There’s a proven invervention to Toronto's isolation crisis
that will rebuild our city's social connections
Toronto is Canada’s loneliest city — every day, Torontonians struggle to make connections that lead to friendships, support networks, and safer neighbourhoods. Without intervening, we will continue to be an isolated and disconnected city.
But small groups of neighbours across Toronto want to do something about it. They know their communities and can draw people together to imagine and build a better future. These small groups hold the key to reducing isolation—they can reach residents that have been isolated for years, build trust with people in ways institutions can’t, and as volunteers, they are motivated to do something for their own community. With a $1,000 microgrant from Volunteer Toronto, small groups of neighbours are already making a difference.
35 groups of neighbours funded
in 2024
Social isolation
decreased
$1,000/each to make it happen
200+
potential projects still to fund
270+ potential community projects identified
Help Volunteer Toronto Keep This Program Going
Volunteer Toronto is seeking $35,000 by the Civic Long Weekend—August 4, 2025, to keep our Civic Spark Microgrant program going. We will then distribute 35 x $1,000 microgrants in 2026 to small groups of neighbours in Toronto who will deliver an event or project that reduces social isolation.
Will you join our group of committed donors that want to make a difference?
Make a big difference—fully fund five unique projects that reduce isolation by covering costs such as space, food, supplies and materials for each project!
Join our group of donors that believe in the power of community connections!
A $2,000 donation will fund two projects impacting two different communities.
Fully fund one project and cover all costs to make it happen. Projects range from creating safe spaces for small groups to connect, to large events for neighbours!
Help fund a project with a $500 donation that will cover the cost for most event space rentals, a significant expense for groups looking to run a project!
Can you and a group of friends each donate $100? Every bit matters! Just $100 can cover the cost for food or to print posters that bring people out!
OR, connect with our Executive Director to discuss a donation!
Joanne McKiernan, Executive Director
jcmkiernan@volunteertoronto.ca
416-961-6888 ext 241
“We had to build trust with people in our community who were nervous about coming out for the first time”
- Project Organizer, Sistaz in Sound, 2024 Micrograntee Pilot
In our pilot program, some groups started clubs, community gardens or held block parties. Others ran healing circles, youth art exhibits and sustainability workshops. The projects were as diverse as the communitiesthey engaged across Toronto. But one thing rang true—social isolation decreased. People met neighbours, made friends, and reported feeling less isolated. Click the buttons below to read more.
“Community Initiatives like this are the reason I choose to stay in Toronto”
- Project Participant, East-End Kids Pride Parade, 2024 Micrograntee Pilot
“If you know your neighbours, you are more likely to want to look after them and it helps taking care of them easier. This grant helped build that connection among the people in our building."
- Project Organizer, Connections50, 2024 Micrograntee Pilot
About Volunteer Toronto
Volunteer Toronto is Canada’s largest volunteer centre with 50 years of experience connecting volunteers to the organizations that need them. Our services empower local volunteers to find opportunities that make a positive difference in their community. Through in-person and online training, we also educate and help non-profit organizations and community groups run successful volunteer programs.
If you are looking TO volunteer or looking FOR volunteers in Toronto, we are the place to start!
Thank You For Your Time and Support
$1,000 microgrant helps newcomers overcome isolation with art
If you were to stroll through Christie Pits Park last summer, you might have seen a small group of diverse people gathered together, painting, drawing, chatting, and laughing. The reason they were together? A series of art workshops organized by Colective Bandita Latina, a group of neighbours dedicated to engaging newcomers in Toronto through the power of artistic expression.
Through a series of four workshops, they brought together people who had arrived in Canada less than five years ago—in fact, one leader, Antonio, has only been here for two years. Many children and senior participants came from Spanish-speaking countries, including Columbia, Mexico, and Guatemala and most were women.
With the support of a Volunteer Toronto microgrant, newcomers made new friends and found a space to share their feelings.
Each session began with an icebreaker, followed by a mental health workshop facilitated by a psychologist. Participants were then guided by skilled art instructors who emphasized self-discovery in a non-judgmental atmosphere. The resulting art reflects participants’ experiences as newcomers to Toronto. One woman painted a bus because she was frustrated about so often missing it. By the end, everyone was laughing about it together!
