What's New at Family Service Toronto
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FST highlights Mental Health Week: May 7-13
Mental Health Week is an annual national event that takes place during the first week in May to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health.
Family Service Toronto is pleased to support the Canadian Mental Health Association in its efforts to broaden public awareness of mental health issues and to acknowledge the importance of this year’s theme: Mental Health is Everyone’s Concern.
For a list of simple ways to practise mental fitness, go here.
At FST, we work daily with clients who experience a range of mental health issues. Our counsellors help individuals, couples families and groups deal with stress, abuse, divorce, separation, the challenges of aging, sexual orientation and many other issues relating to emotional well-being.
Sometimes our clients share their stories as they seek help to face their challenges. Read some of their stories and learn more about our work here.
FST welcomes United Way funding increase
Two-per-cent hike to base funding announced April 20 will provide capacity to respond to emerging needs and priorities, says Margaret Hancock, Executive Director of Family Service Toronto.
“We are thrilled to learn of this increase to our annual core funding from United Way,” she added. “This additional support will give our community a renewed measure of stability in what remains an uncertain time.” Click here for full media release from United Way Toronto.
Family Service Toronto joins city agencies in cheering base funding increase
from United Way
"A cause for celebration," says FST executive director Margaret Hancock.
Read article in Toronto Star, April 23, 2012.
Celebrate National Volunteer Week!
April 15 to 21, 2012
Family Service Toronto is joining non-profit organizations across Canada to celebrate National Volunteer Week, an annual event that honours the millions of volunteers who donate their time to agencies in all parts of the country. Throughout the week, we celebrate our FST Volunteers and thank them for sharing their skills, talents and time with us. (Apr. 11, 2012)
Send a letter to the Premier today!
Are you concerned about Ontario’s austerity agenda? Make your voice known by joining the e-action movement from Ontario Campaign 2000 and available on Make Poverty History’s website at http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/act/an-ontario-that-works-for-everyone. The e-action gives every Ontarian an opportunity to send a letter to the Premier (cc’d to Andrea Horwath and Tim Hudak) expressing their deep concerns around the austerity agenda, and calling on the government to include revenue generation as part of the deficit reduction strategy. (Mar. 27, 2012 )
Social Assistance Review
Ontario Campaign 2000 has submitted its response to the options laid out in the second discussion paper released by the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario. The Campaign calls on the Commission to make sure that the final recommendations that come out in June 2012 are based on the public service and employment supports essential to the well-being of different groups of people, including women, sole-support parents, people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, new immigrants, and racialized groups, among others. Read Ontario C2000 submission (Mar. 16, 2012)
New Report Card looks at provincial poverty
Media attention has turned once again to the theme of poverty with the release of the provincial version of the 2011 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty.
"If the Ontario government wants to stay on track and reduce child poverty, it has to see poverty reduction as a priority, a key consideration in public sector decision making," says Ontario Campaign 2000 in the report launched at a Queen's Park media conference.
The event was organized by Alizeh Hussain, co-ordinator of Ontario Campaign 2000, and staff from Family Service Toronto's Social Reform unit.
The Star published highlights of the report in an online story posted Sunday headlined Poverty fight must go on despite deficit, activists say. Read blog. (Feb. 6, 2012)
Child-care activists request the re-profiling of the Universal Child Care Benefit Fund
Through an open letter sent Feb. 6, to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and President of Treasury Board, the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) and Campaign 2000 call on the Harper government to redirect the $2.5 billion annual UCCB to fund ECEC programs and the National Child Benefit for low and modest income families. The letter says that Canadians simply cannot afford to let a substantial public expenditure like the UCCB continue with no documented efficacy. Read the full open letter in English and French. (Feb. 6, 2012)
February is Family Month
February means Family Day and we’re celebrating families all month long by recognizing our work with newcomer communities through a project called Healthy Families Healthy Communities.
The project, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, is helping women share their struggles and issues after leaving their home countries where they have lived with war and violence. Through workshops and peer counselling, participants learn and understand what makes a family “healthy.”
Get the full story and watch videos of project participants here. (Feb, 2012)
David Kelly Services receives Pride Award 2011
FST is proud to announce that David Kelley LGBTQ & HIV/AIDS Services has received this year's Pride Award, which is one of five Access, Equity and Human Rights Awards presented annually to individuals and organizations. The award was presented Dec. 8 in a ceremony at Toronto City Hall.
Community Stakeholder Feedback Report is now online!
