development of a faith based approach for city building in toronto

fc consultants 1

fc consultants2 fc consultants 3

About Faith City Consultants (FCC)Faith City Consultants is a student-run advisory committee dedicated to advancing community livability solutions through research, education, consulting and advocacy. We believe faith-based organizations are a valuable and necessary component of neighbourhoods. Therefore our efforts are focused on increasing their presence and role within the community planning process. Faith City Consultants provides policy research leadership, practical educational tools and frameworks for interfaith and cross-sector partnerships for community action.

AcknowledgementsThis project was made possible with the support of the School of Urban and Regional Planning Ryerson University and Faith In The City Steering Committee. We thank the faculty members of the program and clients for their constructive guidance, valuable insights and project support: Nancy Alcock, Steven Webber, Greg Daly and Dr. Mike Wood-Daly. We express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has had a hand in the successful completion of the project.

Report SummaryFaith-based organizations are increasingly being recognized for the positive impacts they have on the livability of neighbourhoods. Literature argues that faith groups not only fulfill the spiritual needs but also provide social and welfare services to address the socioeconomic issues communities face.

City building is dependant on the involvement, cooperation, coordination and collaboration of stakeholders from the private, public, not-for-profit and faith sectors. The structural and systematic issues of service delivery requires a planning framework that will allow for a more efficient and balanced approach. This will focus on coordinating faith-based efforts on issues associating with social and economic importance of the community and city.

Kwadwo AduYuri BindasJesse GeorgeSherwin OpeniaLeonardo PentruntiMassimo ScalfariCarmina TupeKevin WongRachel Yuzon

This report identifies policy tools and practices that could be used to better coordinate these efforts and encourage more interfaith and cross-sector collaboration in the City of Toronto – creating a more efficient delivery system for social services. This report provides indicators of program users and an assessment of the current state of city and faith-based programs and services.


TABLE OF CONTENTSFC CONSULTANTS1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 7 1.1 Faith-Based Organizations .............................................7 1.2 City Building with Faith-Based Organizations ................7 1.3 Faith-Based Efforts in Toronto .......................................8 1.4 Current Policy and Planning Practices ...........................92.0 THE RESEARCH PROJECT ......................................................10 2.1 Faith in the City ............................................................10 2.2 Objectives ....................................................................11 2.3 Methodology ...............................................................12 2.3.1 Survey ...........................................................12 2.3.2 Interviews .....................................................13 2.3.3 Census Data ..................................................13 2.3.4 Case Studies ..................................................14 2.3.5 Policy Research .............................................143.0 KEY FINDINGS ......................................................................15 3.1 Needs and Services ......................................................15 3.1.1 Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale ...............17 3.1.2 Ward 33: Don Valley East ............................. 24 3.2 Education and Awareness ............................................31 3.2.1 Cultural and Lifestyle Differences ..................31 3.2.2 Generational Differences ...............................32 3.2.3 Informal Methods of Education and Awareness ...........................................33 3.2.4 Formal Methods of Education and Awareness ...........................................33 3.3 Engagement and WIllingness to Collaborate ...............33 3.4 Resources and Funding ................................................34 3.5 Sense of Significance ....................................................344.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................................35 4.1 Toronto Policy ...............................................................35 4.2 Creating a Faith-Based Service Database .....................36 4.3 Network Building .........................................................36 4.4 Evaluating Progress ......................................................375.0 CONCLUSION .......................................................................386.0 APPENDICES ........................................................................41 6.1 Ward 33 Survey Data ...................................................41 6.2 Summary of Interview Findings ...................................42 6.3 Hamilton Report Summary ..........................................44 6.3.1 Strengthening Newcomers Service ...............47 6.3.2 Neighborhood Strategy Summary ................47 6.4 Case Study Findings .....................................................49 6.4.1 Islamic Cultural Centre of New York .............49 6.4.2 Interfaith Youth Core ....................................50 6.4.3 Lessons from New Orleans ...........................50 6.4.4 Hillbrow Fait Sector ......................................50 6.4.5 Faith and Welcoming Communities Forum Post-Forum .................................................517.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................53


1.0 INTRODUCTION1.1 Faith-Based Organizations

Faith-based Organizations (FBOs) are community groups that are based on a religious ideology, initiated by a religious institution and/or receive substantial support from a religious organization (Scott, 2003). Apart from religious affiliations, FBOs operate on the same level as other community groups in terms of their common focus and ability to draw human, financial and infrastructural resources such as staff, volunteers, leadership, funding, and meeting space. Faith-based organizations can take shape in the form of;

1) a religious congregation (church, mosque, synagogue, or temple) 2) an organization, program or project sponsored/hosted by a religious congregation (may or may not be incorporated) 3) a non-profit organization founded by a religious congregation or religiously-motivated incorporators and board members that clearly states in its name, incorporation or missions statement that is a religiously motivated institution 4) a collaboration of organizations that clearly and explicitly include religious organizations

The focus of this project is to understand the implications FBOs have on their surrounding neighborhoods and the potential to scale up their efforts citywide within a collaborative framework. The size and geographical reach of FBOs are identified as determinants of the scale of operation and services provided. Local congregations, interfaith agencies, ecumenical coalitions, and city-wide agencies are of specific interest and relevant to the scope of this project.

1.2 City Building with Faith-Based Organizations

Faith-based organizations are defined by their religious underpinnings, generally realigning their principles and missions with the principles and missions of their religious affiliations. Future action taken by these groups are guided by the beliefs of their religious institution, and literature argues this often leads FBOs as significant contributors of neighborhood livability, typically through their provision of welfare and social services and the building of participative neighborhood governance (Dinham, 2011).

Faith communities play a major role in neighborhood development and revitalization. One study found that faith-based community organizing has emerged as one of the most important initiatives to rebuild inner-city communities and revitalize democratic life (Warren, n.d.). Thousands of congregations across the United States have engaged their

members in collaborative efforts to improve schools, promote economic development, fight crime and violence, and promote affordable housing.

In her research article, What Makes a Good City? Reflections on Urban Life and Faith (Graham, 2008) argues FBOs are an essential commodity of urbanized areas for the value they promote, the services they inspire, the resources they command and the decisive difference they make within their community. These contributions can be summarized with a single defining concept, ‘faithful capital’. Churches and faith groups invest within the community in a variety of ways in order to tackle local issues and improve the well-being of their neighbourhoods; it is argued that faith and practice are indivisible and, through application, faith groups are able to fulfill and draw the link between values and actions (Graham, 2008).


1.3 Faith Based Efforts in Toronto

In April 2013, Toronto witnessed the application of this concept when more than 265 GTA faith leaders united to oppose gambling expansion and the construction of a casino in the city. Although Toronto City Council and the Ontario government believed in the economic benefits a casino would provide, faith leaders and members combined their efforts on a common social concern that Reverend Christopher White, of Toronto’s Fairlawn Ave. United Church, described as being “contrary to the ethical norms of (their) traditions” (Rider, 2013).

These groups exhibited successful cohesion of religious leaders, pooling of resources and organizing an effective opposition group supported by a large citizen base and sound research. This particular event stands as a prime example of the influence faith-leaders have on their community and their ability to harness the engagement of the community for a social movement.

Faith communities are a commodity that communities can use to tackle socio-economic issues of concern. Each faith community is understood to be a ‘container’ of staff, volunteers, networks, and skills, which can be valuable in the provision of welfare, social services, and community organizing (Dinham, 2011). In the case of Toronto and the casino issue, it was apparent that there was an opportunity for the City’s faith communities to come together and act on social issues of concern. Individually, an organization can create meaningful impacts on their community, but literature argues that cross-sector collaboration, or interfaith collaboration, is a more functional mechanism when addressing issues that transcend the capabilities of a single group (Simo, 2009).

Photo: Church, Elizabeth. (2013). Religious leaders join forces against Toronto casino proposal. Retrieved From: theglobeandmail.com

Dr. John Joseph Mastrandrea of the GTA Council of Christian Churches speak at City Hall against Toronto’s construction of a Casino.

1.4 Current Planning Policy

City of Toronto policy documents pertaining to service delivery, community improvement strategies and partnership building includes; • The Service Improvement and Alternative

Service Delivery Work Program • The Toronto Service Review Program• The Business Improvement Area (BIA)

Handbook

Toronto’s Service Improvement and Alternative Service Delivery Work Program recognizes and ensures city diversity is upheld and unified in a cooperative framework; it outlines the benefits of having individuals, community groups, the private sector, and upper levels of government involved with service delivery. This program focuses on delivering the right services to the appropriate residents or clients through a fair funding process and efficient, sustainable and accountable delivery methods. Complementary to this planning document is the Toronto Service Review Program, which helps city representatives identify which services should be delivered, how to make them more cost effective and how they are financed. Both documents present the City’s intention to maximize the capabilities of service providers, however both lack actionable tools and implementation process. Instead, it only provides words of support and recognition of the importance of executing efficient, cost-effective service delivery.

The Business Improvement Area Handbook focuses on encouraging local business people and property owners to work together and enhance the vibrancy of their neighbourhood and increase economic prosperity in the area, with the support of the municipality. Though this may seem dissimilar to the focus of the Faith in the City project, The BIA Handbook demonstrates the City’s ability to align economic goals and visions with that of local merchants through a collaborative, inclusive and actionable planning framework. The program serves as an example of one of the City’s successful collaborative frameworks and shows the capability of Toronto to implement more programs that seek to do this, particularly with faith groups and social action.

The City Of Toronto’s Official Plan Review evaluates the municipality’s economic health through current and existing policies corresponding with the Planning Act (1990). Aligning with the Provincial Policy Statement (2005), it was determined that a comprehensive review of Toronto’s Employment Lands was needed in order to identify future opportunities for concentrated office space. Based on the assessment of FBO’s in Ward 33, there is a consensus of minimized space and limitations for FBOs to expand the service of priorities addressed in the community needs assessment. This anticipated growth for places of worship to accommodate increased demand is directly aligned with the availability of employment lands within the City Of Toronto.

