4. Increase our ability to collaborate with
longstanding community and service
partners.
5. Contribute to the emerging service
framework in a meaningful way by increasing access to services and information, and creating opportunities for
community engagement.
Important
1. Explore partnerships and collaboration
that can create the benefits of scale without sacrificing grassroots and local values.
2. Expand efforts to secure grants and undertake fundraising to support new ventures.
3. Improve operational efficiency by identifying and supporting change.
4. Establish new and updated policies at the
Board and operational level that will further professionalize the Centre’s programs and services.
5. Support professional development opportunities for employees, volunteers and
Board members when they will contribute
to the value of the Centre’s services to the
community.
MAJOR GOALS
The following targets will be achieved by The
Neighbourhood Centre over the next three
years:

Coordinate at least 20 hours of community programming at Secord Community
Centre every week by the end of three
years.

Develop and launch new communications
materials, beginning in 2009 with the
91 BARRINGTON AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO| MAIN & DANFORTH | WWW.NEIGHBOURHOODCENTRE.ORG
website and initiating at least ten new
communications vehicles in the following
two years.


Develop and implement an evaluation
plan, including client tracking for information and referral and community use
of space, computers and other resources
such as photocopier, fax and income tax
service.
Establish at least one major collaborative
partnership that results in improved services for local residents.
STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMS
The following strategic action programs will
be implemented:
1. Board: Expand membership and develop
the Board of Directors to include broader
community representation and local leadership.
2. Executive Director: Develop comprehensive program plans; identify potential
funding and collaborative partners; and
create portfolio of corporate information.
3. Employees: Establish common evaluation
and reporting mechanisms for community
inputs and program outcomes.
4. All: Lead development of community use
of space at Hope United.
Special thanks to …
W
e couldn’t do it without the people who
provide support and inspiration every
day of the week!
Allen Collins, LAWYER, Volunteer Legal Clinic
Rob McMaster, COMMUNITY RECREATION
PROGRAMMER, Secord Community Centre
Kieran Wright, FACILITY IN-CHARGE COORDINATOR, Secord Community Centre
Suzanne Terry,
YMCA Childcare
DAYCARE
SUPERVISOR,
John Tierney, 54 DIVISION SCHOOL LIASON
OFFICER, Toronto Police Services
Elly Kaas, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
Naghmeh Mohajer, COMMUNITY SUPPORT
WORKER, Neighbourhood Link
Jane Kozak and Tom Kozak, Special friends
of the Neighbourhood Centre
The staff of Remax, Breakfast Club volunteers
2008 Funders
T
he Centre operates with the support of
the following funders:
Contact Us
City of Toronto, Community Services
Partnership
Telephone: 416-698-1626
City of Toronto, Children’s Services
Email: info@neighbourhoodcentre.org
Ontario Trillium Foundation
Service Canada
ALEX JAMES IS THE CENTRE’S ADMINISTRATION
COORDINATOR.
United Way of Greater Toronto
Youth Challenge Fund
91 BARRINGTON AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO| MAIN & DANFORTH | WWW.NEIGHBOURHOODCENTRE.ORG