Dear Friend,
As we step into 2025, I want to thank you for believing in a stronger, more equitable GTA for all and making so much possible this past year. With you by our side, we dug into the issues with more determination than ever to fight local poverty and its interconnected web of challenges.
Together, we helped more than 1.8M people access the tools and resources they need to thrive — food hampers, supportive housing, employment services, newcomer supports and more. We ensured vital services remain close to home in the neighbourhoods that need them most. We brought people together, like no one else can, to achieve things far greater than any of us can do alone.
We know there is still much more to do — but we wanted to take a minute to reflect on the past year and share with you just some of what we’ve achieved together. And to say thank you for standing with us as we work to tackle our region’s complex challenges.
Here’s to another year and a resolution to continue our work and take bold, unapologetic steps forward to build a GTA for all. Any way we can.
With sincere appreciation for your support,
Alka Graham
Director, Marketing, Donor Experience & Events
United Way Greater Toronto
BUILDING COMMUNITY TAKES COMMUNITY
We say it time and time again: Building community takes community — and we have a community like no other:
90K+ donors
800+ workplaces
2,000+ volunteers
Including an amazing 7,500+ climbers, donors, sponsors and 350+ volunteers that joined us for United Way ClimbUP and raised an astounding $1.7M to strengthen our communities.
Thank you to everyone — including our network of 300+ community partners — for standing shoulder to shoulder in their care and commitment to this region we call home this year.
We are so grateful to you for coming together to help create a future where everyone has what they need to live a good life. Any way we can.
PROTECTING
AND EXPANDING
VITAL SERVICES
As the challenges and needs across the GTA continue to rise, we’re tackling critical issues head-on, providing essentials like food, housing, employment and mental health services. Your unwavering support is empowering a stronger, more connected network of community agencies to accomplish what no single organization can. Here are a few examples of what our network is doing:
We teamed up with Blue Door, a trusted community partner, and other organizations to kick off an exciting transformation: the reconstruction of an emergency housing facility in York Region. Once complete, this expanded facility will feature 14 new townhomes, offering families not just a safe place to live but also the comprehensive wraparound supports they need to thrive.
Youth have faced unprecedented mental health challenges in the wake of COVID-19, and our North Etobicoke Cluster Table turned this crisis into an opportunity for action. Using research on the pandemic’s impact, a dynamic community event was held, packed with hands-on workshops tackling key issues like conflict resolution, problem-solving, employment readiness, financial literacy and wellness. With 15 local agencies on-site showcasing programs and services, this event connected young people with the tools and support they need to navigate these challenges and build brighter futures.
Together, we helped newcomers like Muffad and her family settle into their new lives, connecting them to language support, education, employment and other newcomers, providing crucial resources and a sense of community.
MuffadWe were in the darkness when we came here. When you’re in the darkness, you welcome light. We got a light thanks to Rexdale Women’s Centre and United Way.
Building Stronger
Neighbourhoods for
today and tomorrow
Skyrocketing rents are threatening the vital social services that keep our communities strong — but we’re stepping up to meet the challenge. Take a look at just a few of the ways we’re creating long-lasting change in neighbourhoods across our region together:
Our 10 Community Hubs across the GTA are cornerstones of the work we do in neighbourhoods. With a staggering 500,000 visits last year alone, these vibrant ‘one-stop-shops’ offer everything from after-school programs and community kitchens to settlement services, seniors’ programs, health clinics, employment initiatives and so much more.
We broke new ground on the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, which will soon become a vital resource for one of Canada’s largest and most densely populated high-rise neighbourhoods. Our research report, Essential Spaces: Real (Estate) Solutions to Community Needs, spotlighted the critical role of community spaces, fueling our commitment to protect and expand these essential Hubs.
Thanks to you, we’re tackling the GTA’s most pressing challenges and helping community organizations secure long-term spaces in the neighbourhoods they serve for years to come through our Community Real Estate initiative.
Ruth Crammond, Vice President of Community Infrastructure at United Way Greater TorontoSecure and quality community space is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to delivering services and United Way is here to make sure that agencies have the security and stability they need to continue supporting the community.
Empowering
communities and enabling
innovative solutions
The GTA’s toughest challenges demand the strength of community to overcome them. Your support is the driving force behind partnerships that are creating lasting, transformative change. Here are a few examples of the impact we’re making together:
Jane Finch is facing significant changes as new infrastructure and transit investments drive development. In response, we’re ensuring the community doesn’t get left behind by launching the Jane Finch Community Action Grants. These grants are driving significant development while supporting initiatives led by residents and local organizations and ensuring that the projects align with local priorities, such as employment, safety, vibrant spaces, food justice and more. Building on this momentum, we’re expanding these grants beyond Jane Finch, with similar initiatives already underway in South Markham and Cooksville.
Over the next 20 years, with three new transit lines and 35,000+ residential units transforming Scarborough’s Greater Golden Mile, we are ensuring that this redevelopment translates into real jobs and business opportunities for the people who live there. Through the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity (ILEO) initiative — powered by United Way Greater Toronto, BMO Financial Group and partners from the private, public and community sectors — we’re breaking down economic barriers and fostering inclusive, resident-informed opportunities that strengthen neighbourhoods.
Together, we’re championing community-led efforts and innovative approaches to tackle the GTA’s most pressing challenges. With your determination and support, we are helping individuals move forward and establish strong, resilient foundations now and for the future.
Nation Cheong, Vice President, Community Impact and Mobilization at United Way Greater Toronto.“By investing in the ideas and leadership of local residents, we’re ensuring the community’s voices are directly shaping their neighbourhoods, spaces and our city, we are working together to build future neighbourhoods with the people who know it best.”
Building community takes community.
With your support, With your support, we will build a GTA where everyone has what they need to thrive. Any way we can. Learn more about our work. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates about how your local love is making a difference across the GTA.