Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre (CONC)
A project based in community!
Toronto, Ontario
The Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre is a community-based multi-service center for families and individuals located in a high needs community in the west end of Toronto.
Over the past nine years this grassroots community organization has grown from a small but dynamic group of concerned community residents to a thriving, vibrant neighbourhood centre. Their programs reflect their ability to respond to the needs of their community.
There are a number of programs geared towards engaging children in positive activities. An after-school and summer Literacy Arts and Recreation program, called The Nook has 40 - 50 children participating after-school and 175 children during the summer months. Its activities include: Reading circle, sports, dance, drama, music, cooking, Science club, homework, weekly guest artist, computer/internet access and daily snack.
The Centre encourages at risk teens to get involved in their Graffiti Arts program. This program has allowed teens who normally feel like outsiders to participate in their community. The Centre provides an opportunity for high school, college and university students to work within the various programs. And finally the L.O.F.T. (Life Opportunity, Food & Technology) program provides youth with free access to computer technology, community kitchen facilities and employment supports. The L.O.F.T program collaborates with various community partners to respond to the need for youth employment.
Homelessness is present in many of Toronto's neighbourhoods. The community that the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre services is no exception. A wide range of services for the homeless population have been developed. This includes a 45 bed Out-of-the Cold program run on behalf of the City of Toronto and more recently the addition of a twenty bed program for women. The centre also provides a warm and welcoming environment for homeless people looking for support and assistance with problems that they encounter in their daily lives. Staff makes sure that the most vulnerable members of their community receive proper medical attention, access to resources such as clothing, informal counselling, identification, legal assistance, help finding a place to live and advocacy. They have been able to offer shower and laundry facilities as well as some emergency transportation.
The Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre applied to CAIC in January 2002. They were seeking second mortgage financing to enable them to purchase the building they were currently renting. Their landlord wanted to sell the building and the Centre was not interested in re-locating as they had built up a presence within their community and had also spent a great deal of money renovating the building.
When their conventional lending source fell through, CAIC's board agreed to provide the first mortgage financing with the condition that for the first 36 months of the loan term additional principal payments would be made to reduce the balance to 80% of the appraised value. I am happy to report that funds were advanced on March 1st, 2002 to the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre ensuring that this vital community-based project continues to serve its constituency. CONC has since applied and received an additional loan to enable them to complete renovations on a twenty-bed transitional housing addition to the 45 bed men's shelter located on Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto.
Website: www.conccommunity.org
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