Residents in one of Toronto’s poorest neighbourhoods were offered new hope on Jan. 19 as four churches and three non-profit groups forged a coalition to “cross all barriers and embrace all who call St. James Town home.”
St. James Town, which lies northeast of Toronto’s downtown core, is one of the most densely populated communities in Canada, with about 17,000 people living in 19 apartment towers — a staggering population density of more then 64,000 people per square kilometre. It is also among the city’s poorest neigbourhoods and is home primarily to recent immigrants.
On Jan. 19, representatives from the churches and organizations signed a document expressing their formal commitment to offer “whatever resources the community needs based on our ability to provide.” The signing coincided with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which ran from Jan. 18 to 25. A fifth church, which was unable to get approval to sign the document, hopes to do so in the future.
For four years, the members of the ecumenical coalition have been working side-by-side on several separate and joint programs including an after-school program run in partnership with three churches, including Rosedale Presbyterian, and two non-profit groups.
The St. James Town ecumenical coalition includes Rosedale Presbyterian, St. Simon’s Anglican, 614 St. James Town Mennonite Brethren, St. Andrew’s United, City Hope, the St. James Town Safety Committee, and Yonge Street Mission.