The Official Plan contains guidelines which include a commitment to serving the needs of the growing population by accommodating the demands of the institutional sector. In our research findings, it is advisable to add a policy statement allowing stakeholders to convert their underutilized property into a collaborative employment space designated for the provision of community services by FBOs through partnership. It is already confirmed that the approval of the original recommendations of this amendment will ensure 97% of Toronto’s Employment Areas will be preserved for future uses currently undetermined (City of Toronto, 2013). With increased demand for community space by the FBOs, the City Of Toronto is able to efficiently reduce the existing capacities felt by many congregations through collaborative agreements.


This comprehensive review has determined that Toronto’s economy continues to grow with an additional 39,000 jobs per annum added to the local economy (City of Toronto, 2013). Toronto benefits from an abundance of urban diversity and ensures that its civic economy maintains the multicultural identity adopted by the City’s motto. Due to sufficient housing stock and secured employment lands, the goals of FBOs within the City Of Toronto can be interfaith driven through the use of new and existing space. The benefits received by the municipality can be guided through a public-private partnership process, permitting stakeholders to receive a marginalized profit through rental accommodations for interfaith collaborations provided by the municipality.

The barriers that can be found in the current city policy are that without actual reference to faith organizations, these policies are vague to FBOs in The City of Toronto. The application of these policies does include considerations of FBOs but, in context, they fail to provide an explicit plan that will support the works of faith communities. In current policy structure, the community programs provide no funding for FBOs. While it is not the municipal sector’s responsibility to fund faith organizations, without sustainable sources of capital and support of the municipality, FBOs may face difficulty finding an incentive to collaborate with the City and other faith groups.

2.0 THE RESEARCH PROJECT

2.1 Faith in the City

The concept of interfaith collaboration for the delivery of social services is the focus of this project and of the Faith in the City initiative. Religious leaders, clergy and lay-people from several wide-ranging traditions have come together on the Faith in the City project; an initiative that seeks to increase the participation of faith communities in city building activities and directly affect change in their neighbourhoods (University of Toronto, 2013).

By encouraging a harmonious and collaborative network of faith groups, the project seeks to extend a forum that will unite the visions of socially minded and faith-motivated people beyond the boundaries of their respective places of worship to meet the needs of the City (Terms of Reference, 2013).

Reverend Dr. Brent Hawkes of Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto initiated the project after recognizing the opportunity to harness the ability of faith groups to create change in their community. This would occur through better coordination and a unified goal on social issues. When approached, both Reverend Christopher White of Fairlawn Avenue United Church and Ward 21 Councillor, Joe Mihevc, showed interest in the project, believing in the potential opportunity for city building. The project was launched with the formation of the Faith in the City Steering Committee, originally consisting of Dr. Brent Hawkes, Reverend Christopher White, Ward 21 Councillor Joe Mihevc, Ward 19 Councillor Michael Layton, Ward 13 Councillor Sarah Doucette, Oasis Community Centre Church Pastor Joe Abbey-Coulborne and Habeeb Alli, Secretary of the Canadian Council of Imams, as the initial members.

The Faith in the City research project is not a justification of downloading service delivery to faith communities. Service provision should be properly balanced within the adequate sectors responsible for it. Interfaith activity is a component of the NGO sector that has the ability to operate in a collaborative advocacy capacity while simultaneously delivering community services. FCC’s objective is to harness this capacity within the City of Toronto’s faith community.

2.2 Objectives

The objective of research of the project is to fulfill the mandate of increasing the participation of faith communities in city building and community service activities within Toronto. This study was prepared to create a practical approach to community development that strategically coordinates the existing initiatives of faith groups and other social service providers. FCC has not examined structures of interfaith dialogue in its research but recognizes it as a component of interfaith collaboration. Dialogue in the context of interfaith collaboration should be action oriented and have definite goals in mind that contribute to city building and community service objectives.

The Faith in the City research project is not a justification of downloading service delivery to faith communities. Service provision should be properly balanced within the adequate sectors responsible for it. Interfaith activity is

a component of the NGO sector that has the ability to operate in a collaborative advocacy capacity while simultaneously delivering community services. FCC’s objective is to harness this capacity within the City of Toronto’s faith community.

For the purpose of the project and its objectives, spiritualism and evangelism fall outside of the scope of the collaborative advocacy in city building and community service delivery. Increasing spirituality and evangelism is not of interest in the project, although it can be considered a type of service that faith-based organizations provide. The focus of the project is to provide a forum that will extend the vision of socially minded, faith-motivated people beyond the walls of their respective places of worship to work together and meet the needs of the City. The project is focused solely on service delivery and the stakeholders who have a hand in delivering these services.


2.3 Methodology

Faith City Consultants utilized a multi-faceted research approach in the completion of its work toward the Faith in the City project. Primary research was conducted in the form of surveys and interviews examining work done by faith leaders and FBOs in Toronto, New York and Chicago. Secondary research covered the analysis of Census Canada data and case studies of interfaith collaboration completed through literature reviews and the examination of programs in other jurisdictions. Finally, analysis of current City of Toronto policy was also a necessary component of FCCs secondary research.

2.3.1 SurveyOriginally the Faith in the City Steering Committee prepared a survey to be implemented in six Wards as a test case to measure existing programs and services. FCC consulted with the Steering Committee to scale the reach of the project to four Wards (27 Toronto Centre – Rosedale, 33 – Don Valley East, 42 – Scarborough – Rouge River and 13 – Parkdale – High Park) based on their geographic locations in the city; they represented areas in the north, east, west and central portions of Toronto.

The original survey effort, which was completed by mailing the surveys to faith organizations, did not have a substantial uptake in any of the Wards it was originally administered in causing FCC to scale the survey effort back to Ward 33. Don Valley East was chosen as a second test case to verify the best method for obtaining feedback from the faith community. FCC originally attempted to contact faith groups in the ward by phone and email, which yielded inadequate response. The survey was ultimately administered by members of FCC going out to the faith groups of the Ward during their scheduled times of worship in order to ensure their availability.

2.3.2 InterviewsAs a major part of its research process, FCC attempted to conduct interviews with faith leaders in the four target wards and completed two other consolatory interviews in Chicago with representatives of the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) and in Manhattan with the Islamic Cultural Centre of New York (ICCNY). Interviews with the IFYC and ICCNY gave insight on the theoretical underpinnings of interfaith collaboration; the types of city building activities that arise from work in the faith community, and the strategies necessary to enhance this work. As well, widely applicable approaches for service delivery were also taken from the consultations.

Interviews conducted within the city aided in assessing the standards of available faith based programs and services, and opportunities for expansion in service delivery through collaboration. Interviews in the target Wards were successfully completed in all wards except 42 where the necessary response from FBOs to schedule interviews was inadequate. All interviews followed an open discussion format based on a list of questions that can be found in the Appendix.

Graphic taken in the lobby of the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) headquarters (FCC, 2013)

Islamic Cultural Center of New York taken by Faith City Consultants (FCC, 2013)

2.3.3 Census DataCensus data for the four target wards was examined in order to quantify the economic and demographic needs of each area’s population. This data was processed into ward profiles that made conclusions based on changes in demographic trends between 2006 and 2011. It should be noted that there were changes in the methods of data collection between the publishing of those censuses. Also, because Census Canada Census Tract boundaries do not match the City of Toronto’s Ward boundaries, the closest approximation of each Ward was created by combining data from the appropriate Census Tracts; Census Tract data covers the appropriate Ward area regardless.


2.3.5 Policy Research

FCC reviewed City of Toronto policy documents that outline current service provision, capacity and efficiency. These documents and policies were used to identify policy-based mechanisms and possible constraints in strategies for coordinating service delivery among faith based organizations. The City of Toronto documents used were the Service Improvement and Alternative Service Delivery Work Program, the Toronto Service Review Program, City of Toronto, Business Improvement Area (BIA) Handbook and the Toronto Social Development Strategy. Additional research examined Toronto’s Community Service Partnership program to adapt strategies for public private partnerships with FBO as well as the City’s Official Plan.

2.3.4 Case StudiesLiterature review style case studies were conducted based on peer-reviewed research reports examining interfaith collaboration in the Hilbrow neighbourhood of Johannesburg, South Africa and the response efforts to Hurricane Katrina and subsequent storms in New Orleans. These case studies provided insight on the constraints in the provision of community services and programs in the context of interfaith collaboration, and on the opportunities for public and private sector collaboration. The examples given within each case study also highlight the importance of properly implemented coordination mechanisms in interfaith collaboration. A large amount of theoretical insight was also provided by the authors of the studies, aiding in the understanding of the principles necessary for successful service delivery.

Studies of effective service delivery models were also examined in Hamilton based on published reports highlighting programs operating in the city. Additionally representatives of FCC attended the Faith and Welcoming Communities Forum, which covered several issues of note currently being engaged by faith organizations in Toronto. These pieces formed additional case studies from which examples and models were drawn to examine the roles of faith based organizations in social service delivery and create a framework for municipal cooperation between the private and public sectors.

The data gathered for each ward covers indicators for Child and Youth Care Services, Senior’s Services, and Financial Services. Data on Religious Affiliation and on Languages and Ethnicity were also included for their relevance in social service delivery and faith based activity. FCC has included the Ward Profiles based on these criteria in the Appendix.

3.0 KEY FINDINGS3.1 Needs and Services

Toronto is comprised of 44 municipal wards, each of which offer a set of unique characteristics and needs that come from its respective demographic makeup and geographic location. To understand the state of programs and services and identify gaps in its delivery, economic and demographic indicators of program users were developed for two Toronto wards, Ward 27 Toronto Centre Rosedale and Ward 33 Don Valley East.

Ward 27 Toronto Centre Rosedale is located in Old Toronto and consists of a significant portion of the City’s downtown core. Ward 33 Don Valley East is located in the northeast end of Toronto consisting of residential neighborhoods and small pockets of retail along its major corridors. These wards were selected for analysis for their differing geographical location within the context of Toronto, unique and distinct demographic traits, and the substantial amount of research gathered from faith groups and leaders.

