Community News

Furniture Bank – Donate Your Gently Used Furniture To People In Need!

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2017

BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO

Imagine walking into an empty home, no furnishings at all, no couches to sit and relax or a dining table to lay a warm meal after a long day’s work. For some families, immigrants, refugees even those coming out of homelessness this is their reality.

Furniture is silent in its power. We understand the role of food, clothing, and shelter in our lives but we often take furniture for granted, until we don’t have access to it. Without it your home would feel big and empty, a foreign place, as home furnishings bring warmth and character to a house, making it a comfortable and safe space to those that reside there.

Nineteen years ago Sister Anne Schenck first introduced Furniture Bank to Torontonians old and new. Back in 1989, she had been working closely with refugee families, and around that time the government had reduced levels of funding for newcomers which made it difficult for them to purchase furnishing for their home.

“I received word through a social agency that there was a lady who spoke no English who was basically, desperate for help. When I entered the house, I saw four kids–all under the age of five–sitting around a little 12″ TV. I did a basic inventory of what she had in the kitchen: two plates, two forks, two tiny pots. I knew I couldn’t cook myself dinner with what she had, let alone cook dinner for these four children. It was that moment that I said to myself that this shouldn’t be happening in the city of Toronto.” Sister Anne states in a past interview with volunteer Cam Gordon.

Inspired by her experience helping new Canadians, and encouraged by the support that she received Sister Anne launched the organization two decades ago. In the years since Furniture Bank has grown into Canada’s largest social enterprise and an archetype for similar services run across the globe.

Now known as the Chief Historian at Furniture Bank and dubbed the Robin Hood of furniture, Sister Anne made it her mission to locate the surplus of furniture wherever it was in the city and bring it to the Furniture Bank where it can be put on display in their warehouse showroom and picked by families in need.

Furniture Bank works closely with various community agencies and shelters throughout the city to meet with clients and help furnish their empty homes. For their clients transitioning out of homelessness or displacement, the furniture has a profound impact on their ability to live dignified and productive lives.

With 46 employees and 1,500 volunteers, Furniture Bank is a 26,000 sq ft building housing gently used Furniture Donations from local Torontonians to give back to families who have come from some form of displacement. They help these families and individuals to restore hope and dignity to their lives by providing them with essential items to make their empty spaces feel more like home.

“The furniture in your home is unique to you, a reflection of your taste something that you personally connected with, and at Furniture Bank they try and stimulate a showroom feel to provide a memorable, and helpful experience to all of our clients,” says Dan Kershaw Executive Director at Furniture Bank.

Over the years they found that there were a lot of people who wanted to help, but they didn’t want to or didn’t have the capability to move the furniture on their own.

“Furniture Bank became a social enterprise, and so to accommodate and facilitate more donations we mimic a junk removal business where we charge a removal fee, collect the donations and bring it back to the organization,” Kershaw explains. “Some of the furniture that we collect today will be in a home within 72 hours of being dropped off at the Bank.”

People interested in making donations to the Furniture Bank are encouraged to drop off gently used furniture and household goods during their drop off hours Monday – Friday from 9 am to 12 pm by appointment only. All drop off furniture items need to be fully assembled, and you will be required to fill out a tax receipt form in order to receive a charitable donation receipt.

If you are unable to drop off your furniture donations you are welcome to take advantage of their removal service by giving them a call at 416-934-1229 where they will provide a quote and arrange a pickup time.

Moving or downsizing, and have extra furniture you no longer need or don’t have space for? Call them to find out about their 2 services in 1! Their moving partner You Move Me will move your belongings to your new home and transfer any unwanted furniture to us, to be donated to families living without the dignity of furniture.

Every year the Furniture Bank redistributes thousands of furniture items and household goods to the formerly homeless, women and children escaping abusive situations and newcomers and refugees to Canada.

“We are always looking for dining room tables, beds, basic household items, devices, side tables, and cupboards, core items that are picked by families and will have to be restocked based on what we are able to collect from the community,” Kershaw says. “Whereas there are other charities might take donated items and sell it them back, our furniture is picked by families and given to them at no charge.”

Furniture Bank services are not open to the public, all of their clients come from the community shelters and agencies throughout the city by appointment only. When they arrive, each client is matched up with a volunteer and then they have forty-five minutes to browse the showroom and identify items that suit their needs. After they have finished, they ‘check out,’ and items are arranged for delivery to their home by the next day.

