Past Riverdale Share Grant Recipients
Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service (BBYOS)
Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service (BBYOS) is a community-based agency established in 1989 to provide comprehensive services to high-risk youth and their families in the Blake Boultbee community, a high-density, low-income area of east Toronto. BBYOS provides intensive individual, group and family counselling and therapy, community outreach, life skills training and crisis intervention for at-risk young people and their families. Monies awarded went to fund their Therapy/Counselling, Outreach and Life Skills programs as well as their Boys and Girls group "Straight Out of Blake Street."
Fontbonne Ministries - Mustard Seed
A presence in the South Riverdale community serving marginalized communities and responding to the social determinants of health for 25 years. Their mission is to provide a welcoming community where you are not alone, and everyone belongs. Their programs foster personal well-being and creativity and respond to food and housing insecurity, social isolation, and loneliness. Monies awarded are being used to support their five-day a week sit-down meal program that creates a warm and inclusive space and provides a nutritious meal.
Nourish East End
Nourish East End fosters resilient, connected, caring community by sharing food with our neighbours. Monies awarded are supporting their monthly community dinner program. This no cost dinner has been active for over 40 years. It was paused during the pandemic but resumed in late 2022 with takeout meals, and began offering both sit-down and takeout in 2023. In 2024, recognizing the social isolation of poverty, they began to empahsize the shared social experience of communal dining.
Out of the Cold at Eastminster
This program strives to respond to the needs of our city's poor and homeless people. These include the basic needs of shelter and food and the deeply human needs of compassion, dignity, and feelings of self-worth. Support is being given for providing Presto one ride tickets for guests to get to another shelter or a safe space out of the elements. The Eastminster United Church program has been serving the local community from November to March for the past 25 years. The program is run 100% by volunteers.
Ralph Thornton Community Centre (RTCC)
Ralph Thronton Community Centre has been a hub of activity in south Riverdale for over 35 years. Riverdale Share is proud to support two programs at RTCC:
Mentor Program which pairs newcomer children from the Chinese community with adult and youth volunteers to assist these children to adjust and adapt to their new Canadian culture.
Riverdale Adventure Camp which focuses on children in the area who may not easily access camps, with spaces dedicated to children from 2SLGBTQ families, low income families, and residents from Toronto Community Housing, as well as Chinese newcomer children, who have special programs combining recreational camp activities and language skills.
South Riverdale Child Parent Centre
This is a family support program that offers a parent-child drop in, parenting workshops, outings and a book and toy lending library. Support goes to the Baby Love Attachment Parenting series and diverse workshops for the community-based family support program.
East York Foundation Seniors Christmas Dinner
HThis dinner provides a Christmas meal to East York seniors. In recent years, the event was organized as a pick-up and delivery servive, serving over 400 residents. This year's event will once again be organized as a delivery service so that seniors still receive a hot meal and feel the warmth of the holiday season. In 2025, this dinner is celbrating it's 43rd year.
Glen Rhodes Food Bank
Glen Rhodes Food Bank This food bank has been in operation for over 30 years. The food bank serves approximately 250 families a week, a dramatic increase from when they first opened their doors. Riverdale Share was able to support Glen Rhodes in the purchasing of a new walk-in fridge/freezer to help with the storage of fresh fruits, vegetables and grocery staples to be given to their clients.
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre
Eastview has been a community support hub for over 40 years. Eastview's vision is to be at the forefront of community inclusion, leadership, well-being, participation, and healthy development for the Eastview community. Monies awarded to Eastview over the years have gone to food security programming, camps for youth, community art projects, dance programs and more.
ReadUP Reading Clubs
These clubs aim to provide children with access to free reading support that complements the literacy learning they receive in school. We work directly in Toronto communities to assist children, many from newcomer families, as they acquire the skills they need to become confident and successful readers.
Danforth COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Program
Danforth COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Program was a program run out of the Danforth Church and designed as an emergency response to assist low income people living in the area, helping to increase food access and food security. The program provided a weekly take-out hot meal and a small food hamper focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables and pantry staples like milk, eggs, butter etc. The program partnered with local restaurants to provide the take-out meals at a reduced cost, thus supporting local business on the Danforth.