Copies of our annual audited financial statements and 2018-19 Annual Report are available for download or online reading.
The report lists our programs and services and provides statistics on our work and community outreach.
Funders and donors are also highlighted in addition to revenues and expenses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.
December is an important month for raising awareness of gender-based violence in Canada and around the world.
It is every woman’s fundamental right to live in safety and security in her home and community – free from the threat of violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and other forms of aggression.
About one third of all women worldwide experience either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization.
Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begins Nov. 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends Dec. 10, with International Human Rights Day. Also included in the 16 days are International Women Human Rights Defenders Day on November 29; World AIDS Day on December 1 and Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Dec. 6 – when in 1989, 14 women were murdered because they were women.
In 2019, the theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, is Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape! Earlier this year, Family ServiceToronto Counsellor Rabila Attai, who works with our Violence Against Women unit, spoke to Afghan men and women, about gender-based violence. See an excerpt of her speech and transcript.
Ageism is the most socially accepted, normalized and tolerated form of discrimination today. It is the stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups based on their age.
Ageism, like racism and sexism stems, from the assumption that all people of a group (i.e. older people) are the same. Within the workplace, older adults are less likely to be hired, receive training and experience more discrimination than their younger colleagues.
Finding ways to combat ageism in the workplace is the focus of a month-long campaign launched by the City of Toronto in partnership with the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE).
Start a conversation about ageism by sharing the campaign’s “Aging Cream” ageism awareness video which was shot at Family Service Toronto’s downtown office podium.
For more on the campaign and to learn how you can help, visit TorontoForAll.ca.
November 20 marks Transgender Day of Remembrance – a memorial in which we remember the lives lost to transphobic and transmisogynist violence. Trans lives – and particularly the lives of trans women of colour and sex workers – are disproportionately at risk due to transphobic and transmisogynist violence.
Today, we honour and remember the people we have lost this year, and send our love to those we lost before. In solidarity with our clients, staff, community colleagues, family and friends, DKS and Family Service Toronto feel it is important to remember trans lives that have been lost, as well as reflect on the successes, strength and courage of trans communities, and take this day to renew our continued commitment to combat systemic transphobia and transmisogyny.
More information on the history of Transgender Day of Remembrance, and an image gallery of Transgender Day of Remembrance events held around the world can be found here: http://www.wipeouttransphobia.com/information/tdor/
More than 15 Hispanic members of FST’s Seniors and Caregivers Support Service (SCSS) program toured the national historic site of Fort York earlier this month to learn about Canada’s largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings and 1813 battle site.
The participants also learned about the history of Toronto through audio-visual presentations and were able to interact by asking questions.
FST’s SCSS unit works with older people and caregivers providing counselling, group work, advocacy, training and educational sessions on a variety of topics such as aging and memory loss, anger and guilt, how to access community resources, abuse of older adults, etc. The program offers sessions in English and Spanish.
Congratulations to Team FST, which raised $3,780 – more than 50 per cent over its target of $2,500 – in the CN Tower Stair Climb for United Way on Nov 3.
The funds will go towards Family Service Toronto’s staff campaign in support of United Way Greater Toronto. FST has set a 2019 campaign target of $25,000.
FST had 14 registered climbers in the weekend event.
Family Service Toronto offers a weekly free single-session counselling session with a trained counsellor or psychotherapist.
The sessions are offered Wednesdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. to individuals, couples and families on a first-come first-served basis at 355 Church Street.
A session lasts about 50 minutes and is open to all persons 18 years of age and older, who live or work in the GTA. Appointments are not necessary and no health card or identification is required. Clients are expected to complete a service agreement form and a questionnaire that enables staff to best meet needs.
Sessions are not open to children and child care is not provided.
Registration begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 6:15 with the last appointment at 6:30 p.m. Note that capacity varies week to week depending on demand.
Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and in four days, polls will open for Canada’s 43rd federal election.
This year also marks 30 years since each federal party represented in the House of Commons committed to ending child poverty by the year 2000. There is no better time than the October 21 election to hold every party accountable to that commitment.
Campaign 2000 has released the answers received from the political parties regarding their plans on eradicating child and family poverty in Canada. Read full post on Campaign 2000 website.