In the 2013 The Faith in the City Steering Committee administered a Faith Communities Survey that requested faith groups to indicate the programs and/or services they provide. Using this list, four categories of services were identified and used in this analysis, each presenting a relevant set of economic and demographic indicators of program users as charted in Table 1.

Service Type

Description Demographic Indicators

Childcare Services

Programs that assist with the well-being of child development are of interest in this project and encompass some of the services provided by FBOs. FCC considers the stages of childhood to include infancy (less than 1), toddler (1-4), kindergarten (4-6) and school age (6-15).

- Children population, 2006-2011 - Families with children, 2006-2011 - Number of children living at home, 2006-2011 - Number of house of unpaid childcare, 2006 - Number and type of licensed child care centers

Senior Services As the baby boomer population ages and senior demographic increases (65+), the demand for senior services that assist with the housing needs and maintenance, mobility and social connectivity of seniors will also increase.

- Senior population, 2006-2011 - Hours spent providing unpaid care or assistance to seniors - Number of senior-based facilities - Housing /dwelling structure, 2011

Immigration/ Cultural Services

Toronto’s multicultural identity is granted by virtue of its immigrants who contribute to the diversity the city is known for. However, immigrants may find challenges in integrating within neighborhoods and using places of worship as nodes, may build relationships with and find help from those of common background.

- Recent immigrants by places of birth, 2011 - Recent immigrants, 2006-2011 - Ethnic origin, 2011 - Top home languages and change, 2006-2011

Financial Aid Financial constraints can challenge families and individuals, forcing them to make the difficult decisions around how to allocate best allocate resources to meet their basic needs. Low-income families in particular are at risk of living an incomplete lifestyle that can be detrimental to their members.

- Individual income, 2011 - Economic families prevalent of low-income, 2005 - Labour force activity, 2006-2011C - Shelter to household income costs, 2011


Service Type

Description Demographic Indicators

Childcare Services

Programs that assist with the well-being of child development are of interest in this project and encompass some of the services provided by FBOs. FCC considers the stages of childhood to include infancy (less than 1), toddler (1-4), kindergarten (4-6) and school age (6-15).

- Children population, 2006-2011 - Families with children, 2006-2011 - Number of children living at home, 2006-2011 - Number of house of unpaid childcare, 2006 - Number and type of licensed child care centers

Senior Services As the baby boomer population ages and senior demographic increases (65+), the demand for senior services that assist with the housing needs and maintenance, mobility and social connectivity of seniors will also increase.

- Senior population, 2006-2011 - Hours spent providing unpaid care or assistance to seniors - Number of senior-based facilities - Housing /dwelling structure, 2011

Immigration/ Cultural Services

Toronto’s multicultural identity is granted by virtue of its immigrants who contribute to the diversity the city is known for. However, immigrants may find challenges in integrating within neighborhoods and using places of worship as nodes, may build relationships with and find help from those of common background.

- Recent immigrants by places of birth, 2011 - Recent immigrants, 2006-2011 - Ethnic origin, 2011 - Top home languages and change, 2006-2011

Financial Aid Financial constraints can challenge families and individuals, forcing them to make the difficult decisions around how to allocate best allocate resources to meet their basic needs. Low-income families in particular are at risk of living an incomplete lifestyle that can be detrimental to their members.

- Individual income, 2011 - Economic families prevalent of low-income, 2005 - Labour force activity, 2006-2011C - Shelter to household income costs, 2011

The next section of the report provides demographic profiles of Ward 27 and 33 making note of key findings and opinions of changes to services provided.

City of Toronto Ward Profile

Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Population by Age Cohort45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+

Avenue Rd.

University Ave.

Queen St.

Sherbourne St.

Rosedale Valley Rd.

Avenue Rd.

University Ave.

Queen St.

Sherbourne St.

Rosedale Valley Rd.

p o p u l a t i o nPopulation by Age Cohort

Ward Population

78,670

13.0%+

2006-2011

2006 2011

Pg. 1 of 10

Households Key Facts

Population

HIGHLIGHTS

+ 13.0%2006-2011

Ward Population78,670

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+

2011 Population By Age Group

Ward Toronto

39 yrsMedian Age

37 yrsMedian Age

5.8% live in row / townhouses

37.6% live in houses

15.6% live in apartmentbuildings of less than 5 storeys

41.0% live in apartmentbuildings of5 or more storeys

2.1% live in row /

townhouses

8.6% live in houses

10.6% live in apartmentbuildings of less

than 5 storeys

78.7% live in apartment

buildings of 5 or more storeys

2.46persons per household


31.6%one person households


1.7%with no knowledge of

english or french


english or french

14.6%children 25 years of age or more living at home


9.49thousand people

per km2

Population DensityPopulation Density

9.49thousand people per km2

Age Cohort (yrs)

Perc

enta

ge

3.1.1


c h i l d c a r e s e r v i c e s

* Population of children between the ages of 0 - 17 years in 2006,

0 - 600

600 - 1000

1000+1000+

600 - 1000

0 - 6000

Child Care Services

Child Care Services outside Ward 33

75%

6%

6%

5% 3%

5%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 to 14 housr

15 to 29 hours

30 to 59 hours

> 60 hours

83%

5%

6% 3%

2% 1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 to 14 housr

15 to 29 hours

30 to 59 hours

> 60 hours

Females 15 years and overHours spent looking after

children, without pay, 2006

Males 15 years and overHours spent looking after


75%

6%

6%

5% 3%

5%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 to 14 housr

15 to 29 hours

30 to 59 hours

> 60 hours

83%

5%

6% 3%

2% 1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 to 14 housr

15 to 29 hours

30 to 59 hours

> 60 hours

• Between 2006 and 2011 Ward 27’s child population (0-15) declined slightly by 1.0%, but the infant and toddler age cohorts grew by a significant 8.6% and made up 2.9% of the population.

• There is a 2:1 ratio of kindergarten and school age children oriented services to infant and toddler services, and although there is a greater school age population the difference is considered miniscule.

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

• 5.4% of Ward 27’s population recorded spending 30 hours or more on unpaid childcare in 2006, with females providing the highest amount of unpaid childcare.

Increasing infant and toddler populations coupled with the limited number of services catering to those demographics shows an imbalance in the distribution of services; this is expected to increase the number of hours providing unpaid childcare and become a heavy strain on the service provider. Ward 27 requires a shift in focus rather than increase of childcare services

s e n i o r s e r v i c e s

65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+

4.5%

4.0%

3.5%

3.0%

2.5%

2.0%

1.5%

1.0%

0.5%

0.0%

Senior Population by Age Cohort2006 2011

Perc

enta

geAge Cohort (yrs)

• The senior population in Ward 27 grew by 0.4% between 2006 and 2011, making up 13.0% of the population.

• There are a total of nine facilities focused on provid-ing senior services, two of which are long-term care homes.


78.7%live in

Apartment Buildings

10.6%live in

Buildings less than5 storeys

2.1%live in

Row/Townhouses

8.6%live in

Houses

2011 Household Percentage

• According to 2011 census data, the majority of the dwelling structures in Ward 27 are apartment style presenting a structure suitable for seniors due to proximity to the downtown core and greater opportu-nities to connect with their community.

• Apartment style housing requires less maintenance, simplifying the lifestyle of seniors who may be incapable for properly maintaining their home.

75%

6%

6%

5% 3%

5%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

83%

5%

6% 3%

2% 1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours





75%

6%

6%

5% 3%

5%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

83%

5%

6% 3%

2% 1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

In 2006, 2.2% of the ward spent over 10 hours of unpaid senior care or assistance; Ward 27 serves its growing senior population well and, although the population is increasing, the rate at which it is increasing is manageable.

i m m i g r a t i o n & c u l t u r a l d i f f e r e n c e

14%

11%

8%

67%

0%

Americas

Europe

Africa

Asia

Oceania and other

Recent Immigrants by Place of Birth, 2011

• Between 2006 and 2011, Ward 27 experienced a 68.2% decline in the number of immigrants coming into the area.

• Of the recent immigrants in structure Ward 27, 67.4% of them were from differing areas of Asia; 25.1% of the population in the area identify themselves as being of Asian descent indicating the presence of an Asian community.

Ward 27 Top 5 Home Language Change, 2006-2011 2006 2011 % Chg Language

No. No. % Arabic 370 1,190 221.6% Russian 475 615 29.5% Korean 820 995 21.3% Mandarin 1,150 1,395 21.3% French 780 930 19.2% • In 2011, 84.3% of the Ward listed English as their home language; changes to

home language structure include significant increase of Arabic, Korean and Mandarin home languages.

Immigration and culture based services in Ward 27 is not expected to face challenges in provision and delivery; it is still a required service in the area and considering the decline of recent immigration population and dominance of the English language, Ward 27 is not expected to face challenges with service delivery and provision.


f i n a n c i a l a i d

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

Individual Income 15 years and over, 2011

• Ward 27 presents disparity amongst income levels as the most common income levels is as follows, $10K-$20K (13.7%), $100K+ (11.4%), and $40K-$50K (10.0%).

57%

43% Spending less than 30%

Spending more than 30%

• In 2011, 42.6% of households are spending more than 30% of its income on shelter costs.

• In 2005, 29.6% of families were prevalent of low-income, with male-lone parents more at risk of low income than females, mirroring the higher male employment data.