Thanks to the support of the community over the last year, 10,733 people live with the comfort of a furnished home. These donations have helped to restore hope and dignity for women and children dislocated from their house after escaping a violent home, allowed newcomer families to comfortably settle after fleeing war-torn countries and bring stability back to the lives of the formerly homelessness.

For more information about Furniture Bank or to find out about their services and programs visit: www.furniturebank.org, your used furniture will change a life!

Related Topics:Brampton business furniture local mississauga support local Toronto

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Record entries for JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

TOCaribNews

Winner of the 2023 staging of the JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition ,Joel Miller, (third from left), shares a moment with representatives of the Jamaica Cultural |Development Commission (JCDC), organizers of the event. From left are Shaun Drysdale – Drama and Theatre Arts Development Specialist, Andrew Brodber – Director, Arts Development and Training and Executive Director, Lenford Salmon.

BY RUSHANE FERRON

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) has received an unprecedented number of submissions for this year’s FiWi Short Film Competition. Launched earlier this year, the competition drew an impressive 47 entries. Currently, 17 shortlisted films are available for public viewing on the JCDC’s YouTube channel, with winners set to be announced on October 24^th.

Executive Director of the JCDC, Mr. Lenford Salmon, expressed pride in the competition’s growing success, stating, “This record number of entries reflects how Jamaicans are embracing the programmes offered by the JCDC. While the Commission is well known for preserving and showcasing our culture, we also recognize the importance of using technology to engage, particularly with our youth. The FiWi Short Film Competition is a perfect example of how we can bring our culture to life in the digital age. The fact that it’s four years old and already experiencing this level of growth is a promising sign for the future.”

Drama and Theatre Arts Development Specialist at the JCDC, Mr. Shaun Drysdale, attributes this year’s spike in entries to the increasing interest in filmmaking, fueled by the proliferation of social media platforms that support storytelling through visuals.

“We are living in a digital age. Filmmaking is now in the hands of the average person on the street via his, or her cell phone. Add to that the inherent creativity of Jamaicans and you are left with a potent combination, which when given the correct environment, can reap tangible rewards. That is what we are experiencing at this time,” Mr. Drysdale said.

The JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition seeks to promote Jamaican culture through the production of films ranging from 3-5 minutes in duration. The films must be based on set criteria, and primarily centred around a Jamaican proverb.

This year’s proverbs are: “Sweet mout fly follow coffin go a hole”; “Puss nuh hab han, but him tek him foot wipe him face”; “Keep clear a ole house, les dem fall dung pon you”; “Rockstone a riber bottom nuh feel sun hot”; and “Finger tink, yuh cyan cut eh trow ‘wey”.

In addition to the proverbs, participants were also given two special themes around which to build the treatment of their films, based on concepts provided by two sponsors. These are: “SEAS IN FOCUS: Uniting for marine managed areas”- National Conservation Trust Fund of Jamaica (NCTFJ) and “Need a passport quick, Get it with just a click”- Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

Mr. Drysdale further noted that this year’s shortlisted films represent a variety of the possible genres with eleven dramatic works, two animation films, one comedy, one documentary and two science fiction films. Three of the participants are from the youth category, which is for filmmakers between 12-18 years old and the remaining 14 from adult category.

In addition to viewing the short films online, the public will have an opportunity to view at a special screening to be held on National Heroes’ Day, Monday, October 21^st, 2024, as a feature of JCDC National Heritage Fest and Family Fun Day being held on the south lawn at Devon House in St Andrew.

The FiWi Short Film Competition was started by the JCDC in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition is the brainchild of the JCDC’s Drama and Theatre Arts Unit and encourages Jamaican amateur filmmakers to examine selected Jamaican proverbs and based on their interpretation create the treatment for a short film.

Community News

York Catholic is leading the province in educational achievement

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Paul Junor

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), which administers the Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments across Ontario and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), recently released the 2024 results. For many schools across the province, EQAO results are a snapshot of how students are doing compared to their peers in other schools at the same grade level.

The York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) has maintained a high level of consistency with respect to the outstanding performance of its students on the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). In a media release on Wednesday, October 9^th, 2024, details were revealed about the positive achievements and exemplary accomplishments of its students.

EQAO results were released on September 26^th, 2024. The focus was, “Mathematics Achievement Remains an Area of Focus but Sees Gradual Growth Over Time with Some School Boards Showing Significant Increases; Literacy Achievement Remains High but Shows Some Decline.” The data was based on the 2023-2024 school year during which over 570,000 students wrote the EQAO assessments at the elementary and secondary levels on the English and French-language school systems.