Child and family poverty has dropped significantly across Canada since 2015, but the problem persists in all 338 federal ridings as the country heads towards a federal election Oct. 21, reports Campaign 2000, a non-partisan coalition of 120 groups and individuals committed to ending child poverty and co-ordinated by Family Service Toronto.
“Child and family poverty is a reality in every single riding in the country,” says Leila Sarangi, Campaign 2000’s National Co-ordinator. “Given Canada’s wealth, no child should go to bed hungry,” she adds. “With every riding affected by poverty, every candidate of every party should be talking about how they will tackle it.”
“In Toronto, 14 of our 25 federal ridings have the highest rate of child poverty,” says Sarangi. “Modest decreases are not good enough.”
Campaign 2000 has written to all party leaders asking them to respond by Oct. 10 on how they would fight poverty in Canada. Their responses will be posted on the Campaign 2000 website before the election.
Campaign 2000 was formed in the early 1990s to urge governments to deliver on an all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty by year 2000.
Child poverty by federal riding: the work ahead for Canada’s next Parliament report.
Toronto Star: Oct 7, 2019 – 338 Ridings, One Issue All federal parties have stake in helping eradicate poverty, report says
Family Service Toronto welcomes Chris Brillinger as its new Executive Director on Aug. 6.
Chris comes to FST after 31 years of exemplary leadership and dedication to Toronto public service as the city’s Executive Director of Social Development, Finance and Administration (SDFA).
He moves into the role following the July departure of Margaret Hancock, who led FST for 12 years.
“I have always been driven by two key passions: a love of Toronto and a core belief in social justice/equity,” Chris said on his decision to join FST. “I believe these passions align with the core purpose of Family Service Toronto. Joining the FST team provides an opportunity to continue to contribute my skills and energies to both.”
Chris has been instrumental in leading the development and successful implementation of numerous important city building and social development initiatives including but not limited to: Tenants’ First (involving the transformation of Toronto Community Housing), TO Prosperity (City Council’s poverty reduction strategy), Social Procurement, Community Benefits, Seniors Strategy, Newcomer Strategy, Youth Equity Strategy, Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020, For Public Benefit (a framework for working with community-based not-for-profit organizations) and City Council’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Action Plan.
Chris is eager to return to the For Public Benefit sector to continue his work in social inclusion and social justice. An urban planner by training, he started his career in the non-profit sector working at Neighbourhood Information Post in the city’s east end joining the former Metro Toronto government in 1988 as a community development officer.
Family Service Toronto held its Annual General Meeting on June 19 at its downtown office at 355 Church Street.
The event was attended by board members, staff, and visitors and was followed by an event to celebrate 12 years of leadership by outgoing Executive Director Margaret Hancock, who will depart July 19. About 100 community partners, sector friends, former board members and guests joined the celebration to pay tribute to her leadership.
Copies of our annual audited Financial Statements and 2018-2019 Annual Report were distributed and are now available for download or online reading.
Family Service Toronto is preparing to bid farewell to its Executive Director of the last 12 years.
Margaret Hancock departs July 19 after more than a decade of leadership in the city’s social services sector and directing a team which provides front line services to address poverty, violence against women, LGBTQ+ issues, caregiving for seniors and assists people with mental health needs and developmental disabilities.
Last year, she was one of eight women named as one of 2018’s Women of Distinction award recipients by the Toronto YWCA, which noted her work has created a ripple effect of inclusivity and social justice.
“Her effective consensus building battles oppression and creates solidarity with social justice networks,” the YWCA wrote. “Her work is guided by her core beliefs of equity, inclusion, and justice.”
At FST, Margaret has also demonstrated her reputation as a risk taker with a keen sense of business acumen, leading the agency through several internal challenges and changes, including its successful bid and government contract to build and host a consolidated payment services infrastructure for all Passport clients across Ontario.
She recast FST’s reputation as an innovator in the non-profit world of real estate through bold and transformative partnerships with developers such as Tridel, which built a 29-storey condominium above our new downtown office podium at 355 Church Street.
Margaret has also been a leader and mentor for city-wide agencies and a major mover behind both the launch and development of the Ontario Non-Profit Network and more recently the Toronto Non-Profit Network.
FST thanks Margaret for her years of service and leadership and wishes her well as she takes time to “rewire.”
Chris Brillinger, Executive Director of Social Development, Finance and Administration at the City of Toronto, takes over as FST’s Executive Director on August 6.