City of Toronto Announces Recipients of 2022 Regent Park SDP Grant

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Welcome to RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 42. In this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Kedar Ahmed, Fred Alvarado, Jabin Haque, and Victoria Nanneti, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

Episode 42 features the following stories, which also includes segments from recent, longer programs by Focus Media, (full program times indicated) including:

City of Toronto announces the recipients of the 2022 Regent Park SDP Grant and conditionally allocates 2023 funds (01:23 min); A feature "In Memory" of Barbara Helen Castledine (07:15 min); and another "In Memory" of Christian Yombo (09:56 min).

Report of Changing Cultures of Regent Park—A multimedia final exhibition (11:15 min);
Healing As One Celebrates the FIFA World Cup Final (20:05 min); Advocates call for more access to warming centres (21:40 min); Toronto City Council approves 2023 Housing Action Plan for the 2022-2026 term of  Council (22:46 min); Covid 19 & vaccination updates. City of Toronto extends COVID-19 Vaccine Engagement Teams to March 2023 (24:42 min);Events, trainings and jobs (26:52 min).
 
This week’s lead story:
City of Toronto announces recipients of 2022 Regent Park SDP Grant

The Regent Park Social Development Plan, commonly referred as the SDP, is a community wide initiative aimed at fostering social inclusion and cohesion. The plan revolves around four priority areas: Community Building, Safety; Employment & Economic Development and Communications. The City of Toronto provides funding in the amount of $500,000 yearly to support the priority areas of the SDP.

In previous years funding decisions were made by community members of the SDP in partnership with the City. For the 2022 funding year, funding recommendations were made by a small review panel comprised of residents of the Regent Park community.
On December 12, 2022, the City of Toronto’s Community Funding Unit announced the recipients of 2022 Regent Park Social Development Plan Grant.

According to the announcement, 26 proposals were submitted funding totalling $1.8 million. Out of these project proposals eight projects were approved for the 2022 SDP funding.
2022 SDP Recommendations

1. Toronto Futbol Athletic Advancement with The Centre for Social Innovation as the trustee, was awarded  $66,125.00. This project will work with the local Youth Council to create and expand accessible sports programs for local youth, especially girls and young women. This project will engage with more that 38 local female participants. It will also create local partnerships as well as volunteer and employment opportunities for Regent Part Residents.

2. Filipinos in Regent Park Community Group trusteed by SEAS, was awarded $12,760.00. The purpose of this project is to build the capacity of the Filipinos in Regent Park Community Group (FRPCG) to sustain our activities and expand, in order to build unity and uplift the well-being of every Filipino in Regent Park.

3. The Centre for Social Innovation was awarded $58,000.00. In partnership with the Community Building Working Group, this project will catalogue spaces in the community and find ways to unlock them for resident use. The project will organize community events to bring residents together and build bridges, particularly between market and Toronto Community Housing residents.

4. Happy Mother Happy Children trusteed by Neighbourhood Information post, was awarded $70,102.00. This project is designed to assist students from 4 to 10 years old in the Regent Park community with their homework. A group of locally hired tutors will assist students with reading, writing, math, science, and other school assignments.

5. The Street Haven at the Crossroads, was awarded $100,000.00. This project will focus on Regent Park residents and will provide wrap-around services for highly vulnerable women including shelter services; emergency hotel services; supportive housing; mental health and addictions support; treatment services and pre-employment support services.

6. The Regent Park Women’s Entrepreneur Group, trusteed by The Centre for Social Innovation was awarded $65,676.00. The for women by women project, will support women in the community by helping them develop, plan and market their businesses to other residents living in the neighbourhood through various initiatives. It will provide support through Peer Mentorship, Business Coaching, Training, and Business Supports. The leaders of this group are diverse women entrepreneurs in Regent Park with support from the SDP Employment and Economic Development Committee.

7. FOCUS Media Arts Centre was awarded $65,132.00 for Regent Park TV. This project will create at least 35 productions of the Regent Park News, recruit and train local residents to provide audio-technical, live streaming broadcast support to the SDP for all major meetings and events.

8. Toronto Birth Centre was awarded $70,620.00. The project will build and develop a greater sense of community and belonging to improve relationships and responsiveness to the needs of the Regent Park Community.

The total awarded funds for 2022 amounted to $508,415.00.

In a follow up email sent by Daniella Castello, the SDP was informed that in addition to the eight projects selected for 2022, the Community Funding Unit made a decision to conditionally approve another seven projects amounting to $509,660, using SDP funding earmarked for the 2023 funding year. 

According to the release, this decision was made to address the overwhelming number of applications received in the 2022 call for applications.

In a follow up emergency meeting of the SDP Planning Committee held on Thursday December 22, several members of the SDP expressed their frustration and concerns about the City’s lack of consultation and transparency in unilaterally deciding to conditionally allocate the 2023 SDP funds.  Other members expressed concerns over some of the groups that were funded and whether their projects are truly aligned with the priorities of the SDP.
 
A SDP Planning Committee meeting has been called for Thursday January 12 at 1 pm, over Zoom, to discuss SDP concerns over the 2022 and 2023 funding, with the City of Toronto Community Funding Unit.

By Adonis Huggins
(Adonis is a staff journalist with the Focus Media Arts Centre)

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