Shelter to Household Income Costs, 2011

68%

32%

Spending less than 30%


Ward 27 Male Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 22,030 73.9% 29,280 71.1% 32.9% Employed 20,415 68.4% 26,715 64.9% 30.9% Unemployed 1,600 5.4% 2,590 6.3% 61.9% Not in the Labour Force 7,805 26.2% 11,895 28.9% 52.4% Total Population 29,830 100.0% 41,180 100.0% 38.0%

Ward 27 Female Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 17,855 63.2% 24,295 61.6% 36.1% Employed 16,345 57.8% 22,025 55.8% 34.8% Unemployed 1,515 5.4% 2,275 5.8% 50.2% Not in the Labour Force 10,405 36.8% 15,175 38.4% 45.8% Total Population 28,270 100.0% 39,470 100.0% 39.6%

Ward 27 Male Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 22,030 73.9% 29,280 71.1% 32.9% Employed 20,415 68.4% 26,715 64.9% 30.9% Unemployed 1,600 5.4% 2,590 6.3% 61.9% Not in the Labour Force 7,805 26.2% 11,895 28.9% 52.4% Total Population 29,830 100.0% 41,180 100.0% 38.0%

Ward 27 Female Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 17,855 63.2% 24,295 61.6% 36.1% Employed 16,345 57.8% 22,025 55.8% 34.8% Unemployed 1,515 5.4% 2,275 5.8% 50.2% Not in the Labour Force 10,405 36.8% 15,175 38.4% 45.8% Total Population 28,270 100.0% 39,470 100.0% 39.6%

• In 2011, 60.4% of individuals in the labour force were employed while 6.0% of the population was unemployed.

• The unemployment population increased by 48.5% between 2006 and 2011, where as the employed population increased by 32.5%.

• Male unemployment is more dominant than female unemployment in the area.

Income levels, low-income indicators, unemployment rates, and excessive shelter costs indicates that individuals in Ward 27, particularly the male population, may be struggling financially and face difficult decisions on where to properly allocate income to fulfill basic needs. Services required in the area may focus on providing assistance with finding employment and food provision.


City of Toronto Ward Profile

Ward 33: Don Valley East

Finch Ave.

Victoria Park Ave.

Don River East

Highway 401

p o p u l a t i o n

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+

Population by Age Cohort2006 2011Ward Population

57,150

13.0%+

2006-2011

Pg. 1 of 10

Households Key Facts

Population

HIGHLIGHTS

Ward Population57,150

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+

2011 Population By Age Group

Ward Toronto

39 yrsMedian Age

40 yrsMedian Age

5.8% live in row / townhouses


15.6% live in apartmentbuildings of less than 5 storeys

41.0% live in apartmentbuildings of5 or more storeys

14.2% live in row /

townhouses


5.9% live in apartmentbuildings of less

than 5 storeys

47.8% live in apartment

buildings of 5 or more storeys






english or french


english or french



- 0.9%2006-2011

5.29thousand people

per km2

Population DensityPopulation Density

5.29thousand people per km2

Age Cohort (yrs)

Perc

enta

ge

c h i l d c a r e s e r v i c e s

0 - 600

600 - 1000

1000+1000+

600 - 1000

0 - 6000

Child Care Services

Child Care Services outside Ward 33

* Population of children between the ages of 0 - 17 years in 2006.

• The overall children population (0-14) of Ward 33 has declined slighty by 0.2% between 2006 and 2011, but during that period infants and toddlers (less than 5) grew in population by 12.1%.

• Majority of the licensed child care centres provide services catered towards preschool, kindergarten and/or school age children

• Approximately, there is a 3:1 ratio of preschool/school age oriented services to infant/toddler services.

3.1.2


65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+

4.5%

4.0%

3.5%

3.0%

2.5%

2.0%

1.5%

1.0%

0.5%

0.0%

67%

6%

7%

6%

6%

8%

1

2

3

4

5

6

71%

7%

10%

6% 4%

2%

No hours of unpaid child care

Less than 5 hours of unpaid child care

5 -‐ 14 hours of unpaid child care



60 or more hours of unpaid child care



67%

6%

7%

6%

6%

8%

1

2

3

4

5

6

71%

7%

10%

6% 4%

2%

No hours of unpaid child care

Less than 5 hours of unpaid child care




60 or more hours of unpaid child care



No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

s e n i o r s e r v i c e s

A significant proportion of Ward 33’s population spends a large amount of time providing unpaid child care service. This number is expected to increase if Ward 33 does not shift its children care facilities user focus from schoolage children to infants.

Senior Population by Age Cohort2006 2011

Age Cohort (yrs)

Perc

enta

ge

• Between 2006 and 2011 the senior population age 65 and up increased slightly by 7.6% making up 15.0% of the ward’s population.

• The senior population is slightly lower than the children population, however, the number of senior-based services is not as extensive; there are only three recorded senior facilities in Ward 33 and few retirement homes that border the area.

• 10.0% of the population recorded providing 30 hours or more on unpaid childcare, with the females population providing more hours of unpaid work than males.

47.8%live in

Apartment Buildings

5.9%live in

Buildings less than5 storeys

14.2%live in

Row/Townhouses

14.2%live in

Houses

2011 Household Percentage

• Ward 33 presents a more suburban, low-density urban structure, suggesting there are limited opportunities to interact with the community in a convenient and accessible way.

61%

8%

10%

8%

7%

6%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

67%

10%

12%

6% 4%

1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

Females 15 years and overHours spent looking after seniors, without pay, 2006

61%

8%

10%

8%

7%

6%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

67%

10%

12%

6% 4%

1%

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

Males 15 years and overHours spent looking after seniors, without pay, 2006

No hours

< 5 hours

5 -‐ 14 hours

15 -‐ 29 hours

30 -‐ 59 hours

> 60 hours

• 2006 census data shows that a significant 11.8% of the population in Ward 33 spent 30 or more hours on unpaid senior services; 10.4% of that dedicating more than 60 hours of unpaid care.

The limited housing opportunities suitable for the growing senior population, indicates Ward 33 will require services that focus on assisting seniors with home care and social integration.


Recent Immigrants by Place of Birth, 2011

• Between 2006 and 2011, Ward 27 experienced a 36.6% decline in the number of immigrants in the area.

• Of the 2011 recent immigrants, 84.4% of them were from differing areas of Asia; 53.5% of the population in the area identify themselves as coming from Asian descent indicating a strong presence of an Asian-based community.

Top 5 Home Language Change, 2006-2011 2006 2011 % Chg Language

No. No. % Spanish 430 785 82.6% Arabic 805 1,125 39.8% Romanian 1,010 760 -24.8% Korean 1,095 820 -25.1% Chinese, n.o.s.** 5,795 3,940 -32.0%

• In 2011, 45.5% of the Ward listed English as their home language; Spanish and Arabic as home languages were the most drastic demographic change between 2006 and 2011.

With diversity in languages spoken and changes in ethnic and recent immigrant populations, Ward 33 is anticipated to face challenges in service delivery; although the number of services provided may be sufficient it may be inadequate to connect with the changing demographic cohorts.

i m m i g r a t i o n & c u l t u r a l d i f f e r e n c e

68%

32%



f i n a n c i a l a i d

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0% Individual Income 15 years and over, 2011

• The income levels in Ward 33 are as follows; $100K+ (13.1%), $80K-$90K (11.1%) and $40K-$50K (10.7%) indicating that the area is relatively financially comfortable.

• In 2011, 29.3% of households spent more than 30% of the household income on shelter costs; 29.3% of households were living in unaffordable housing.

• Between 2006 and 2011 the population in the labour force and employed declined by 3.6% while unemployment grew by 0.9%, making 54.5% of the population employed and 6.7% of the population unemployed.

Shelter to Household Income Costs, 2011

68%

32%




• Unemployed females increased slightly by 0.9% while male unemployment decreased by 2.1%.

Ward 33 Male Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 15,775 68.7% 15,170 40.1% -28.6% Employed 14,365 62.5% 13,650 36.1% -26.5% Unemployed 1,415 6.2% 1,530 4.0% -2.1% Not in the Labour Force 7,190 31.3% 7,485 19.8% -11.5% Total Population 22,970 100.0% 37,835 100.0% 64.7%

Ward 33 Female Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the labour force 15,015 37.3% 14,130 35.9% -1.4% In the labour force / Employed 13,655 33.9% 12,430 31.6% -2.3% In the labour force / Unemployed 1,360 3.4% 1,700 4.3% 0.9% Not in the labour force 10,230 25.4% 11,100 28.2% 2.8% Total Female Labour Force 40,260 100.0% 39,360 100.0% -2.2%

Ward 33 Male Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the Labour Force 15,775 68.7% 15,170 40.1% -28.6% Employed 14,365 62.5% 13,650 36.1% -26.5% Unemployed 1,415 6.2% 1,530 4.0% -2.1% Not in the Labour Force 7,190 31.3% 7,485 19.8% -11.5% Total Population 22,970 100.0% 37,835 100.0% 64.7%

Ward 33 Female Population Labour Force Activity, 2006-2011 Labour Force 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 Activity No. % No. % % Chg In the labour force 15,015 37.3% 14,130 35.9% -1.4% In the labour force / Employed 13,655 33.9% 12,430 31.6% -2.3% In the labour force / Unemployed 1,360 3.4% 1,700 4.3% 0.9% Not in the labour force 10,230 25.4% 11,100 28.2% 2.8% Total Female Labour Force 40,260 100.0% 39,360 100.0% -2.2%

• In 2005 21.3% of lone-female parents were prevalent of low-income. Females in the area are in need of financial and family focused assistance. Services in these areas should seek to address this

The increasing unemployment in the area, particularly with the female population and lone-parent households, it is apparent that Ward 33 will require services to assist with the financial burden lone-female parents face.

3.2 Education and Awareness

FCC’s research shows that it is very common for those in need of services to be either unaware of the services available to them, unaware of whether or not they are eligible for services, or unaware of how to obtain services. Additionally, service providers are sometimes too under-informed or under-coordinated to indicate the services they provide.

3.2.1 Cultural and Lifestyle Differences

Language and culture may be a barrier in the awareness of services provided. Faith communities of a specific cultures and ethnicity tend to provide services catering to those sharing the same cultural ethnicity. People in need of services from differing ethnicities are often unaware of services that are available to them. Often, they may be uncomfortable or feel unwelcomed in faith communities who speak a different language or who are of a different culture because the information is delivered in an unfamiliar language.

In Ward 33 an Armenian faith organization conducts their religious and community services in Armenian. This indicates a language barrier; although they are welcoming to people of all cultures, these people will not be inclined to partake in services or receive the full benefit of the services due to the differences of culture.

