Community Support Toronto

North York Toastmasters Club Meeting

``` Find your confidence at North York Toastmasters! We are a diverse group of people who take the Toastmasters mission seriously... with a lot of fun. "The mission of a Toastmaster Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth." We do not judge because we have all been just starting out... at one time or another. Our in person meetings take place at the North York Seniors Centre at 21 Hendon Avenue, North York in the "Trillium Room". You are welcome to come out as guests at any meeting... Our next in person meeting will be on Thursday, October 1st, 2026 at 6:30 PM. Please "Register as a Guest" for future meetings on our https://northyorktoastmasters.com/ home page prior to the meeting. You can check our calendar here: https://northyorktoastmasters.com/calendar.html As our meetings are in person, seating is limited, so register early. Feel free to message any questions. ```

Community Meal Service at Good Shepherd (Toronto)

✨ **Community Meal Service at Good Shepherd** Hi everyone, We're heading back to Good Shepherd to serve meals for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk. Last time we served meals, chopped veggies, made sandwiches, and helped prep pasta. ✦ **Saturday, October 10, 1:30pm to 4pm** ✦ **Please arrive between 1:30 and 1:40pm** so we can assign roles ✦ Good Shepherd Ministries, 412 Queen St E, Toronto ✦ Only 6 spots **How to sign up** 1. Create your Toronto Joy account. It's one time only and takes about 3 minutes. We ask for an emergency contact and a safety agreement so everyone's looked after. [https://torontojoy.org/register/](https://torontojoy.org/register/) 2\. Go to the event page and click "Register\." [https://torontojoy.org/event/community-meal-service-at-good-shepherd-toronto-2/](https://torontojoy.org/event/community-meal-service-at-good-shepherd-toronto-2/) Already have an account? Skip to step 2. *Only people registered on our website can take a spot. If you sign up, please plan to be there. Good Shepherd counts on our numbers.* **When you arrive** Check in at Reception. Staff will take you to the volunteer room, where you can leave your things in a locker and meet the group. **Good to know** ✦ Closed-toe shoes required ✦ Tie back long hair, keep jewelry minimal ✦ Water is available, just ask Reception ✦ Can't make it? Message me as soon as you can 🙏 Full guidelines on what to wear and safety: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1piAyloECv9YUDkPJuoJBdCmh3x8n1un1rGvJSFIkbs4/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1piAyloECv9YUDkPJuoJBdCmh3x8n1un1rGvJSFIkbs4/edit?usp=sharing) Grateful to serve alongside you. Amar and Team

Communication Salon: (Dis)Connection

Do you ever find having trouble understanding why others do what they do? Or sharing what feels important? Do you sometimes feel alone? This event may be for you. We’re having an afternoon of organized discussion about what it means to be human and to communicate with others, followed by a few exercises to practice verbal and non-verbal communication. The theme this time is "Connection (and Disconnection)". We'll delve into topics like: What helps us feel connected with others? What makes us feel disconnected or alone? How can we connect better? The discussion part of the salon will include opportunities to share feelings in groups of different sizes. It’s a chance to feel heard and connected, and to practice openness, listening, compassion, and empathy. The quick communication exercises, following the discussion part, will provide an opportunity to practice some communication skills to help with connection, and to have some fun. Some of these will involve verbal communication, and others may include some non-verbal communication. (Think hand signals or gestures.) All exercises will be at choice: participants are free to participate in them, or observe, or step away. Please wear comfortable, casual clothing, to allow some movement. Date and Time : Saturday Oct. 17 at 1:30 pm. Location: Private house in Christie Pits, near Christie and Ossington subway stations, close to Bloor. Address will be provided to registered guests ahead of the event. Duration: the salon itself is planned for around 2 1/2 to 3 hours, and you can linger after for a while. A snack will be provided after the salon, and we'll put on some music, and you can hang out and chat. Cost: There's no cost, but a donation jar will be available in case you found the workshop helpful and you'd like to offer a contribution towards the cost of hosting it. Suggested donation is $10 to cover a part of the food and supplies. Note: This is a Level 1 event. There will be no exercises involving touch (other than possibly hugging) and it will be fully clothed. There will be a chance to meet some members of the open relating community, as well as others who are only interested in authentic communications. The focus of the event will not be open relating per se, but rather communications.

