It may be tempting to look at 18 job losses at an agency of hundreds as inconsequential. But when The Neighborhood Group laid off 18 workers this summer, they upended hundreds of lives and changed the fabric of our city. The programs they cut support the most marginalized, from at risk youth and senior citizens.

They shuttered the Boys2Men Youth Program and weekend youth programs, meaning hundreds of at risk young men of colour now have one less safe space and adult in their corner.

They closed the meal program for seniors, meaning hundreds of people who desperately need not just a healthy home-cooked meal but a point of human contact are now adrift and alone.

They also laid off case workers who support seniors, conflict resolution specialists, and more.

These are not just cuts – they are attacks at the type of city we want to live in and the kind of community many have worked so hard to build. We need to support at risk youth and seniors. And we need these workers to do so.

Send a message to The Neighourhood Group and the City of Toronto. Tell them to invest in communities. 

SUBJECT: Cuts at the neighbourhood group hurt Toronto

Hello,

I am writing to you as a deeply concerned citizen in your capacity as a board member at The  Neighbourhood Group or a City Councillor for Toronto. Whichever role you play, you have a responsibility to the community.

The Neighbourhood Group announced 18 job losses over the summer. I know that doesn’t sound catastrophic at an agency of hundreds, but the impact of the losses far outweighs their number.

We are judged as a society by how we care for the most vulnerable. These cuts were made primarily to programs that support seniors and at risk youth, some of our city’s most marginalized and easily overlooked. These groups need our investment. They need more supports.

I want to explain some of the impact that removing these critical services will have.

Because of the cuts, the Boys2Men Youth Program and weekend program for youths of colour have been closed. These programs provided a safe space to hundreds of young men of colour, providing a critical resource to those who desperately needed it. City of Toronto programs are stretched thin. If you go to a city gym, you’re lucky to get 20 minutes on the court. These programs were like a family for the young men. They found safety, a powerful sense of belonging and community, an opportunity to expand their horizons, and a lifeline should they ever need help. Now all of that is gone.

Gone also is the meal program for seniors living in TNGs modular housing. These seniors are still getting food – but now it’s a frozen meal slid under their door. They used to receive healthy meals cooked just for them. What’s more, they’d get to socialize – often it was the only time they’d spend with others all week. Now they’re alone, left to heat up frozen meals by themselves.

These cuts are slashes to very fabric of our city. And we can do better.

I know that funding is complicated and that TNG receives money from all levels of government. I also know that these are your community members who are going to suffer.

That’s why I’m writing in the hope that you can find a creative solution to keep these critical programs running. Our city is counting on them.

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