Aside from Working Women Community Centre’s core programs and services we are involved in a series of special projects and initiatives. Some of these projects are small scale one year initiatives and others are multi-year projects with multiple partners.

Assets Building Community Project

The purpose of this one year project funded by United Way of Toronto is to gain a better understanding of the needs, assets and vision of the Don Mills Sheppard area through asset mapping, strengthen inter-organizational collaboration to advance community development planning in the neighbourhood and to develop a model for WWCC to strengthen clients and key stakeholders involvement in our planning and decision making processes.

Expressions of Life through Art

This program, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, provides opportunities for newcomers and immigrants living in the Don Mills/Sheppard community to participate in cultural and artistic activities that celebrate their diverse talents, showcase their artwork, deepen community engagement and strengthen relationships among different ethno-cultural communities. The ‘Expressions of Life through Art’ builds on our community garden that brings over 100 newcomers and immigrants together on a weekly basis, and works with gardeners and their families to express their newcomer experiences through painting, music, dance and theatre.

Graffiti Transformation Project

The Victoria Park Graffiti Transformation Project brings together youth from the Parma Court and surrounding areas to design, create and install a mural in the Parma Court community of Toronto Community Housing. Activities include site cleanup and removal of any existing tags in the area where the mural is installed.

Local Immigration Partnership (LIP)

The LIP is a one-year project (2009/2010) funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). As lead agency, WWCC is establishing a Partnership Council initiative in the North York East area of Toronto (Don Mills/Sheppard). It will build on the existing Fairview Interagency Network, and will enhance this structure by pulling together key stakeholders to meet regularly to develop a coordinated, comprehensive and strategic approach to immigration and integration that addresses the needs and complements the assets of the North York East community. The Project outcomes are:

1. • To improve access and coordination of immigrant integration services (settlement, language, training, labour market integration, health and education supports) in the North York East community through the establishment of a Partnership Council;
   • To strengthen settlement and integration outcomes of newcomer populations through the development of a comprehensive settlement strategy (including identifying needs, resources, capacities and gaps); and
   • To strengthen local awareness and capacity to integrate immigrants through engagement of a broad range of local stakeholders and residents in the formation of the settlement strategy