Family Service Toronto is developing its next strategic plan that will guide its direction from 2013 through 2016. As part of the process, we heard from clients, participants and advisory committee members via interviews and focus groups about what they consider to be Toronto's strengths and its challenges. We also asked them what they value about FST and how FST can serve people even better. This report summarizes the feedback and can be used and shared among individuals and organizations as a community resource. (Nov. 23, 2011)
Family Service Toronto sponsors festival screening Nov. 6
FST is sponsoring the screening of six short films on the subject of mental illness at next month’s Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival. The Nov. 6 screening begins at 1 pm at the Workman Theatre, 651 Dufferin St. in Toronto and will be followed by a panel discussion. The annual festival features films exploring the issues of mental health and addiction and runs Nov. 4-12. For tickets and information visit www.rendezvouswithmadness.com (Nov. 1, 2011)
All-Party Ontario Election Forum on Affordable Housing
On Sept 15, 2011 Family Service Toronto hosted an All Party Public Forum on Pathways to Affordable Housing: What a Housing Benefit could do for You. Scarborough Southwest candidates Lorenzo Berardinetti (Liberal Party), Bruce Budd (NDP) and Robin McKim (Green Party) discussed strategies on affordable housing and anti poverty work, and responded to questions from local residents on how they - the local candidates and their respective political parties - plan help people living on low income. For more information on the proposal for a Housing Benefit in Ontario visit:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1045760--the-case-for-a-new-housing-benefit)
http://www.dailybread.ca/learning-centre/housing-benefit/
http://www.campaign2000.ca/Ontario/housingbenefit.html
Bringing in Women's Voices releases key messages
Bringing in Women's Voices - a Campaign 2000 and Income Advocacy project - has released the key messages expressed by women across the province about the strengths and weakness of the Ontario Child Benefit, OW/ODSP re-structuring, child support, child care, housing and other social assistance issues. The report also includes ideas and suggestions for helping women, in particular sole support parents, escape poverty. Bringing in Women's Voices is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. (July 26, 2011)
Annual Report 2010-2011- Year in Review
Our recent activities and accomplishments are featured in our 2010-11 Annual Report. The report highlights programs and services offered over the past fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 and accounts for all monies spent by the organization.
As required, the accounts and financial transactions are audited by an independent auditor appointed by FST’s Board of Directors. The audited financial statements were received at our Annual General Meeting on June 15, 2011.
Family Service Toronto recently released a series of brochures targeted to newcomer communities on the subject of abuse in close personal relationships. The project, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, was titled If I Had Only Known. Listen to a CBC Radio Metro Morning interview with a domestic abuse survivor involved in the project:
Listen to recent CBC interviews (April 20)
Read press release (Mar. 8) and South Asian Focus story (March 17).
Canada Votes May 2
Addressing Child and Family Poverty in Canada: Where do the parties stand?
Campaign 2000 has sent a letter with 10 key questions on poverty to the leaders of all parties. Based on the responses from each of the federal parties, Campaign 2000 put together a summary of the answers in a grid, outlining where each federal party stands on poverty.
Short grid of party platforms on poverty-related issues
Summary of party platforms on poverty-related issues
Campaign 2000’s community forum on poverty reduction - It's Time for the Federal Government to Do Its Part – held March 17 in the Town of Ajax, is now available on YouTube.
The panel discussion, moderated by the Toronto Star’s Carol Goar, featured representatives from the Conservative, Liberal, NDP and Green parties. (March 23, 2011)
March 16, 2011:
Elder Abuse: It's hard for the average person to even begin to understand how an older person can be harmed — physically, financially, sexually, or even just being neglected.
Lisa Manuel of Family Service Toronto's Changing Lives and Violence Programs talks candidly about why very few seniors will go the police.
March 4, 2011: Family Service Toronto will launch on March 8 a series of publications for its If I Had Only Known project - a groundbreaking initiative that engages newcomer communities in the development of powerful messages around abuse in close personal relationships.
Read press release
Read South Asian Focus story (March 17)
March 3, 2011: FST applauds new Ontario government strategy to create stronger partnership with the non-profit sector.
“This is a dream come true for non-profit agencies in the province,” said FST Executive Director Margaret Hancock, reacting to a recommendation that the provincial government appoint a Minister responsible for the Non-Profit sector.
The recommendation is one of several resulting from the Partnership Project, a province-wide consultation tasked with finding ways to strengthen the relationship between the Ontario government and the province’s not-for-profit sector.
