This year, the Community Resource Centre (CRC) served 1,250 community members, working to remove daily barriers and foster social and economic inclusion by focusing on digital literacy, housing stability, and accessible administrative support.

More than 1,250 community members engaged with our digital literacy offerings, building practical skills and comfort with technology for everyday life. Working in close collaboration with Community Wellbeing and FEPS, the CRC also supported clients navigating housing challenges, housing systems, and tenant rights, providing dedicated guidance and advocacy for individuals and families facing housing precarity.

Our walk-in space continued to serve as a welcoming administrative hub, offering free daily access to computers, printing, scanning, faxing, and resume assistance. This access removes critical logistical roadblocks, making it possible for community members to submit applications, manage essential paperwork, and stay connected to vital public supports.

Beyond direct services, the CRC remains rooted in building genuine community connection. In December, our team joined neighbours at 4400 for a winter celebration, sharing hot chocolate, treats, and small gifts for children — a reflection of the CRC's broader commitment to walking alongside community members not only through hardship, but toward moments of joy, care, and collective belonging.

This year, our Community Wellbeing team served 2,000 residents, offering programming that supported healthy aging, food security, mental health, and social connection across the community.

Through our partnership with Functional Mind and Body, seniors took part in a six-week program combining non-contact boxing with dementia resilience and movement, supporting more than 90 visits and promoting physical activity, cognitive wellbeing, and social connection. Our partnership with COTA at 2195 Wilson Avenue further strengthened seniors' wellbeing, offering social recreation programming designed to build confidence, deepen knowledge, and reduce isolation among older adults.

Food security remained a priority this year. Partnerships with Second Harvest and Starbucks allowed us to distribute 3,041 food items to community members and program participants, while collaborations with other community organizations provided 360 food hampers to seniors.

Our Talk It Out, Work It Out program, delivered in collaboration with the University of Toronto's Master of Social Work and Kinesiology programs, offered counselling and physical wellbeing supports over an 8-week program, recording 145 participant visits. Through Ontario Health's pediatric funding for Black youth, we also expanded culturally responsive mental health services, supporting 112 unique individuals across 121 visits and helping children, youth, and families access care that reflects the needs of their community.

This year, our Community Planning and Development team engaged 2,553 people, working alongside residents, grassroots groups, non-profits, and universities to strengthen community spaces, advance local research, and connect people to opportunity across Northwest Toronto.

Corner Commons marked its 5th anniversary in 2025, continuing to serve as a vital hub for the community. We hosted 9 events there, drawing over 1,200 attendees, and were supported by 19 dedicated volunteers who contributed more than 300 hours of their time. Our Workers Justice Course completed a successful fall semester, building momentum for additional courses ahead, while our JFBEE project engaged over 60 community members through knowledge sharing events and outreach.

We also launched the SafeTO map, a new tool that helps community members explore programs and services across Northwest Toronto, and advanced community-based research on pressing issues like flood risk mapping, youth employment barriers, and urban heat, working closely with youth, grassroots groups, and academic partners. These partnerships were central to our work this year — we started or strengthened relationships with 56 partners across all CP+D projects.

Climate-related issues have become an increasingly urgent focus, as the risks of flooding and extreme heat grow more prevalent; our work on flood mapping and heat data reflects this emphasis. Local hiring and access to sustainable, good employment also remain a key driver behind projects like BCFE and JFBEE. At the same time, access to community space continues to be a challenge, with a persistent lack of accessible, low-barrier spaces for programming and events. Despite these pressures, our team continues to build the partnerships, tools, and research that help Northwest Toronto communities plan for a more resilient future.

This year, our Family Programs team served 738 adults and 934 children, recording 4,623 adult visits and 5,401 child visits across our programming.

We established a new partnership with the Toronto Reading Partnership, launching a reading program for children ages 3–6. The first two sessions were delivered virtually after school hours, helping reduce barriers related to distance and making the program more accessible to families.

Through the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund, 309 children were registered to receive holiday boxes, with an additional 300 bulk boxes delivered to support individuals and families who missed the registration period. Through the CP24 CHUM Christmas Toy Drive, 250 children were registered to receive toys this holiday season. 

Looking ahead, a key gap remains in services for children ages 7–12, as most existing programming and funding is concentrated on children 6 years and younger. Addressing this gap remains a priority as we continue building supports that meet families at every stage.

This year, the Financial Empowerment Program (FEPS) completed 2,803 income tax and benefit returns through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), helping low-income individuals and families maximize their income and access valuable government benefits.

We secured new funding this year, including Resilient Futures funding through Prosper Canada, which expanded our capacity to provide financial coaching, benefits navigation, and long-term financial resilience supports. Additional investment from United Way Greater Toronto further strengthened our financial empowerment services, increasing access to tax clinics, financial education, and one-on-one financial coaching for residents across the Jane and Finch community.

Beyond tax filing, FEPS supported seniors and other eligible residents in applying for essential financial benefits and subsidy programs, including Old Age Security (OAS), the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP), the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), and the City of Toronto Air Conditioner Assistance Program. FEPS also provided intensive service navigation and crisis support, successfully assisting four clients experiencing homelessness in securing emergency shelter and connecting them with housing and community supports.

Demand for financial empowerment and system navigation supports continued to grow this year, as the rising cost of living placed increased pressure on individuals, families, and seniors. Language barriers and limited digital literacy remained significant challenges, with many clients needing assistance creating online government accounts, navigating benefit portals, and understanding the tax filing process. Limited awareness of available federal, provincial, and municipal benefits also means many eligible residents continue to miss out on important financial supports. FEPS also observed an increase in clients experiencing housing instability and financial crisis — a trend that reinforces the importance of accessible, community-based financial empowerment services that help residents build stability while connecting them to the supports they need.