Scarborough Village residents to benefit from skill-building initiatives

TORONTO, June 3, 2015 /CNW/ - Toronto City Councillor Gary Crawford (Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest) and Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Toronto Foundation, joined members of the community this evening to launch Recipe for Community - Scarborough Village. 

Residents working with public and private sector partners unveiled their plans for 12 months of programs that focus on skill-building initiatives. The initiatives include carpentry, bicycle mechanics, culinary arts, small business management, mural and digital arts programs, and horticultural and community gardening.

"We are working together to build new skills, strengthen existing skills and create opportunities for further education and employment, especially for our youth," said Councillor Crawford. "Partnerships like this one make a real difference, and I invite other public and private organizations to join us and invest in Toronto communities."

"The Recipe for Community program strives to build communities – supporting the development of safe, strong, vibrant and prosperous neighbourhoods where residents feel a sense of hope, belonging and community pride," said Bhardwaj. We are pleased to be working with our fundholders at the foundation to help the residents of Scarborough Village create their own recipe to further develop their community."

Recipe for Community is part of the City of Toronto's Tower Renewal strategy, focusing on the city's apartment neighbourhoods. The strategy aims to support a cleaner and greener city, stronger communities, increased social and cultural benefits, and enhanced local economic activity.

In 2008, the Vital Signs Report, an annual snapshot on the quality of life in Toronto, identified a low sense of belonging and safety as key issues. That prompted a Toronto Foundation donor to seek a solution for the Alexandra Park Community. Together, the Toronto Office of Partnerships and the foundation partners held a dialogue that produced the components for a more vital community. With all the chefs assembled, the Recipe for Community project was created.

In 2009, the Recipe for Community initiative made its successful debut in the Alexandra Park neighbourhood. Since then, the investment initiative has been successfully implemented in St. James Town and Weston-Mount Dennis.

Established in 1981, the Toronto Foundation is one of 191 community foundations in Canada. We are a leading independent charitable foundation that connects philanthropy to community needs and opportunities. Our individual and family Fundholders support causes they care about in Toronto and across Canada, through grants to any registered Canadian charity. We currently have more than 500 active Funds, including endowments and assets under administration of more than $400 million. A growing number of Torontonians support the Vital Toronto Fund, our community endowment that helps mobilize people and resources to tackle community challenges in innovative and inspiring ways. To find out more, visit www.torontofoundation.ca

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

SOURCE City of Toronto

Media contacts: Manjit Jheeta, Toronto Office of Partnerships, 416-500-2505 (cell), [email protected]; Simone Dalton, Toronto Foundation, 416-921-2035 ext. 218, [email protected]