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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 that offer options to these 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."
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.
Mustard Seed
Mustard Seed is located in South Riverdale.They offer such programs as: a community kitchen, basic computer training, community garden plots and numerous lunch time drop-in programs. In response to COVID-19 pandemic, Mustard Seed restructured its Friday and Saturday drop-in meal as a take-away lunch program and added Sunday as an additional day to address the lack of weekend access to food programs, particularly in the east end. In addition to a healthy bagged lunch and a bottle of water, participants also received a kit containing personal hygiene items and a non-medical cloth face mask.
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.
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 the Mentor Program. This program 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.
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.
Kennedy House Youth Shelter
This is a 33 bed, 24/day, 365/year shelter near Pape and O'Connor that provides support to at-risk youth ages 16-24 who are homeless. It provides for the immediate needs of homeless youth by offering food, emergency shelter, necessities, and crisis intervention. Riverdale Share is happy to support the Essential Life Skills Program which equips homeless youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to overcome homelessness and lead stable, healthy and independent lives.
Out of the Cold at Eastminster
This program strives to respond to the needs of the most abandoned 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. 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.
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. The centre is open 5 days/week and Saturdays to families with children from birth to six years. The staff offers referral services and informal counselling to all families.
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.
East York Foundation Seniors Christmas Dinner
Held at the East York Community Centre and involves 250 community members. The goal is to provide a warm meal, good conversations, and bring joy to seniors from East York and Riverdale who otherwise might not have anywhere else to go on Dec 25th. In 2019 this dinner celebrated it's 37th year.