A little boy reaches for the red plastic firefighter’s helmet and puts it on his head. Next is the yellow jacket. He smiles while looking into the child-sized mirror. His mother looks on approvingly.The scene is the York West Ontario Early Years Centre (OEYC) located in the Jane-Finch Mall. Our firefighter and his mother are two of about twenty taking part in the morning program. According to Manager Nesta Blake, there are usually parents waiting outside every day before opening time.It’s a popular place because OEYC offers a wide range of free programs that support parents and their children up to six years.As the fledgling firefighter played with a toy fire truck, an older woman came in looking for help with her own problems. This occurs often at OEYC, as Ms. Blake does a lot of referrals that go beyond children, and nearly all of those go to the lead agency: the Jane/Finch Family and Community Centre.Located on the ground floor of 4400 Jane Street, the Centre was incorporated in 1976 by residents who wanted to address local issues. This social services agency has grown to offer programs from prenatal to seniors. According to Michelle Dagnino, the Centre’s Executive Director, “our goal is to increase capacity, leadership skills, and provide support for residents in the Jane-Finch area as advocates, and engaged and empowered citizens.“The Centre remains responsive to shifting community needs in large part because of resident advisory groups with decision-making authority over program objectives and outcomes.Once he outgrows the plastic helmet, our fire fighter can go to The Spot, located on the second floor of Yorkgate Mall. The Spot offers youth aged thirteen to thirty a wide range of social, educational, leadership, artistic and recreational programming.If he needs financial advice, there’s FEPS (Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving), which also offers a popular Income Tax Clinic for low income residents.Should he need support in times of crisis, Getting In Touch is a mental health drop-in program which started in 1980.One program he’ll likely never use is Women Moving Forward (WMF), which is for sole support mothers on social assistance between ages 20-29. WMF helps these women build a foundation based on education and meaningful employment, so they and their children can have better lives.Perhaps he’ll want to make a difference in his community. Given its origins, the Centre has always been involved in community development and advocacy. A recent highlight was the Centre’s role in the Jane-Finch TSNS Task Force, a community response to the city’s Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020.Maybe one day, he’ll look on approvingly as his son or daughter puts on a red plastic helmet.You can learn more about the Centre at the 40th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, July 23, in the parking lot of the Jane-Finch Mall, starting at 11:00 a.m. Or phone the main office at 416-663-2733.See you there!
York Centre Trustee By-Election is July 25th
The sudden death of former TDSB Trustee Howard Kaplan has prompted a by-election call in York Centre. The election will be held on Monday, July 25th.To find out where to vote you can go to the following website www.toronto.ca/electionsAt the time of publication 10 candidates signed up for the by-election and The Downsview Advocate contacted them in order to provide a profile on each one to our readers. The following are the profiles for the candidates that responded.Name: Sue MathiEmail: info@suemathi.comWebsite: www.suemathi.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/suemathiward5trusteecandidate/I am eager to serve this diverse community. A trustee should be interested in advocating for the needs of the entire community and I will do that with vigor. I do not have a personal agenda, nor am I using the role as a gateway into politics. To show my commitment to service, I have promised that if elected, I will donate my entire first year’s salary directly to the schools in Ward 5 to be used at their discretion. I value education, children, and proper use of tax-payers money. I am eager to give back and help the children in our community get the best out of our education dollars.Name: Jordan GlassEmail: glass4yorkcentre@gmail.comWebsite: http://glass4yorkcentre.webs.com/Twitter: @Glass4YorkCenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlassInYorkCentre/I believe I can help make our school system better. As a parent of a child with special needs, I’ve spent years trying to navigate my way through the obscene red-tape in the TDSB. Dealing with our school board should not be this hard. My priority would be to create a parent facilitator to guide parents through a system that was not built with the concerns of them or their children in mind. This individual would assist families by empowering parents to speak for the needs of their children, especially those with special needs. Name: Erica ShinerEmail: info@ericashiner.comWebsite: ericashiner.comTwitter: @ericashinerFacebook: facebook.com/ericashinerTOMy son's first experience in kindergarten this year was a real eye-opener to the challenges that children and parents face when navigating the system. Classes are overcrowded and repairs are woefully underfunded. I love being of service by amplifying the voices of others, and I'm passionate about implementing the changes necessary to better our school system. If elected, my priority would be implementing better planning to avoid overcrowding and the short-sighted sale of schools. I'm also committed to creating a more effective system of parent engagement to resolve issues at schools. Whether there are concerns with special needs, bullying, health issues, or anything else, parents need more accessibility to work with their schools.
Recipe of the Month: Summer Party BBQ Burger
1 kg ground beef _1 small white onion4 eggs2 tblsp bread crumbs1 tblsp salt2 tsp black pepper2 tsp paprika1 tsp garlic powder 2 tblsp Sriracha2 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tblsp Dijon mustard Extremely easy to makeCut onion into a small diceMix all ingredients together for 2-3 minutesForm burgers into whatever size you like or if you have a kitchen scale use scale to make them all the same size (I recommend 6 ounces each, makes 10 burgers)Put burgers in fridge to firm up, leave in fridge for 30 minutesCook on grill, if made to 6 ounces they will cook in 10 minutes 5min on each side on medium grill heat
If you like coffee, sandwiches and homemade dessert, Cafe by Kwin is the place to be!
Café by Kwin first opened in July 2015. This friendly neighbourhood café was created by J. Kwin and is a family business involving both parents and their three children as well as an aunt. The children work after school or on weekends and enjoy working while balancing their school and social schedules.The family works well together and they share bonding moments too. Working with family is, according to them, “a real pleasure.” The business schedule can be adapted to each individuals schedule making it easy to manage.Cafe by Kwin’s priority is to stick to good quality, healthy and fresh product at affordable prices –and they are great at making you feel comfortable. They provide great customer relationships and delicious food –can’t go wrong!It all started because J. Kwin is a coffee lover and a cooking devotee, so he came up with the idea of a cafe where he could work with his family. He did a lot of research and invented his own recipes to make good, healthy, fresh and homemade food. He also decorated and designed the café’s layout. The room is spacious which provides different areas that fit several groups of people and they even have outdoor seating!Their menu includes a variety of sandwiches, coffees, salads, cheesecakes (from The Cheesecake Factory), Belgium waffles, ice cream, and much more. Tu Anh Nguyen (J. Kwin’s wife) is fond of drinks, so J. Kwin also created a variety of drink recipes. I personally recommend the strawberry banana smoothie, which is very fruity and refreshing.Café by Kwin is a great place to meet with friends, to study or have a meeting. They provide a great atmosphere and friendly, respectful service along with good quality food. It is located at 1 De Boers Drive, 400 meters from the Downsview subway station.So, do not hesitate anymore, and come enjoy a delicious coffee with a slice of homemade cheesecake sooner than later!For more information visit: www.cafebykwin.comEmail: mail@cafebykwin.comPhone: 647-352-5558Facebook: Cafe by KwinInstagram: @cafebykwin