St. James Town
St. James Town is the first neighbourhood YSM moved into as part of our plan to expand into new communities in Toronto. Our staffers have reached out to its people and local organizations. We listened to them to identify their needs and goals. Through this new partnership we are supporting existing programs and developing new ones run by and for the community. These programs include St. James Town Women’s Community Kitchen, which partners with local community members, and the Youth Network, a strong youth-run initiative.
The Women’s Community Kitchen brings women together to learn how to cook nutritiously on a budget. Women teach each other, try new dishes and make friends. It’s an opportunity for socializing and networking many of the young mothers in the program wouldn’t otherwise have.
The St. James Town Youth Council exists to connect, inspire and empower local young people to realize their full potential both personally and in their community. The Council meets twice a month, and regularly organizes events. They also offer unique learning opportunities and large-scale community events in partnership with other groups in the neighbourhood.
In addition, we launched a new tutoring program in collaboration with the Ecumenical Coalition of St. James Town and the Downtown Core Youth Group that gives high school students much-needed help with their homework.
St. James Town Youth Council in the news!
St. James Town, the high-rise neighbourhood in northeast downtown built during the ’60s for childless urban adults transitioning to the suburbs, has a strong and active youth voice in 2010 thanks to the St. James Town Youth Council.
Formed in September of 2008 after a push from a group of neighbourhood service providers and organizations who wanted to include a youth voice in the community planning and consultation processes, the goal was to gather and empower local youth in one of the country’s most diverse and densely populated neighbourhoods. And here’s the best thing about it: it’s now almost entirely youth driven and operated.