Ward 33’s demographic profile indicates that the area has a much more diverse and complex ethnic and cultural make up. Less than half of the populous speaks English at home and one third of the population of East and Southeast origin; it is evident that Ward 33 may have a prominent Asian network. Although this is beneficial to Asian immigrants coming into the area and finding communities to identify with, it may create challenges extending the barriers of service delivery outside the walls of ethnic-centered faith groups.

In both Ward 27 and 33 approximately one-third of the population does not identify with a religion and has no religious affiliations. This is considered a limitation to the awareness of services as a large proportion of the wards’ population are not involved with these faith networks and do not encounter opportunities to learn about the services that may be of use to them. Due to the lack of association with religious institutions, non-religious members of the community are likely uninformed of the services provided by faith communities and perceive themselves as ineligible for these services. This may be more evident in Ward 33 as its urban structure is also less dense and there are less chances to interact with the faith community’s via the public realm.


3.2.2 Generational DifferencesGenerational differences in communities can form a barrier in regards to community outreach. People of different ages generally obtain information about services in different ways. Younger individuals tend to retrieve information about services through the use of online resources because it is quick, efficient, and familiar to them. On the other hand, older persons tend to obtain information about services in person or in print. This is attributed to differences in technological proficiency and a lack of exposure to alternative research methods. For example, if an FBO only advertises using the Internet then older potential clients may be unaware of the service. On the other hand young people often search online for information first, and if the information is not available, they may assume the service is not provided.

Field interviews support and faith leaders have indicated efforts to try and provide alternative methods for the community to interact and learn about the services offered by places of worship. Reverend Dave Burows of St. Olaves Anglican Church in Ward 13 identified the need to help seniors use Internet and technology to stay in touch with current news and information of the community. To do address the issue, Reverend Dave requires students to spend community service time teaching seniors how to use various forms of media as a prerequisite to participate in certain church rituals such as confirmation. Doing this increasing the connectivity of seniors in the ward and strengthens the social networks of the community.

3.2.3 Informal Methods of Education and AwarenessThe most significant method of raising awareness of services that faith communities provide is through word of mouth, whether in person, over the phone, or online. This finding arose in multiple points of the research conducted by FCC. Word of mouth remains the easiest most effective mode of spreading awareness of services and should continue to be used and promoted. For example in the New York City case study of the Islamic Cultural Centre, the Centre acknowledged their most significant and important method of attracting its large numbers of clients and visitors is the encouragement of people to spread the word of services provided. Other informal methods of communication include bulletin board postings at faith communities, announcements made by faith leaders at their respective religious institutions, and simple interaction at social events.

Participation posters taken from the Forum (NAME OF FORUM) held in the North York Civic Centre (FCC, 2013)

3.2.4 Formal Methods of Education and Awareness

Formal methods of education and awareness are the most efficient methods of promoting service delivery in reaching large numbers of service providers and potential clients at once. Formal methods of awareness are held for the specific purpose of making communities aware of services provided. For example, events such as the Faith and Welcoming Communities Forum enabled many service providers to find out about the services that different organizations provide through aimed discussions and opportunities presented for collaborations between service providers. Formal methods of communication also include media promotions and advertisement campaigns.

3.3 Engagement and Willingness to Collaborate

Evidence pertaining to the willingness of FBOs to respond to the Faith in the City project provided input from participants who are both optimistic and reluctant. From the release of the original Faith in the City Steering Committee’s survey, it was clear that faith communities were somewhat unwilling to partake in methods of faith group collaboration. However, the historic effort of faith leaders to collaboratively repel the robust idea of Casino Toronto proved large in contrast to the response of the surveys.

Interviewees pointed the need to address common issues to generate the social infrastructure and capital required for effective interfaith collaboration. That being said, it is clear to FCC that organizations do have the capacity to work together to deliver the community services, but that this requires heavy organization for success. This was a message repeated in FCCs study of

the Hillbrow and New Orleans case studies and in the consultation with the Interfaith Youth Core.

This was also substantially demonstrated in FCCs research efforts in contacting faith groups for interviews, and in its administration of the survey. Connecting with groups was difficult by most means, smaller groups being hardest to pinpoint; but once contact was made, interviewees largely expressed a willingness to participate in potential interfaith activity. This indicated again that interfaith service delivery and collaboration is possible within the City of Toronto but that laying the foundations for this activity will require a common issue to address as well access to significant resources.


3.4 Resources and FundingAdequate funding for organizations is essential to effectively and efficiently facilitate service provision within faith communities. FCC’s research shows that faith based organizations attain funding for services through various avenues.

An important revenue stream is donations as learned in an interview with representatives of the ICCNY. The organization’s three donation boxes were identified as their most prominent source of funding. It was indicated that this form of revenue was so substantial due to the fact that members of the community are inclined, and in some cases required to make a small donation (ICCNY). Due to the large amount of members, the small donations resulted in a considerable amount of revenue that used in facilitating services and operation.

Faith based organizations may also receive funding through affiliation and membership with larger organizations. One such would be the Archdiocese of Toronto whose local parishes may apply for loans from their organization to fund repairs and development (MacPherson, 2013). Parishes pay a small amount of interest on the loan and once they’ve reached an income cap, the extra funds can be used in paying off the loan to the Archdiocese (MacPherson, 2013). The Archdiocese is a large organization that numerous catholic FBOs are affiliated with and provides a network where different FBOs can utilize resources to support their operations.

Some faith communities collaborate with other FBOs to act on different joint funding opportunities. A primary example is the Flemington Park Ministry who partnered with four Muslim and two Christian organizations (Houldcroft, 2013). Under a pilot project regarding healthy food access with the City of Toronto and various government organizations, they were able to obtain Trillium grants regarding their food access project and community food banks as well (Houldcroft, 2013). Collaborations often also included non-faith organizations making it possible to fund larger project operations.

Many faith-based organizations have properties that may accommodate both opportunities for service delivery or alternative uses such as rental to smaller FBOs. In Ward 33, different faith based organizations own their spaces and, because they do not require tenant approval, there is potential for them to utilize their spaces for collaboration and service delivery. Faith community spaces can also be utilized as platforms for green spaces. Many suggested from the Faith and Welcoming Communities Forum that these green spaces can be used as community gardens and can be a resource for outside service organizations lacking space to operate programs (Houldcroft, 2013). Through partnerships utilizing FBO space, opportunities exist for programs to grow and benefit the faith and neighbourhood community.

3.5 Sense of Significane

Within FCCs primary research, a common theme arose among interviewees concerning the significance of FBOs in service delivery. Groups recognized the historic importance of faith based organizations in community service delivery and their consistent contributions over time made towards city building. In the review of city policy, FBOs were often left out of statements surrounding service delivery within Toronto. This was most extensive in documents that pertained to collaboration between the city and outside organizations specifically for community service delivery.

Additionally, FBOs were able to offer examples of successful collaborative efforts in interfaith and other situations but did not express a sense of influence as stakeholders in city building. This was again reinforced in policy statements, which left out mention of faith organizations. The City of Toronto and its faith communities lack significant partnership infrastructure in any substantial sense. This sentiment resonated in interviews conducted with FBOs and became a significant recurring finding.

4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Toronto Policy

(1) The City of Toronto should update its Social Development Strategy to include FBOs as major stakeholders in service delivery and city building initiatives

The City of Toronto’s Community Service Partnerships (CSP) program contains guidelines and qualifying criteria for collaboration between community sector organizations and the City through funding support. FCC considers these guidelines to be largely appropriate for collaborative efforts and notes their consistency with other examined City of Toronto policy including the Social Development Strategy. Major policy based findings included that there was a lack of acknowledgement of the contribution of faith organizations to community service delivery in the city. For example within the CSP policy, faith groups are not qualified to participate in the program. Faith organizations would not receive funding from the city under this program but the guidelines for eligibility could be used elsewhere in policy documents related to collaborative activity between FBOs and the City.

(2) Program guidelines within the City of Toronto should refer to FBOs as potential partners and include them in partnership programs through the Faith in the City Program

Faith City recommends that Toronto Update its Social Development Strategy to include faith based organizations as major stakeholders in the delivery of services for city building initiatives. Guiding principles and policy statements should reflect this inclusion and mention FBOs specifically. Additionally, FBOs should be made eligible to partner with the City through the Faith in the City project as they are not currently able to do so through other means.

(3) An Official Plan Amendment for the inclusion of FBOs in private-public partnerships for the provision of community service within The City Of Toronto’s employment areas.

Faith Based Organizations should be permitted to enter into P3 agreements with set stakeholders. Within this municipal law proposal, newly incorporated stakeholders seeking to build profit margins on under or non-utilized properties are permitted to enter into the same leaseholder agreements as FBOs. These agreements would ensure that the municipality be given direct input into the type of service provision based on annual community needs assessments. In exchange, construction and operation costs of the shared community service space will be funded by the municipality, allowing FBOs to continuously provide the needs of highest priority for sustainable community engagement. As a result, participating stakeholders can accumulate supported funds through monthly rental costs, provided they are administered by the municipality as a guided process of Interfaith Collaboration.


4.2 Creating a Faith-based Database

(4) Create an online database to be used as a tool in the coordination of programs amongst faith groups.

Coordinating the city’s faith community will require resource management tools such as an online compilation of organizational activity. The database should primarily function as a directory of information containing names, addresses and locations, contact information, and a description of services provided by participating FBOs at a minimum. In addition, organizations will need to provide information on the average amount of volunteers and space they are able to provide for use in collaborative efforts. As a tool, the database will be available for use by event coordinators to see the types of programs and resources that are provided to them and made available to participate in. Faith City recommends the database be updated on an annual basis based on the continual participation of faith groups, and be managed and improved overtime that reflects the emerging needs of interfaith collaborative efforts.

4.3 Network Building

(5) Include key stakeholders of the faith-based community during the consultation process, either public or private, of community development related planning or discussion.

FBOs should be a part of the consultation process for any major plans and community development related gatherings. Having FBOs present during public consultation processes allows them to provide important knowledge on the impacts of city planning decisions at a local level. The unique knowledge and opinions of leaders and administrative staff within FBOs may also give new perspectives on ways to enhance city building activities.

