SETTLEMENT AGENCY AWARD

Presenting the third Settlement Agency Award winner: TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization

For a third year, Canadian Immigrant and RBC are recognizing the amazing work by immigrant and settlement agencies to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. So, we invited our readers to nominate settlement agencies from across the country for this national award.

After an online voting process, concurrent to the voting for the RBC Top 25 awards, one agency rose to the top: TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization.

“We are very touched and honoured to receive the RBC Top 25 award,” says Ahmed Hussein, executive director. “At TNO, we have always been proud of all that we accomplish in our communities but to have our work recognized at a national level is an incredible achievement. This is a true testament to the impact our services have had on the community.”

Established in 1985 as a family and newcomer support organization, TNO has more than 170 staff and 300 volunteers. The organization’s services and activities support low-income, marginalized and newcomer communities across Toronto, in more than 50 languages and at no cost.

Services offered include language and employment training, child and family programs, violence against women prevention program, youth services, housing, senior services and other complementary programs.

The organization offers a broad range of programs to serve communities in Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, St. James Town, Crescent Town and the surrounding communities. Both Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park are Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIA) in the City of Toronto and are multicultural communities with high unemployment and a prominent low-income population. TNO’s services extend outside the Thorncliffe neighbourhood encompassing the Don Valley West area and beyond.

TNO also boasts a presence in more than 143 schools from the Toronto District School Board as well as the Toronto Catholic District School Board. “We have settlement workers at elementary, middle and secondary schools, colleges and universities, various Toronto Public Libraries as well as across several City of Toronto sites to assist newcomer families,” says Hussein. “We are the first stop in our neighbourhood for information, services and support. TNO is committed to building a safe

and healthy community through supporting and strengthening the quality of individual and community life in Thorncliffe Park and surrounding areas.”

TNO is a leader in sector capacity development including trusteeing smaller settlement services and developing and disseminating HR systems for the sector. TNO has piloted a number of IRCC initiatives including Settlement Workers in Schools and Library Settlement Program. In 2011 and 2017, TNO was awarded the United Way Spirit Award for Excellence in Community Giving.

What enables the organization to carry out their work with much success? “TNO’s core strength lies in the diversity of our staff and volunteers, who represent the cultural and linguistic traits of the communities that we serve. Furthermore, TNO has expertise and experience in managing complex, multi-year projects in partnerships with diverse stakeholders and community partners,” says Hussein.

During COVID-19, TNO immediately responded to community needs and began

distributing its first of many food hampers to seniors. This led to the establishment of the ‘TNO Food Collaborative’ to provide monthly hampers of food to households in need, a joint effort by TNO, community groups, local businesses, and concerned neighbours. “Despite progressive reopening of the province, we have continued to see a steady increase in requests for food, with the total number of households increasing by 16 per cent since May,” says Hussein. “We have been working with United Way as part of a network of many agencies across the Greater Toronto to address this evolving of need.”

Hussein encourages newcomers to take advantage of the support offered by TNO and other settlement agencies. “Immigrating to Canada is rewarding yet challenging. The best advice we can give to newcomers is to reach out for help when navigating these challenges. Whether you need help entering the job market, learning English or just want to learn more about your community, you are not alone and TNO and similar agencies are here to help,” he says.