Since its inception more than 60 years ago, LCS has not missed an opportunity to work alongside prominent community groups to fulfill its mission. In 2015, we worked with the City of Toronto along with others to bring to life a poverty reduction strategy. We partnered with Positive Change Toronto to address youth violence in Rexdale, a neighbourhood with a significant Somali population, which resulted in a significant increase in access to parks and recreation facilities.

We have supported Urban Alliance on Race Relations in their work on policies of carding and racial profiling, in calling for a stop to the dismantling of OMNI TV that provides multi-lingual programming accessed by many newcomers, and the completion of the 360 Project: Addressing Racism in Toronto, which examined issues of access, equity, and inclusion for two highly vulnerable and marginalized groups in Toronto – the Somali Canadian community and racialized LGBTQ homeless youth.

Over the years, our staff has continued to chair George Brown College’s Community Program Advisory Committee, which connects with post-secondary institutions as they prepare students to work in the community social services sector. We know that good employment options can be the key to transcending poverty, which is why the work we do with Good Jobs For All is essential, such as our advocacy for changes to Employment Insurance. Working with union leaders in York Region, we are leveraging their capacity to address social issues as part of the full development of York Region Social Planning Council.

Perhaps the highlight and most long-lasting of our work has been through the Labour Community Advocate Training program, which in its early years was called the Union Counselling program. Over ten weeks, participants from a variety of union backgrounds listened to speakers and discussed the tools and mechanisms by which they could better offer support to their coworkers, family members, and communities. The LCAT programme continues to this day and has now taught tens of thousands of participants through three different course modules.

Our partnership with United Way is a major source of our funding. In the coming years, we will continue to push for the practice of carding to be truly abolished and to build up the communities in which we serve. It was with the initial support of local unions that allowed us to advance the initial growth of the Diverse Workers’ Networks as they became active in advocating for the Employment Standards Act reform under the Changing Workplaces Review. In 2015, we were fortunate to receive funding from both the Atkinson and Metcalf Foundations to advance our work on Community Benefits.

We have a lot of projects in the years ahead, and we’re excited to share our work with you. Enjoy exploring our website. We hope to work with you to advance the interests of the many communities in Toronto. Together, we can strive to build a just and equitable society for all.

OTHER RESOURCES

• United Way Career Navigator 
• United Way GenNext
• Youth Grants & Scholarships
• Prevention Link – Disability Prevention at Work
• 311 – Non emergency services
• Steps to Justice (Legal Information) 

LCATP RESOURCES

• 211 Toronto 
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 
• Mental Health Service Information Ontario
• Assaulted Women’s Help Line
• Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (DART)
• Federation of Metro Tenants Associations
• Health Services Information – connexontario
• Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline (OPGH)
• Ministry of the Attorney General
• Community Legal Education Ontario

For more information please visit at: 

15 Gervais Drive, Suite 603
Toronto, Ontario
M3C 1Y8, Canada

Phone: 416.445.5819
Fax: 416.445.5146