(6) Increase ‘word of mouth’ opportunities and encourage events that increase social capital, community outreach, and the building of relationships

These ‘word of mouth’ opportunities can help strengthen social ties and allow relationships to grow within communities, creating the potential for the provision of different resources and skills through networking. These opportunities include networking initiatives, outreach through community events, and utilizing old and new approaches and to engage generational age groups. Events as simple as community barbeques or community cleanups can be used in this capacity.

(7) Use social media outlets as a platform to communicate community information (FBOs)

Faith Based communities have a physical social network through their congregational members and other members of their faiths, but they also have access to online resources, especially social media websites, to connect with others. The Internet provides the necessary tools for FBOs to reach different members of the community through a wide array of platforms.

4.4 Evaluating Progress

(8) City officials and faith-based organizations should actively identify the needs within their community, both current and emerging, by observings demographic trends and studies conducted by larger organizations e.g. United Way etc.

By taking the initiative to come together and identify the needs of their respective neighborhoods, community stakeholders, in this case ward councils and faith groups, can share social issues of common concern. Faith communities hold unique relationships within their neighborhoods and by understanding the behavior of their neighborhoods, they can better respond to and plan for needs. Furthermore, interview data demonstrates a high-level of partnership between agencies and businesses. Agencies tend to notify faith groups of specific community needs, such as clothing or food provision, and faith groups respond by fulfilling those needs using their own forms of capital. Faith-groups can also look toward agency studies that allow them to find and focus on specific needs in joint efforts to address them.

(9) For faith-based organizations to partner with the planning department and develop an assessment of service delivery and key performance indicators.

Using the database of faith-based services and facilities, it would be beneficial to track the extent and reach of services within the City of Toronto and record changes or inconsistencies with program provision and program demand. As found with the Interfaith Youth Core who created tractable and quantifiable key performance indicators of program success and the geographical reach of those services, they were able to emphasize the impacts of their action using a metric scale. Doing so would reassert the role and importance of faith groups within city-building as well serve as an additional assessment tool of service delivery gaps.


5.0 CONCLUSION

FCC recognizes that interfaith collaboration is a complex issue, especially in the context of service delivery within a city as diverse as Toronto. That being said, this report’s findings represent an important first step in discovering the mechanisms necessary to properly coordinate these activities. The barriers discussed in this report were a significant hindrance to FCCs research process and indicate that time will be a necessary component of truly developing effective strategies in integrating the individual efforts of the faith community. Regardless of these difficulties interfaith collaboration for the purpose of service delivery is a worthwhile goal as a significant amount of the social, physical and policy based infrastructure necessary for it already exists in the City.

In order to enhance these existing resources, FCC believes that its recommendations involving Toronto’s Policy, an online database tool, networking events and continued evaluation will be necessary to implement. The City’s Social Development Strategy is a key tool in its existing policy framework that can be enhanced through the consideration of FBOs in its context. This will enhance the institutional representation of FBOs in Toronto’s service delivery agenda and allow the city to properly integrate them into other areas of city policy. These include current collaborative city programs that will also integrate faith organizations into their existing partnership frameworks.

While faith organizations have the ability to organize events and correspond with one another using their own methods, the recommended database tool will be of significant aid to this. The creation of the database will enhance the capacity of faith groups and community organizers by connecting them to the information necessary to coordinate interfaith activity. The upkeep and improvement of its directory components to include features beyond those described will further its usefulness to its users. Networking events are also an existing method of connection in the faith community that should be encouraged and developed for the expansion of collaborative capacity. Word of mouth, in-person events and the use of social media will be important in this regard.

Finally, continued evaluation of the components found in FCC’s recommendations would be a necessary component to ensure the ongoing success of faith initiatives. As with any of Toronto’s programs, evaluation will be ongoing as the needs of the City’s communities evolve. Because it is the intent of interfaith collaboration to meet these needs, programs and projects related to Faith in the City will also require ongoing change.

The Faith in the City project will require continued effort to expand the body of research compiled and solidify any current and future recommendations made towards its completion. New avenues for collaboration have yet to be discovered as the City’s entire faith community has not been reached. It will be the task of the Faith in the City Committee to decide where efforts should be placed in future expansion of research and infrastructure for interfaith collaboration in the City of Toronto.


6.0 APPENDIX6.1 Ward 33 Survey Data Does your faith group community represent a particular ethnic or cultural group? No (6)Yes (2)

Does your faith group own or rent the space it meets in? Own (8) Rent (0)

If your faith community owns the space you meet in, do you rent the space out to other community groups?Yes (6) No (2)

What programs or services are currently offered out of your meeting space to the surrounding neighborhood (as distinct from services currently being offered to your own faith group or community)? These could include but should not be limited to the following:Out of the cold (1) Child care (3)Homework Club (2) Drop-In (1)Sports Activities (5)Music Lessons/ Programs (3)Food bank (5)Children’s After-School Programs (2)Senior’s Programs (6)Youth Programs (5)Arts Programs (4)Summer Programs (6)Alcoholics Anonymous (1)

Which of the following five issues are of concern for the neighborhood in which your faith community is situated? Please indicate all that apply.*note that 7 out of 8 surveys were completed for this question. Homelessness and Housing (4)Food Security and Poverty (6)Disadvantaged Youth (6)After-School Programs (4)Refugees and Immigration (6)How inclined would your faith community be to consider partnering with faith communities similar to yours in order to offer programs and services to your surrounding community if the opportunity presents itself? *note that 7 out of 8 surveys were completed for this question. Not at all inclined (1) Somewhat inclined (1)Very inclined (2)Extremely inclined (3)


Why are these services given? • Most of these services are provided as a way to put their faith to practice and feel like the

church is making meaningful impact on their surrounding community. • Members of the congregation approach faith leaders with their concerns and in response,

faith leaders leverage their position and the resources they can access to properly address the issue.

• The Metropolitan United Church identified their doctrine as their main source of motivation in delivering services. The Church operates through the “Social Gospel” as it is a Methodist organization.

Are these services focused in the neighborhoods or in other parts of the city? • The churches found in Ward 13, although providing family based services within their

community, efforts against hunger, homelessness and drug issues are focused within the downtown core, an area of the city they feel requires the most needs.

• Reverend Canon explicitly stated that he takes the generous donations from Ward 13 and redistributes it to areas of the city that have a higher demand for it.

• Reverend Dave Burrows also demonstrated the reallocation of donations taking what the bakery provides and transporting it downtown where there is a much greater need for it.

• The doctrine of the United church makes its service delivery model. geared toward all persons in the city in all areas. The concentration of services is, however, focused in the downtown core as it was identified as a prominent node of need in the city of Toronto. One anecdotal example had the church’s housing services helping a family who were facing issues with late rent in a suburb of the city, showing the actual reach of its service delivery.

How do you let the community know about the services?• Word of mouth and personal interaction is the most prominent method of letting the

community know of the services provided. • Both churches in Ward 13 are well established and because of this, they have been able

to build their networks and community relationships over time. • Services provided by the Metropolitan Church are advertised on its website as well

as through word of mouth. A distinct problem was identified with the lack of general knowledge among clients and the public about the services available to them both through the church and outside organizations.

As part of the research process, Faith City Consultation met with faith leaders from Wards 13 and 27. In Ward 13 Reverend Dave Burrows of St Olaves Anglican Church, Reverend Canon Maurice Francois of St. Paul’s Anglican Church were particpants in the field interview process. In Ward 27 Fr. Damian MacPherson of the Archdiocese of Toronto and Reverend Dr. Mastandrea of the Metropolitan United Church were also interviewed in this project.

It was Faith City Consultant’s intention to gather field interview data from faith leaders of different religious backgrounds, but due to the lack of response in scheduling structured interview sessions the result were limited to Christian organizations. FCC recognizes the lack diversity in this sample and has taken into consideration the fact that it does not properly represent Toronto’s entire faith community.

What are the type of services being provided? • Each faith organization provided a unique array of services depending on the needs of its

congregation. • Services provided include food security, arts programs, shelter base program, facility and

space usage, mental health and disease related control programs, day care, immigrant services, community improvement projects, alcoholism programs and recreational programs.

Do you partner with other organizations or business’ to help better provide services? • St. Olaves Anglican Church feeds homeless individuals in the downtown core, every

Saturday night. To do this they collect canned food donations, prepare meals and partner with the a local bakery, who gives them buns and pastries to serve.

• St. Paul’s Anglican Church works with Yonge Street Mission to find out the needs of the community and asks his congregation to contribute what they have to meet those needs.

• The Metropolitan United Church runs several collaborative programs, one of which works with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to aid in providing services for clients struggling with these issues. As well, community programs facilitated by the Metropolitan United Church include collaboration with local neighbourhood citizens in providing arts, nursery and computer programs.

What type of resources you depend on? • Each church demonstrated heavy dependence of on the generosity of their community

and their high willingness to give back to the community. • St. Olaves Anglican Church for example collects clothing, shoes, blankets through

donations of the congregation.• Reverend Canon also emphasised the generosity of the congregations he works with,

specifically making note that Ward 13 lives quite comfortable and there is little hesitation to give.

• Human resources were identified as an essential part of the service provisions at the Metropolitan United Church. The church’s housing workers were specifically identified as making a significant impact in the lives of clients. Volunteers were also a key part of the Church’s program structure.