The Future of Wellbeing: AI, Community & Social Impact

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-future-of-wellbeing-ai-community-social-impact-tickets-1997859089317?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAad9JE43Cv4asJwzLwmAkV5UH94sl9eJwjPGVPLPRLCUuBLTGMNoB7aCPW61-A_aem_eqTb0M6UTv4G97JZPcFxPw **Overview** What does it mean to build AI in service of wellbeing? A one-day forum on tech, climate, mental health, community & social impact. *A Community Panel & Networking* An evening forum on what it means to build technology in service of wellbeing. As AI reshapes how we live, work, and care for one another, one question matters more than ever: what does it mean to build and adopt technology in service of holistic wellbeing — human, community, and societal — in the Canadian context? The Mindful Impact Forum brings together nonprofit leaders, founders, technologists, youth, and changemakers for a focused day of conversation and practice. We move deliberately from the human to the technical: first setting the foundation of what wellbeing truly means, then turning to how we build and adopt AI responsibly in service of it. After launching our forum series in Vancouver this past March, we're bringing it to Toronto for a single, focused edition — in partnership with Google Developer Groups and The Dais, TMU. ### **What you'll experience** * A flagship day of remarks, a keynote, and an opening panel on wellbeing * A creatively facilitated community forum — real cross-sector dialogue * A hands-on AI & technology for social impact workshop * Practical tools for leadership, resilience, and innovation you can use the next morning * A genuinely cross-sector room: founders, youth leaders, community builders, and changemakers ### **The program** Session 1 — Framing & Community Panel: What Wellbeing Means Session 2 — AI and Responsible Innovation: From Principles to Practice Session 3 — Finding our Wisdom Way Forward: Future Community Wellbeing & Leadership ## Event Details **📍 Location:** The Sandbox, TMU (341 Yonge St 3rd floor, Toronto, ON M5B 1S1) **📅 Date:** Oct 14, Wednesday 2026 **⏰ Time:** 6 PM - 9:00 PM (Door open 5:30 PM) **🎫 Ticket — FREE -$50** All proceeds support Wisdomway Impact’s mental wellbeing initiatives. Student & Youth (under 25, limited spots) FREE **Speakers** 1. **AJ Kim** is a social entrepreneur, global impact practitioner, dedicated to building spaces where inner development and collective change meet. Her work spans leadership development, youth empowerment, and community wellbeing initiatives in Asia, Africa, and Canada, grounded in field experiences, dialogue, and systems thinking. Through forums, education programs, and partnerships, she explores how mental wellbeing can become a foundation for stronger communities, sustainable leadership, and long-term social impact. 2. **Alejandro Castellanos** Toronto-based AI Systems Architect, Alejandro builds trustworthy AI technologies for community resilience, public-interest intelligence, and human-centred care. His work emphasizes evidence, human oversight, and technology that strengthens—not replaces—human judgment. 3. **Camara Chambers** (*Director of Learning and Events, The Dais at TMU)* Named one of 100 Black Women in Canada to Watch and a national leader by The Philanthropist Journal, Camara has spent her career where equity meets civic engagement — leading a national policy program for Europe's largest LGBTQ charity, and serving as Executive Director of Volunteer Toronto, Canada's largest volunteer centre. At the Dais she builds community partnerships and designs leadership programs for Canada's next generation of leaders, and she founded Let's Hike T.O., which has introduced over 1,300 people to the trails. She brings the question that keeps the whole session honest: responsible *for whom?* 4. **Carolyn Shaw** is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer of Humanity, an independent, Black-owned and female-led agency built for changemakers. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, branding and design, she helps purpose-driven organizations turn bold ambitions into ideas, experiences and campaigns that move people. Carolyn believes the strongest organizations are built by keeping people—their needs, dignity and lived experiences—at the centre of how we lead, communicate and create change. Her work spans health, education, culture, sustainability and the nonprofit sector, bringing strategy and creativity together to make complex issues more human and meaningful. A lifelong learner and advocate for purpose-led leadership, Carolyn is especially interested in how organizations can pursue progress without losing sight of the people that progress is meant to serve. 5. **Danielle (dane) Cadhit** is an experience designer, story weaver, facilitator, and lifelong observer of patterns. At Coralus, she crafts experiences that invite people to connect more deeply, see and do things differently, and (re)imagine new possibilities.Her curiosity tends to live in the spaces between things: between people and ideas, work and life, structure and emergence, the inner world and the communities we build around us. Lately, she has been especially interested in what happens when we stop treating ourselves like something to optimize, and instead pay more attention to the rhythms, seasons, relationships, and conditions that shape how we actually live, work, gather, and create. 6. **Hilary Van Welter** is CEO (Chief Exploration Officer) at Ascentia, Coralus Transformation Architect, and Associate Steward at Bounce Beyond. She has spent a lifetime exploring how life, people, organizations, communities and nature flourish, evolve and bring new possibilities into being. Her perspective has been shaped by decades of looking at these questions from many angles, across government, business, social innovation, community and systems transformation. Her work lives at the intersection of strategy, imagination and living systems, with a particular curiosity about the relationships and conditions that reimagine even the term wellbeing beyond the individual into community and society. She brings the wisdom of a long trajectory, a deep trust in life’s intelligence, and an ability to sense patterns and possibilities while they are still emerging. 