“It was an emotional event, not out of fear, but out of love,” says one organizer, Antonio. “In essence, our workshop is not just about creating art; it's about fostering a community where participants can connect, share, and thrive together.” And they did. Organizers were struck by how many new friendships had blossomed by the end. What they didn’t expect was that so many wanted to come back for more.
$1,000 microgrant makes safe spaces for queer swimmers possible
Queer and gender non-conforming swimmers often face barriers that cis and heterosexual athletes do not. Fear of judgement and anxiety over what to wear can prevent them from getting in the water. This means that queer swimmers may be deprived, not only of the practice they need to develop their skills, but of community. That’s where the Toronto Queer Swim Club (TQSC) comes in. Their goal is to create safe waters for queer, trans and non-binary swimmers, from beginners to experienced athletes.
With the support of a Volunteer Toronto microgrant, more queer swimmers have a safe place to practice in the water and find community.
Last spring, TQSQ held weekly practice sessions, facilitated by volunteer Coaches and funded with their microgrant. They were able to book space at an accessible public pool, one of only three in the city which offers gender-neutral changerooms and scheduled pre-practice meetings, allowing swimmers to stretch, enjoy snacks, and get to know each other. By the time the club’s pool party rolled around at the end of June, a sense of trust and a spirit of camaraderie filled the pool.
As temperatures rose, the club relocated to Cherry Beach.
By summer’s end, two club members decided they were ready to compete in an open water race which offered, for the first time ever, a non-binary category. One of the two swimmers, who identifies as trans, registered and won! As club founders Tai and Ness tell it: “knowing they [could] compete as a non-binary person without having to do mental gymnastics was incredible. A bunch of people were there – their partner and friends came out to cheer them on. Swimming truly means so much more than just time in the pool.”
$1,000 microgrant helps elder community members make friends
Etobicoke grandmother Lydia Brown was grieving the death of a son during COVID when she decided to join a micro-funded group in Etobicoke, called Sistaz in Sound, which offered tutorials on steel drums, and other activities, including beading and crochet, to encourage people to interact with one another. It ran over six weeks.
I was nervous and shy, which I still am,” says Brown. She tried the drums and crochet and stuck around for the beading. She made new friends. She found someone to go to church with.
With the support of a Volunteer Toronto microgrant, Lydia and others found a space to learn creative arts leading to more connections with others and new friends.
“I don’t feel alone as much as I did. If I have a problem, I have someone I can talk to,” said Brown. One of the women she met introduced her to a grief support group, which Brown also joined....The microgrants created new social spaces at a time when people are withdrawing from more traditional social activities, like meeting friends at a movie theatre on a Friday night or dining out with them.
Read more in the Toronto Star
$1,000 microgrant brings together residents for walking tours
In 2020, the Ontario Black History Society launched #BlackedOutHistory to push for the inclusion of more Black history in Canadian school curricula. Three years later, Lanrick Bennett Jr., Urbanist in Residence at School of Cities, got tired of waiting for that to happen. With the help of his 13-year-old son and a few friends, Lanrick launched a series of free local Black history walks in the east end, allowing folks of all ages and backgrounds to discover Toronto’s 400 years of Black history, outside the confines of February.
With the support of a Volunteer Toronto microgrant, community members now had the opportunity to join a group walking tour and discover the history of their very own neighbourhoods.
In March, residents were invited to walk and discuss Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, whose property was the first Underground Railroad site ever excavated in Canada. In May, residents learned about City Alderman William Peyton Hubbard, the first Black person to be elected to public office in Toronto. June’s walk focused on Mary Ann Shadd, the first Black woman in North America to helm a newspaper. And, in July, they featured the remarkable life of Lincoln Alexander, Canada’s first Black Member of Parliament, federal Cabinet Minister, and Lieutenant Governor. None of these walks ever ended without someone coming up to Lanrick to say:
“I didn’t know, and now I need to tell someone else!”
But the learning didn’t stop there! Digital maps were created so that members of the public and school groups could explore these routes. So, why not grab your phone, a few friends and take a guided walk? You might just learn something incredible.