6.2 Summary of Interview Findings


6.3 Hamilton Report Summary

October 2012Prepared by:Carla Klassen, Social PlannerSocial Planning and Research Council of Hamilton In partnership with:Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion,Community Information Hamilton,Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council,Workforce Planning Hamilton Funded by:Ontario Trillium Foundation

Introduction and Summary of PurposeAs stated in the Strengthening Newcomer Services report, the purposes of the initiative is “to identify and communicate who does what in the newcomer services system, and to build a case for what needs to be done and how to go about it, all with the aim of achieving a better system for newcomer services in Hamilton.” After the closure of the main and most significant provider of settlement services in Hamilton (Settlement and Integration Services Organization) new agencies have emerged to deliver services to newcomers. As a result a major knowledge gap formed, the most significant gap in service provision according to the Report, a community response was needed. This Report collected feedback in a variety of ways from; stakeholders from the government, service providers, and newcomer communities in order to produce their findings and come up with their recommendations for a more responsive settlement service system in Hamilton. The project consults both with formal service providers and informal networks. The project focused on how newcomers address their needs, which literature shows is mainly through informal networks (Faith Communities, Family and Friends, Ethno-cultural Communities). The vision and central goal of this project is for the community with newcomers to do things differently, a way that strengthens relationships between informal and formal services and has newcomers participating in shaping services. Thus as stated the report “in a series of recommendations, this report recommends that the capacity of informal networks, often the first point of contact for newcomers, be supported and strengthened in order to bridge the gaps in awareness between newcomers and formal services.” Aside from the recommendations created, based on the goals and visions the project partnership team set out several deliverables as measures of success – all of which were undertaken and had successful outcomes, some fully and others to an extent. The deliverables, taken from page 6 of the Report, are listed below:• Improved information and data on the system of services for immigrants and newcomers

in Hamilton from consultations and improvements to the database of newcomer services through Community Information Hamilton

• Updated information on the new system of settlement services in Hamilton• Quick reference guides, in several languages, as a quick reference to settlement services

for both newcomers and service providers• Increased awareness of community services responding to immigrant and newcomer

populations• Two community events to engage the community around improving services to

newcomers• Focus group discussions of newcomers to increase participation and enhance

understandings of integration and coordination efforts• Improved formal and informal network relationships among groups, agencies and services

providing support to newcomers• A report on activities and findings in assessing knowledge, awareness, relationships,

experiences, and needs in newcomer services in Hamilton• Recommendations for change that will support efforts to strengthen the local system of

services supporting newcomers

Key Findings and Recommendations for Each Based on the consultations and discussions completed through a variety of methods with both formal and informal service providers the follow categories or themes of key findings emerged as being particularly significant and recommendations, as listed in pages 36-38 of the Report, were created for each category: 1. Awareness is the biggest gap among both service providers and newcomers. Many newcomers lack an understanding of where services are available, the types of services available and how to access services. Service providers lack the information needed to refer newcomer clients to available services.• Increase networking opportunities for newcomers, both within newcomer communities

and between newcomer communities and more established local communities.• The HIPC service provider working groups should continue to convene networking

opportunities for service providers, possibly by committing to organize the Downtown Brown Bag Lunch series in a sustainable way.

• Service providers should employ culturally competent outreach workers whenever possible to provide advocacy or accompaniment in referrals to newcomers, and to connect newcomers to existing services.

• Government and service providers should explore opportunities to distribute printed information for new immigrant settlement, integration, and access to services in Hamilton in religious institutions, ethnic markets, halls and other places where newcomers often gather.

• Offer a map of Hamilton to newcomers to support faster familiarity with the city. Explore potential partnerships with Tourism Hamilton to facilitate distribution of existing maps.

2. Newcomers go to informal networks first for information and support when settling in Hamilton. These include friends, family, faith communities, and ethno-cultural communities. Informal networks must have good information about services and how to access them in order to bridge the gap to formal services.• Support the capacity building work of HCCI with informal networks in order to build

broader awareness of formal services available and strengthen connections between formal and informal networks.

• Service providers should consider holding events and service hours outside of weekdays in order to reach community members with conflicting time demands.

• Recognize and support informal networks, including some religious institutions, as settlement service providers along a continuum of formality of service.

6.3.1 Strengthening Newcomers Services: Final Report to the Community


3. Information format preferences vary. Up to date and easily accessible relevant information in a variety of formats for both newcomers and service providers is important, in order to address the awareness gap.• Continue to resource the existing Community Information Hamilton (CIH) database tools

as these provide the information and referral possibilities for individuals and service providers. More resources would allow CIH to develop the tools and coordinate the services network using the already well-developed comprehensive database.

• Develop and distribute clearly written papers about the legal rights for workers with respect to their religion (e.g. having breaks for prayer) and attire.

• Make available a list of female family doctors and other healthcare providers. 4. Language is the greatest barrier experienced by newcomers. Although services are often available in a number of languages, not all services are offered in every language, therefore language is a significant barrier for newcomers when trying to access needed services.• Improve access to interpreters for health care appointments and immigration-related

medical examinations.• Provide translated information brochures and contact information in multiple languages

as part of good practice.• Explore the possibility of sharing language interpretation skills of staff members between

agencies.• HIPC and its community partners should research and propose a standard of service for

access to interpretation in Hamilton to support ongoing monitoring and improvement in such access.

• Explore models of coordinated volunteer interpretation, including infrastructure and incentives for newcomer volunteers such as training and development opportunities, certificates, local experience, and local references.

5. Discrimination is a common experience among newcomers. Especially in terms of employment and housing. Anti discrimination action needs to be taken.• Continue implementing the HIPC’s systematic approach of asking all employers,

institutions, and individual community members to commit to the principle that every person at every level has a responsibility to work towards supporting newcomer integration.

• Strengthen HCCI’s role as ombudsman for newcomers.• Anti-discrimination or anti-oppression training should be undertaken wherever possible

in service providing organizations along the formal and informal continuum. This could be one aspect of the professional development already set out in HIPC’s current work plan.

• Provide training to frontline staff in working with newcomers specifically to deepen understandings of post-traumatic stress disorder for newcomers arriving from conflict zones.

• Support an educational campaign to promote immigrant contributions to Hamilton’s growth and prosperity.

6. Formal service providers are collaborating through the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council. Collaborations taking place amongst service providers through the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council are producing sector specific information guides for newcomers and service providers.• Develop a process by which agencies can share information about program proposals

to ensure that duplication does not occur and facilitate constructive conversations to strengthen service proposals.

• Explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of developing a common referral form to be used for making referrals between service providers.

• Consider opportunities and processes for sharing staff members’ language skills across agencies.

• Seek opportunities to problem solve and develop solutions together within communities.

7. Some newcomers find the current arrangement of services, with the lack of a one-stop shop, confusing. Newcomers lack the awareness discussed earlier and as a result service providers are thinking, planning, and delivering services as a system so that newcomers’ experiences of referrals between agencies are coordinated and smooth.• Develop indicators to monitor impact of system in supporting newcomers and annually

conduct an evaluation documenting the results of the support system.

Takeaways from Report Although this initiative is geared strictly towards newcomer services, there are some similarities in these Hamilton findings to the findings in FCCs other study areas. As well, there are some similarities in goals. This allowed for valuable takeaways from the recommendations created in the Hamilton report to be applied to FCCs recommendations

6.3.2 Neighbourhood Strategy PlanThe Neighbourhood Strategy Plan is a series of community plans for local Hamilton neighbourhoods, led by residents utilizing their existing assets to improve the liveability and health in their community (City of Hamilton, 2013). Hamilton selected several neighbourhoods in order to improve and create better integration at both the municipal and community level (City of Hamilton, 2012). The selected communities are Rolston, Quigley Rd., Riverdale, McQueston, Crown Point, South Sherman Stadium, Stinson, Landsdale, Beasley, Jamesville, and Keith (City of Hamilton, 2013). These neighbourhoods have specific plans that are for both city planning and community development to address social considerations, collect neighbourhood assets, and implement a plan for the community (City of Hamilton, 2012).

The Neighbourhood Strategy Plan follows four elements that help provide a direction for the neighbourhoods.1) Enhancing Community Development Work• Partnerships with Hamilton Community Foundation and Hamilton Best Start2) Develop Resident-led neighbourhood plans3) Increase investments in neighbourhoods4) Build New Partnerships to Support healthy Neighbourhoods• Collaborating with profit and not for profit organizations, including differentlevels of government City of Hamilton, 2013

The planning process for the Neighbourhood Development Strategy is done at a local neighbourhood level. The process follows different steps and continues as a cycle.1) Engagement with residents2) Establish planning teams3) Assess maps4) Visioning for quick wins (summer maps, community gardens)5) Engage residents to create plan6) Engage residents to implement plan7) Continues back to start engaging with residents City of Hamilton, 2012


FundingThe funding for the Hamilton Neighbourhood Strategy was sourced from the City of Hamilton at $86,000 including support with McMaster University on longitudinal study of the neighbourhoods(Johnson, Brown, McMullan, & Zinkewich, 2013). Other funding that neighbourhoods have received would include $27,000 for quick wins (summer camps, community gardens, etc.), and $16,000 for planning process (City of Hamilton, 2012).

Neighbourhood StudiesThe neighbourhood plans represent different communities in Hamilton. These selected plans are representative of how planners and the communities engage their residents during the neighbourhood planning process. These plans are of Davis Creek, McQueston, Rolston, Stinston and South Sherman.

Davis CreekThe significant aspect of the Davis Creek Neighbourhood plan was outreach and engagement with the neighbourhood through different modes of communication such as regular public meetings, surveys, and flyers and posters (Neighbourhood Development Office, 2012). They also looked into how other residents of different generational groups as the planners engaged with school children grade 4 and 5 and the local high school as well. Meetings were also conducted with community members and local service providers, looking at alternative ways to engage through community events such as the Pine Grove Community Clean up, barbecues, and yard sales (Neighbourhood Development Office, 2012). The Community of Davis Creek sees the future for community engagement, implementing their community work plan, bring service providers into the needs of the community(Neighbourhood Development Office, 2012).

McQuestonThe community refers to the planning team as “party planners” because they created unique ways to engage community members through social events within their neighbourhood(City of Hamilton, 2013). For example on certain issues, they created dialogue with the police chief regarding community public safety status and also during the 5th annual Crawl Night BBQ social, residents had the opportunity to meet with service providers in what programs and services are offered for them including how their community can get involved (City of Hamilton, 2013).

