Community
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Unlikely Guidance
Raised partially by the system, I believed, for too long, that I needed to struggle. That who I was wouldn’t matter if I did not show my scars. It was hard to appreciate what one English teacher, who wouldn’t show an ounce of interest in my broken personal life, was offering me.
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A Community United: The Danforth Multifaith Commons and Beyond
Walking into the Saturday morning Shabbat services at the Danforth Jewish Circle, you notice Jesus staring down at you from the stained glass windows. You also notice the overwhelming warmth and friendliness you’re greeted with. The Danforth Jewish Circle is an inclusive Jewish congregation that operates out of the Eastminster United Church, at Danforth and Jackman avenues. The East End United Church (EEU), the Danforth Jewish Circle (DJC), and the Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation (NUU) are three different religious congregations that share this building and collectively form the Danforth Multifaith Commons (DMC). The concept of the DMC intrigued me from the start. It’s not every day that you see three…
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People of the Danforth
There’s a peculiar phenomenon that I stumbled across on the internet the other day: The Danforth Community group on Facebook, filled with missing pets and keys, business ventures, quirky events, and a bunch of really lovely people. After my initiation (my request to join was approved), it felt like I had opened a treasure chest of community secrets. I dug through hundreds of posts discussing matters related to the Danforth, and honestly, I got jealous. I don’t live on the Danforth, nor do I visit the area often, but looking through the group unleashed an itching curiosity as to what made their community page so lively—the members were so helpful…
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Cooking Up a Community
Two days before this article was due, my husband, friend, and I were sitting at Mezes on the Danforth. We hadn’t planned to eat there—it was a last-minute, panicked decision when the other plan for my article fell through. I had changed the topic of this piece so many times that I had absolutely no clue what I was going to write, and decided that, if nothing else, we’d have a great meal at Mezes. I’ve been coming to Mezes for almost ten years after a friend and I did a quick “where should we eat on the Danforth” search in 2013. My husband and I even considered getting married…
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Little Big Libraries
Reading is the root of most of our interesting thoughts. Once we immerse ourselves in books, especially in children’s titles, we end up creating unfathomable associations inside our brains. Think genius girl who avenges abuse of authority through telekinesis, angry lonely kid who becomes king amongst monsters, or underpants superhero with “wedgie power.” Along the same line, a book exchange initiative, like the Little Free Library, can forge the most incredible connections between people. It was American film director John Waters who famously recommended not sleeping with people who don’t have books; not letting them explore us until they have explored the world of libraries. Although I wouldn’t go as…
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Finding “Home” on the Danforth
The past few months of my life have felt like I was living in a movie. You know, the kind of story where the “country bumpkin” moves to the big city to live their dreams of fame and success. And that’s what I am doing: I am pursuing my goal of learning about and working in the publishing industry. Can you imagine, working with books all the time? The dream! When I decided to move to Toronto for school, I was so excited! I spent the summer before moving thinking about what I would need, trying to plan the logistics, and simply overthinking everything. I felt like nothing could surprise…
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The Many Facets of Food Rescue at Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre
Bridget Marzin’s job is to rescue food. As the Food Security Worker at Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre, located in surburbia just off the Danforth, Marzin oversees dozens of volunteers and hundreds of food bank participants. Every day, she looks for new opportunities to reduce waste, rescue food, and secure donations to provide better food access for the Danforth community. Eastview Centre’s food bank runs on Tuesdays from noon to 2 p.m., when they serve households of one or two people, and again on Thursdays at the same time, when they serve households of three or more. “I don’t think anyone has the right to say who can and cannot [access…
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The Clay Room
On a brisk Saturday afternoon, with the intention of trying something new, my friend and I entered a muted green shop at 279 Danforth Ave. The air was heavy with chalky dust and paint fumes, and buzzed with all sorts of lowered, concentrated voices. Its sage walls were lined with shelves of white, blank ceramics, in various shapes and sizes. Despite its four tables being nearly full, we were immediately greeted by a staff member with a warm smile. She patiently and plainly described how the business works: you choose a ceramic from the wall—each of which have their own price and studio fee, pick out your paint colours, give…
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Montcrest School: Where Learning and Community Meet
As I walk down Broadview Avenue on a chilly November Tuesday, I’m looking for my destination: Montcrest School. I’m surprised when I find a collection of houses brought together to make up the Montcrest school campus. I enter into the main lobby and I’m immediately struck by the familiar hustle and bustle of your average school day. I’m a few minutes early for my appointment, so I sit in a comfortable leather chair placed next to a banner displaying the many generous donors of the school’s community. As I sit, students, staff, and parents alike come through the lobby, each one giving a welcoming smile. On a grey day like…
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Behind The Scenes: Greek Community at “Humans of the Danforth”
If you ask anyone, anything before 2020 was unreal, considering all that we have come through as a global community. But now it seems we are watching the sunset of those uncertain and discouraging times. Communities emerged stronger, bonds between people changed drastically, and even our perception of who we are was questioned; we were all wondering how and what can be done for others in need. Last year, when everything was reopening, East End Arts, in partnership with Greektown on the Danforth BIA*, contacted Henry Vanderspek, a local photographer, to develop a project called Humans of the Danforth which aimed to explore the stories, and humans, behind businesses on…