For students who wrote the Grade 3 Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics:

71% met the provincial standard in reading compared to 73% in 2022-2023, and 73% in 2021-2022.
64% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in writing, compared to 65% in 2022-2023 and 65% in 2021-2022.
61% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in mathematics, compared to 60% in 2022-2023 and 59% in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 6 Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics:

82% met the provincial standard in reading, compared to 84% in 2022-2023 and 85% in 2021-2022.
80% met the provincial standard in writing, compared to 84% in 2022-2023, and 84% in 2021-2022.
50% met the provincial standard in mathematics, compared to 50% in 2022-2023 and 47 % in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 9 Assessment in Mathematics:

54% met the provincial standard, compared to 54% in 2022-2023 and 52% in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT):

85% of first-time eligible students were successful, compared to 85% in 2022-23 and 82% in 2021-2022.
52% of previously eligible students were successful in 2023-2024, compared to 63% in 2022-2023 and 85% in 2021-2022.

John De Faveri, Interim Director of Education of the YCDSB writes, “We are always looking for ways to provide a better school experience, but today is a time to celebrate our students and staff for their excellent academic achievement. I want to particularly highlight the incredible work that is being done in mathematics, which we see in these results. Mathematical literacy is such an important life skill and we are happy to share a love of numbers with our students.”

Results from the Grade 3, 6 and 9 EQAO Mathematics results show improvement in Mathematics compared to 2023. In addition, with respect to reading and writing results for Grade 6 there has been a consistent steady upward rise in the performance of students as 89% and 90% of students met or exceeded provincial standards when compared to the province’s average of 82% and 89%.

Elizabeth Crowe, Chair of the Board of Trustees for YCDSB states, “EQAO results are just one of the ways we see how York Catholic is leading the province in educational achievement. As a Catholic learning community, we want to see every child succeed and EQAO results help us measure our progress toward that noble goal.”

Overall, the percentage of students who participated from YCDSB in Grade 3 and 6 EQAO were 97% and 98%, respectively. For Grade 9 Math assessment there were 93% of eligible students and 97% in the OSSLT.

Any parents or guardians interested in learning about the 2024 EQAO and OSSLT results and individual school results for their children can check the EQAO’s website: https://www.eqao.com/results/.

Community News

York Catholic District School Board plans open house for future high school students

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Paul Junor

Credits: Pch.Vector

BY PAUL JUNOR

There is: planning, preparation, and organization that parents, guardians and caregivers must make in York Region as they prepare their children for high school. For those who chose to send them to a high school at the Catholic board, there are open houses planned to make this process easier to navigate.

In a press release on Thursday, October 10^th, 2024, details were revealed about these open houses. It notes, “The open houses will highlight key aspects of each school, including administration, programs, graduation requirements, uniforms, school structure, student opportunities and more. In addition, information about the registration process, including registration dates, deadlines and documents needed to enroll, will be discussed.

The media release mentioned the seven regional programs, and ten Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) programs. They include:

Advanced Placement

Programs with an extended and enriched curriculum allow students to earn credits or advanced standing at most universities.

English as a Second Language

(ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD)

English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development programs assist English language learners from diverse linguistic and education backgrounds in attaining English language proficiency.

French Immersion (FI)

Students who completed the Elementary French Immersion programs, or equivalent can continue with the immersion program to earn a French immersion certificate upon graduation.

High Performer Athlete (HPA)

An academic-based program for student-athletes participating in competitive-level athletics. Students benefit from a flexible timetable to help balance their academic and athletic commitments and earn high school credits for the work they put into their training.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

A rigorous and intellectually challenging pre-university course of study that allows students to earn an IB Diploma upon graduation, recognized in Canada and abroad.

Regional Arts (RAP)/Integrated Regional Arts Program(iRAP)

Students specialize in drama, dance, visual arts, digital media arts, instrumental music, or vocal music- while obtaining their high school diploma. In the iRAP, students experience their learning through an integrated model where the curriculum is explored in relation to the interconnectedness of the individual, the community, and the world.

STREAM Program

Students explore real-world challenges and use the design thinking process to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills, guided by the traditional Catholic social teachings. This academic program uses an interdisciplinary approach to inquiry and problem-based learning.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)

Students can obtain a diploma with a specialist in either: Arts and Culture; Aviation and Aerospace; Business; Health and Wellness; Hospitality and Tourism; Information and Communication Technology; Justice, Community Safety and Emergency Services, Manufacturing; or Non-Profit. Every YCDSB school offers a SHSM program.

Parents or guardians who live in York Region and are interested in any programs can check: Website: www.ycdsb.ca