7. **Jake Hirsch-Allen** (*Director of Partnerships, The Dais at TMU)* Jake works at the intersection of inclusive technology, ethical data, and responsible AI. He built public-private partnerships in workforce development and higher education at LinkedIn, co-founded Lighthouse Labs, and advises impact investors, public-sector leaders, and startups on responsible tech and AI governance. A former intellectual property and international criminal lawyer who clerked at the Supreme Court of Israel, he can speak to the ethics, the policy, and the build of AI all at once — and here, he opens the questions the demos will have to answer. 8. **Katie Choi (she/her)** is the Lead of Community Education at HF Care and a registered social worker with experience supporting diverse communities across the mental health, developmental services, and settlement sectors. Drawing on both her professional background and her lived experience as an immigrant and the daughter of immigrant parents, Katie is passionate about exploring how culture, migration, and family dynamics shape holistic wellness. Through her work, she supports front-line workers in building culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches to service delivery. 9. **Kritima Kukreja** Technology professional and mobile developer, Founder of Synk Tech AI. Specialized in creating smart agents, chatbots and automations that scales for the client’s needs. A former experienced developer in well-known companies such as IBM, MicroSoft, Bank of America, and Google. Kritima builds user-focused digital experiences and explores the intersection of AI, mobile technology, and emerging digital tools. She is also an active member of Toronto’s tech community, supporting and mentoring fellow builders. 10. **Swelen Andari** is the Director of Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She leads a research and systems change initiative to address climate distress, climate action, and active hope for youth. Swelen leads the CAMH Mental Health & Climate Response Initiative, an organization-wide effort addressing climate-related mental health impacts. Trained as a Creative Arts Therapist and with a background in systems thinking, and implementation science, she has over a decade of experience in system-level initiatives to improve access, service design, prevention, and youth leadership in Ontario’s child/youth mental health system. For several years, Swelen was involved in local and national climate justice organizing, including collaborating with Climate Justice Toronto, supporting the 350’s Our Time Campaign, and co-designing a social movement organization committed to advancing equitable climate solution, good work and dignity for all. ## Organizer & Sponsors **Wisdomway Impact** connects mental wellbeing with community, social, and environmental resilience. We support leadership programs, community wellbeing strategies, and cross-sector impact projects that strengthen trust and collective care. We believe community wellbeing begins with inner wellbeing. Your ticket directly supports ongoing community initiatives and leadership development programs. **The Dais, Toronto Metropolitan University** is a public policy and leadership think tank, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada. With over 20 research reports exploring how AI is reshaping work, public policy, education and the nonprofit sector, the Dais has helped organizations build the knowledge and practical skills needed to adopt AI responsibly and effectively through the RAISE initiative which saw 550+ nonprofit professionals across Canada access practical training on AI governance and adoption. **GDG Toronto** is a chapter of Google Developer Groups, a global network of local, community-run developer groups. We bring people together around Google technologies through talks, hands-on workshops, and hackathons to be the technology literacy bridge for our community.

Avengers’ Saturday Cafe for the Homeless

Note: You may be removed from the attendance list if you've participated in the previous week's event. This allows for more people to experience this Meetup. Avengers put your costumes on and let’s go and save the world!
Well we can’t save the world (yet), but we aim to try to play a small part in the lives of those experiencing homelessness by making their day a bit better!
Description: Before the event the organizer will post a list in the comment section of the attendees and what they are responsible to bring (food/drink, kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies). We normally ask each attending member to bring approximately $15-20 worth of ingredients/supplies to our event. We will use the items to prepare and serve food/drink at The Meeting Place.
Timeline: We will meet on location at 11:00 am, with lunch served between 12:30-1:00 pm.
Membership Dues: Membership dues are $2.00 for the calendar year. Membership dues go towards paying for food/supplies incurred by no-shows. Membership dues are due at the first meetup of the year that you attend.
No Shows/Late Un-RSVP: We’re relying on members who RSVP to bring key ingredients for recipes! Please try your best to show-up or alternatively change your RSVP early so another member may fill the empty spot.
\*\*\* If you are on the waitlist, keep checking as you may be moved into attendance to replace someone. We will try to message you to confirm your attendance in advance.
Donations will be assigned before the event.

