Editor's Picks

This week we explore Toronto’s mental health crisis, how Community Action Grants are driving resident-led change across the GTA, and how United Ways are having their say in Ontario’s next Poverty Reduction Strategy.

This week we reflect on how winter amplifies challenges, how our Community Real Estate Initiative is already helping local agencies, and the success of the Social Medicine Initiative and our Youth Success Strategy.

Increased development and upcoming revitalization projects in Cooksville, South Markham and Jane Finch are creating major changes and challenges across these neighbourhoods. To ensure equitable opportunities, United Way Greater Toronto is expanding its Community Action Grants (CAG) program with a $1.13 million investment to support local priorities in each neighbourhood.

Over four million Ontarians are food insecure. In 2024, more than one million Ontarians relied on food banks, making 8.7 million visits. The $10 million gift from the Slaight family will support six organizations working to keep communities fed including: Daily Bread Food Bank, Food Banks Canada, Right to Food, Second Harvest, The Stop Community Food Centre and United Way Greater Toronto. Working through their local, regional and national networks, these organizations will help make sure food reaches people and neighbourhoods facing the greatest pressure and will strengthen the broader response to hunger.

This week we're reflecting on the end of the year, our annual holiday gift guide and how you can double your impact before the end of the year through our gift match.

Welcome to United Way’s 2024 Gift Guide! It's full of socially conscious goodies from local creators and United Way supported programs.

Meaningfully addressing poverty in Ontario requires bold leadership. The Ontario Government can substantially reduce poverty across the province through measures that ensure financial stability, access to safe, accessible and affordable homes, and critical community services that help people thrive.

Ontario is at a critical point. Housing need is rising, homelessness is growing, federal investment is starting to move but new home construction is slowing in Ontario. Decisions made now will set the course for years. The legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act in Schedule 12 of Bill 60, move policy in the wrong direction and will serve to escalate the homelessness crisis across Ontario. The focus should be on keeping people housed while new supply comes online.

At United Way Greater Toronto, we understand that earning a living wage to cover one’s basic necessities is essential to financial stability. We know that along with housing stability, access to services and opportunities to engage in shaping our neighbourhoods, financial stability is a foundation for equitable communities. And we believe investing in these building blocks and the opportunities they create for everyone to thrive benefits us all.

This week we're talking about how we're fighting the rise in homelessness, food insecurity and cost of living in the GTA.

United Way’s Living on the Edge reveals what life is like for one in four families in the GTA living in poverty and how we're helping them find stability.

This week we talk about how we're fighting financial anxiety, our African asylum seekers report and a program for youth in Jane-Finch.