RolstonCommunity engagement in the community look to other residents who reflect different generational groups. They look into how different modes of engagement with children in the neighbourhood such as utilizing an approach called Photovoice (City of Hamilton, 2013). A technique which uses images and other simple techniques to allow children to think and create ideas that they would like to see change in their neighbourhood (City of Hamilton, 2013).

StinstonIn the neighbourhood of Stinton, their important issue is communication within their community. The neighbourhood considers the improvement of communication modes, community assets, and accessibility/inclusivity as important aspects of what they need (City of Hamilton, 2013). They initiated and created a website that provides email listings, blogging opportunities, regular updates, community calendars, and meeting agendas from their neighbourhood association (City of Hamilton, 2013). Not only do the websites provide the community access up to date information of where they live, but provides as a platform for their community.

South ShermanIn South Sherman Neighbourhood Action plan was created and initiated a “spokes” program that represents strengthening relationships of residents into a network within their community (City of Hamilton, 2013). Other communication modes such as the South Sherman Hub News, a bi-monthly publication which serves as a platform for building the community’s relationship with each other (City of Hamilton, 2013).

FindingsThe Hamilton Neighbourhood Strategy is a unique plan that gives the community the capacity to determine its direction. The plan looks into how certain needs are important to each neighbourhood including how the plan integrates city and the community together to accomplish their own goals. Each community engages with city planners into targeting their needs and how can they can improve from it which includes utilizing different approaches with service providers and the city. One unique common theme that were utilized by the five neighbourhoods, would be how planners and the community engage outreach with neighbourhood residents ranging from social event engagement, designing better websites, strengthening networks, and providing unique platforms for multi-generational individuals to participate in their community. The neighbourhood plan not only provides their residents the ability to improve their community, but provides them unique tools to allow communication and innovative participation that involves everyone in their neighbourhood.

6.4 Case Study Findings

6.4.1 The Islamic Cultural Centre of New York (ICCNY)

The Islamic Cultural Centre of New York (ICCNY) is located in Manhattan, New York on a site comprised of a mosque, school, library, museum, lecture hall and residence for religious leaders. The organization’s objective is to serve the Muslim and non-Muslim community of Manhattan by providing for social needs through a variety of services. They place emphasis on educating the public with “true” knowledge of Islam, its teachings, ideology, philosophy, and culture. In addition the Centre provides New York’s citizens, both Muslim and Non-Muslim, with religious guidance (ICCNY, 2012). Another aspect of their goals they strive to achieve is the prevention of violence and the uniting of communities through promoting mutual understanding and positive interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The following findings were gathered from this interview and will be used to inform the formulation of recommendations and a model of collaboration between faith groups in the City of Toronto as per Faith in the City’s Mandate.• Effective promotion and advertising techniques are essential for raising awareness

of the provision of services. The more persons reached, the higher the potential membership of a faith organization and the higher its potential revenue, allowing these organizations to provide services at a larger scale

• It is imperative that educational programs be implemented within faith-based communities in order to inform one another of their respective cultures and religions. In doing so, this will likely improve relations as commonalities and similarities between religions may be identified.

• Emphasis should be place on building relationships between different religious groups, so that they may make a collaborative effort to address social issues and be more effective in providing services within their communities.


6.4.2 The Interfaith Youth CoreThe Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is a non-government organization (NGO) that engages students on university campuses and trains them for the delivery of community service programs on the basis of interfaith cooperation. The IFYC uses a method of engagement that relies on three points of religious pluralism;• Respect;• Mutually Inspired Relationships; and• Common Action for the Common Good.

The interview findings will be used to inform the formulation of recommendations and a model of collaboration of faith groups in the City of Toronto as per Faith in the City’s Mandate. The next section will outline the IFYC’s outreach model followed by a summary of findings from the interview with a conclusion of recommendations based on the findings.• Focus on issues that groups are more likely to have common ideologies or goals in

addressing, i.e. hunger, homelessness, environmental sustainability and literacy• Build social capital between groups through creating a space where they feel comfortable

cooperating and discussing with one another i.e. a “Talk Better Together” event• Focus on connecting to institutions that have a community service and/or city building

as guiding principles

6.4.3 Lessons from New Orleans• Strategic plans, mission, vision and goal statements must be reviewed, revised and

updated regularly, implementing continuing goals and objectives and eliminating those that are no longer viable as conditions change;

• Formal organizational and governance structures must be created and included in the planning documents, so that there is a mechanism for enforcing the plan

• A broader understanding of the potential interactions of faith-based nonprofits with federal, state, and local governments and other non-religious nonprofits, including large agencies such as the Red Cross, should be developed so that cross-sector collaborations actually include multiple sector organizations;

• A highly professional staff and well-trained volunteers are necessary to build organizational capacity, and need to be recruited and trained specifically to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies for achieving high levels of human resources, volunteer, fundraising, budgeting and performance management functions.

6.4.4 The Case of Hillbrow’s Faith SectorThis case study examined the forces that hinder collaboration among FBOs working to deliver social and welfare programs in an international setting. The specific area of study was the Hillbrow neighbourhood in Johannesburg, South Africa, mentioned as “Johannesburg’s most stressed inner-city neighbourhood”. The case examines the successes and failures in the collaboration, coordination and service delivery used by the faith organizations acting in the Hillbrow neighbourhood and explain the lack of success in improving the area permanently (Winkler, 2008).

The most vital points of note from the Hillbrow case are the importance of bridging and barrier mechanisms in establishing collaboration between organizations. Additionally the political climate best suited to collaboration is one of solidarity and shared ethical views. Through the use of intermediary organizations with strong regulatory capacity and legitimate accountability the change sought in Hillbrow could, in part, be achieved. Simo, 2009

6.4.5 Faith and Welcoming Communities Forum Post-Forum

Key Discussion IssuesKey issues and themes discussed below are derived from the Faith and Welcoming Forum, each providing a brief presentation from five different individuals that are affiliated with an existing faith collaboration network.Themes and Presenters:

1) Arts: Philip AckermanThe FCJ Refugee Centre Youth Network is a unique group of immigrant, refugee and precarious migrant youth that meet weekly to discuss issues affecting them, lend support to one another, and strategize possible responses. A core element of this group is arts-based programming. This serves as an effective way for a group that spans multiple identities to find commonalities while communicating difficult experiences. (Ackerman, 2013) 2) Food Security: The Rev. Helena-Rose HouldcroftFlemington Park Ministry (FPM) is a community based ministry. When the local Food Bank was in Jeopardy of closing, a collaborative effort including four Muslim and two Christian organizations, including FPM, occurred. A pilot project around building local resident capacity to access healthy food began with the Health Unit, the City of Toronto and FPM. This resulted in a three year Trillium Grant for the Food Access Project and joining the Health Unit and FPM was the Community Food Bank and Daily Bread Food Bank. (Houldcroft, 2013)

3) Employment: Irene VaksmanJVS Toronto (Jewish Vocational Services) and JRCC (Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario) established a formal partnership 3 years ago aimed at assisting JRCC members with employment needs. While JRCC offers a wide range of services and programs addressing religious, educational and Jewish traditional life of the Russian Jewish Community in Toronto and throughout Ontario, the new collaboration with JVS allowed bringing the services to a new more comprehensive level, thus enhancing reciprocal referrals. (Vaksman, 2013).

4) Mental Health: Michael AbdurRashid TaylorMichael AbdurRashid Taylor collaborated with an agency (not specified) which had discomfort in approaching spirituality and religion with their clients. The objectives of the educational project were to:a) map the delineations between spirituality and religion and their significance in mental health care;b) help participants to identify strengths related to spirituality;c) focus on the Ontario Common Assessment of Need as a tool to engage clients and service providers on issues of spirituality. As a result of the collaboration the organization became more familiar with spirituality and Religion in their work with clients and became more comfortable with raising these issues with them. Given the the successful impacts of the interaction, Michael AbdurRashid Taylor expects to work with other religious-related concerns in the future. (AbdurRashid Taylor, 2013)


Discussion Issue Outcomes during Breakout SessionsOf the five breakout sessions, three were attended by members of FCC. These sessions provided useful information regarding approaches for collaboration action on issues of food security, mental health and cultural exchange. Below are the key findings;

Food SecurityThe outcomes regarding partnerships of different faith communities sharing their facilities (i.e. shared community garden on a church yard), opportunities with other service agencies, and funding opportunities for service projects were discussed during the food security session. In addition they discussed best ways to raise funds for their project would involve forming partnerships with not-for-profit groups, social service agencies and faith-based organizations.

Mental HealthAt this session, topics on the role of faith communities and the issue of mental health within growing immigrant communities are also an important issue to address. The main ideas that were expressed dealt education, information gathering, and communication methods; these ideas interpret how faith communities can learn and take away from service agencies and the same vice versa. They looked into examples such as peer support, access to information, and shared knowledge within faith communities and service agencies regarding mental health. The session concluded by making a point that collaboration between faith communities and service agencies should not only facilitate service access for faith groups and their neighbourhoods, but should also extend further to those who are not affiliated with a faith community.

Cultural ExchangeDuring the second session, discussions examined the need for partnerships between faith-based organizations. Lucy Fitzpatrick, Manager of Working Women Community Centre, facilitated this session. Throughout the discussion, there was an emphasis placed on the need to develop an increased reliance on faith partnerships for the purpose of service provision. This concept is due to the decreasing amount of overall funding that is being provided for social service provision. She identified that developing inter-faith partnerships allows groups to extend their capacity to effectively provide services, essentially a “win-win” situation for all parties.

Conclusion of the ForumThis forum demonstrated the ability faith communities have to serve as physical platforms in addressing social issues regarding their own communities, neighbourhoods, and the city as a whole. Through interfaith partnerships and collaboration with private and public agencies, interfaith collaboration can play a significant role within in the urban context.Aside from the content of the presentations and discussions, the event used interesting facilitation methods to gain knowledge on what groups were expecting from and willing to contribute to partnerships. They did this by posting posters on the wall and encourage all those in attendance to contribute their comments. Groups were willing to contribute space, facilitation, and event planning for specific programs. It seemed groups were both seeking and offering substantial resource.

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development of a faith based approach for city building in toronto

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