St.Vladimir Toastmasters Overcome Fear of Public Speaking (In Person & Online)

If you are new to Toastmasters, we make each session interesting by following a structured schedule with numerous roles for each member, including a new theme, a word of the day, and a fun portion called Table Topics that everyone is welcome to participate in. And if you have felt intimidated by public speaking, this club is for you. St. Vladimir Toastmasters is the BEST place to practice your communication skills in a stimulating and supportive environment. Our group rocks! We have a fun, friendly, welcoming atmosphere focused on mutual support, encouragement and improving self-confidence to speak in public. If you're a guest, grab an agenda and a seat, and enjoy some good company. Participation is optional, but we encourage you so that you feel welcome and ready to participate right away. After all, you want to get more comfortable speaking, right? **We meet every Wednesday, 6:55-8:20 pm EST** **Message us for more details or information at** officers@StVlad.org We prefer meeting in person, but will accommodate **online attendance** for those who leave a message below or email us. We do not activate the Zoom room if there are no requests. So, be sure to **email us to activate the meeting link if you want to attend online**: officers@StVlad.org **We encourage you to come directly to our location, but please note** **that we are on the move the months of December and April.** So, always check in with us for meeting details for those months. **WE ARE NOT AT OUR USUAL LOCATION APRIL 15, 22, 29. IF YOU ARE A GUEST, PLEASE REGISTER FOR MAY INSTEAD! WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU.** Saint Vladimir Institute 620 Spadina Ave Toronto, ON M5S 2H4 Canada Email: **officers@StVlad.org** Phone: **+1 416-536-0678**

Photography Walk: Fall Colours @ U of T

Thanksgiving Dinner

Colouring and Chill: Village by the Grange

🚶🏾‍♀️Wednesday Walks: Riverdale Park East 🚶‍♀️

Sunday with Friends Autumn Colours Walk Through High Park (meet La Diperie Cafe)

Hello everyone, **\*\*Please kindly read carefully- Thank you\*\*** Please join me and my other groups for a fun and leisure autumn colours nature walk through **High Park.** We will meet at **La Diperie Cafe** where you are welcome to grab a coffee, water, pastry or ice cream if you like before we head out. This will give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves as everyone arrives; then make our way on a friendly walk through the iconic **High Park in Toronto.** Event Details below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **Sunday with Friends Autumn Colours Walk Through High Park (Meet at La Diperie Cafe) (Meet at La Diperie Cafe)** \*We can stop and rest at different spots, take some photos and share some laughs \*Play a couple ice-breaker games as well to help build some bonds and make connections \*This fun, leisure walk will be a great way to make new friends, appreciate the changing seasons, get some fresh air, and even get a little exercise. :) **Event Fee:** 10 dollars when you arrive at the La Diperie Cafe (cash only please) or e transfer in advance to **steveflemming11@gmail.com** \*If you can't attend walk, but wish to attend mingle after please email me or text me- event fee still applies \*I encourage you to take the subway as it is very close to the cafe but certainly driving in an option \*Street parking will be found along Bloor Street and residential area but not inside the park **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** Meet us at **La Diperie Cafe** at 3:00 p.m. (we will wait for everyone until 3:30 pm) **Address:** 1960 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M4W 1J2 Very close to the High Park Subway station (we will then head out for our walk at that point)

HUMBER RIVER: (Salmon Spawn Nature Walk & Social Gathering) (Bloor & Old Mill)

Hello everyone, **\*\*Kindly Read Carefully\*\*** Please join me and my other groups for a wonderful leisure nature walk along the **Humber River** meeting out front of **Old Mill Station and Bloor.** A beautiful, breathtaking walk for all nature enthusiasts. We will meet at the Corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just outside of the **Old Mill subway station**) This will give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves as everyone arrives; then make our way down and along the Don River \***Street parking** found along Bloor Street- just west of our meeting spot \*We will most likely go for a bite to eat after too :) Event Details below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **HUMBER RIVER: (Salmon Spawn Nature Walk & Social Gathering) (Bloor & Old Mill Station)** \*We can stop and rest at different spots along the way, take some photos and share some laughs \*Perhaps play a couple icebreaker games as well to help build some bonds \*This fun, leisure walk will be a great way to make some new connections, appreciate the nature in full bloom, get some fresh air and see the city from a wonderful new perspective :) *Walking of course is great for all of this but why not do it with a little friendly company too :)* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Event Fee:** 10 dollars (cash only) when you arrive or e transfer in advance to **Steveflemming11@gmail.com** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** \*Please arrive between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm (Do your best to arrive early instead of late gang- greatly appreciated) Let's meet at the corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just a few meters outside of the **Old Mill subway station** towards Bloor. \*Plenty of parking along Bloor Street or simply take the subway \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***Thanks for reading everyone, remember to RSVP and see you real soon!*** :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-