Playing it forward

Despite another challenging pandemic year, TCHC continued to connect its tenants – from children to seniors – to free programs and engagement opportunities. With the support of our corporate partners and funders, we were able to adapt and continue connecting with tenants across our communities.

Our flagship programs were virtual, in-person, or a mixture of both, in consideration of public health guidelines. These programs focused on physical literacy, sports, arts, employment, education, leadership skills and more. A few examples include:

Rookie League (in partnership with Jays Care Foundation)

This past summer, TCHC continued to run its popular baseball day-camp for children aged 6 to 12. Running from July to August 2021, in-person and virtual camp options were available. Through the program, we also continued to offer a free, virtual Leader in Training (LIT) camp for tenants ages 13 to 15.

Home Run Scholars (in partnership with Jays Care Foundation)

Virtual after-school clubs were back for another round in 2021. In partnership with Jays Care Foundation, Home Run Scholars is a fun and interactive virtual after-school club for children ages 6 to 12. In a safe and inclusive environment, children connected with each other online and participated in dedicated homework time, arts and crafts, fitness activities, coding, multimedia club and more.

KickStart (in partnership with MLSE Foundation)

The MLSE KickStart program went fully virtual in 2021. Nearly 120 kids ages 6 to 12 registered for the soccer camp. Sessions incorporated homework time and educational games that taught the rules of soccer. Children were still able to participate in physical activity indoors by doing stretches, jumping jacks, push-ups and basic soccer drills with a ball. In October, the program held its inaugural end-of-season tournament at Dovercourt Park, where 45 kids from six TCHC communities came together to play in-person.

YouthWorx

YouthWorx is an employment program that hires youth ages 14 to 29 as Youth Community Workers. Last year, Youth Community Workers were hired for seven weeks during the months of July and August, working at 61 community sites. YouthWorx again reduced barriers to employment for youth and provided opportunities in various small-scale labour jobs, including community clean-ups, light repair, community gardening and more.

Head-stART (in partnership with Hart House / University of Toronto)

Head-stART was a six-week virtual arts program for youth ages 13 to 18, which ran twice in 2021. Participants were encouraged to express themselves through photography, painting, music and dance, as well as written and spoken word, guided by staff from TCHC and facilitators from the University of Toronto’s Hart House.

Through these five incredible programs, the Active Living team contributed to the vibrancy of our communities by engaging over 2,500 tenants across more than 200 communities in Toronto. This work would not have been possible without the support of generous institutions in Toronto like BMO, Jays Care Foundation, MLSE Foundation and the University of Toronto.

TCHC also continued to work with donors to award scholarships to Toronto youth. Despite lockdowns and online learning, our resilient young leaders continued to look forward to taking the next steps to achieve their personal or career goals and we were there to support their future aspirations.