WoodGreen thanks donors for supporting First Step to Home.
WoodGreen President and CEO Brian Smith, left, raises a glass with Ed Clark, president and CEO of TD Bank Financial, Michael Worb, chair of the WoodGreen Foundation and Rima Zavys, director at the First Step to Home facility. The four celebrated the generosity of donors with a toast. (March 5, 2010)
Staff photo/JOANNA LAVOIE
Calling on all in attendance to raise their glasses for a toast, Ed Clark, TD Bank Financial's president and CEO, commended WoodGreen Community Services for providing the way and congratulated 28 street-involved men aged 55-plus for having the courage to try and change their lives.
Clark and his wife Fran alongside several private donors, whose generosity has made Riverside's new First Step to Home facility a reality, celebrated March 5 during a special VIP event.
A day after welcoming 400 community members to the rejuvenated New Edwin Hotel, at 650 Queen St. E., WoodGreen's president and CEO Brian Smith spoke before a much smaller group thanking them for contributing to the innovative program.
Smith said First Step to Home would offer its future residents a "basket of services" to help them transition from the streets to home.
"These folks haven't had a home for a long time. They've been ageing on the streets of Toronto and they'll have a home here," he smiled.
"No one aspires to live on the streets. We'll be their first step in making it back into the community."
Smith told those in attendance that First Step to Home is a place where dignity and self-confidence would be restored to its residents, where healing would take place, and where life skills would be taught to help clients move forward in their lives and return to independent living. He added that each resident would also be assigned their own counsellor to help them achieve their goals and stay on track.
Aside from thanking the Clarks, Smith also credited RBC Capital Markets, the Canadian Tire at Lake Shore Boulevard East and Leslie Street, and Chartis Insurance for their generosity.
He also thanked Ward 30 Councillor Paula Fletcher for her "tremendous support" as well as Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns, who also attended the event.
When it came time for Ed Clark to say a few words he started by sharing how 10 years ago, the couple decided homelessness would be their priority when donating.
"It was a more complex problem, frankly, than we understood," he said, adding the solution for helping people turn around their lives is a holistic one.
Clark said he was impressed by both the professional team at WoodGreen as well as the charitable organization's business sense. Their initial donation was to WoodGreen's Homeward Bound program for single women.
The Clarks' latest philanthropic act has been instrumental in helping pay for the major renovations required to transform the derelict New Edwin into high-quality transitional housing for street-involved and homeless senior men.
"It's an honour to be a part of this project," he said.
Michael Worb, chair of the WoodGreen Foundation, the agency's fundraising arm, said private donors are helping people live in a safe, comfortable environment.
"This is a remarkable project. The need in Toronto is great. First Step to Home will change lives starting right here and right now," he said.
Contact the WoodGreen Foundation's Amy Pauli at giving@woodgreen.org for more information about making a donation to the east end social service agency.