Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood

Heartbeat Of The Neighbourhood (HBON) is a campaign launched by West Neighbourhood House in order to connect people with our communities and engage them in helping make our neighbourhood vibrant and active. The HBON campaign will be featured across social, digital, traditional and outdoor media.

The first phase of the HBON campaign involved installing a mural along the wall of our location at 248 Ossington Avenue. The mural is made up of images from different programs from across the House.

Left Side

Right Side

Meals on Wheels

The Meals on Wheels program at West Neighbourhood House provides door-to-door meal service to older adults and adults living with disabilities, six days a week to help our participants live independently in their own homes.

For many clients and caregivers who live alone and isolated, Meals on Wheels provides an alternative to institutional care. It is our goal, in cooperation with other community services and volunteers, to help clients remain independently in their own homes for as long as possible. On average, over 100 meals are delivered to members of the community daily.

Our program is also heavily reliant on volunteers, who not only deliver meals to the doors of our participants but also provide security checks. If you are interested in volunteering for Meals on Wheels, please visit westnh.org/volunteer or contact the volunteer program directly at 416-532-4828, ext 171 or email volunteers@westnh.org.

For more information, and to sign up for services, please call 416-532-4828 ext. 119. Read more about the Meals on Wheels program here: westnh.org/meals/

EarlyON Drop-In

The EarlyON program at West Neighbourhood House offers free programming for children from 0 to 6 years old. Parents and children come to enjoy fun, educational activities such as reading, storytelling, sing-alongs and games. Parents can interact with other members of the community and receive valuable advice from experienced early childhood professionals.

The program is offered at two locations. See pages for details including a schedule of events:

For more information, contact:

Sonia Sousa at soniaso@westnh.org or call 416-891-9629 for the 248 Ossington location, and Karla De La Hoz at karlade@westnh.org or call 647-201-6503 for 1033 King Street West.

Learn more about programming for Children and Parents.

Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

EarlyON
EarlyON is a program run by the Ontario Government that offers free family programs and resources aimed for children aged 0-6.

Newcomer Youth Program

The Newcomer Youth Program offers a variety of activities with a focus on skill-building, reducing social isolation, promoting civic engagement and building English-language skills for newcomer youth, aged 13-30.

The program helps youth meet new people and engage with others in the community, while assimilating into their new lives in Canada. The Newcomer Youth Program is a LGBTQ+ inclusive program.

Activities include visits to local attractions and, workshops, media club, cultural events and the Food with Friends series (pictured), where participants get the opportunity to learning cooking skills. It also supports youth with building job search and interview skills, and homework help.

For more information about getting involved, please visit westnh.org/newcomeryouth/.

The Newcomer Youth Program is also very active on social media, where they post regularly about upcoming events. Follow their Instagram page here.

West Active Living and Learning Centre (WALLC)

The West Active Living and Learning Centre (WALLC) is dedicated to promoting growth and wellness in a safe and welcoming environment that embraces the diversity of our community.

We offer a variety of activities to help connect older adults (aged 55 and older) with their peers and with opportunities for fitness, education, community development, social connections, and more.

Weekly activities include chair yoga (pictured), gentle fitness, sewing classes, art and crafts, and more. The program also organizes several special events throughout the year including a Seniors Ball, Bazaar, Theatre and concert events, and summer BBQs.

For more information on the WALLC program, please call Seniors Intake at 416-532-7586, ext. 146 or visit westnh.org/WALLC. For a full schedule of activities, both remotely and in-person, please visit westnh.org/health/.

Financial Empowerment and Problem-Solving (FEPS)

Do you have money worries, financial problems or tax questions? The Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving (FEPS) program is here to help!

Our Financial Empowerment program enhances the financial health of low to modest income earners by helping them navigate their finances. Our team provides tools, information and resources which equip our participants with the knowledge and confidence to make informed, short- and long-term financial decisions.

What supports do we provide?

File tax returns (including returns going back 10 years)
Opening a bank account
Accessing, understanding and maximizing savings vehicles
Avoiding common scams and financial fraud
Filing out applications for government and income replacement benefits
Budgeting
Building financial assets
Getting the most out of your financial resources
Building credit
Dealing with debt

Please contact us at 416-848-7980 to book an appointment or email feps@westnh.org.

After-School Program

Our After-School program at West Neighbourhood House provides comprehensive social, recreational, and educational activities throughout the school year for children between the ages of 6 and 12.

Children who attend Pope Francis Catholic School, Holy Family Elementary School, Dr. Rita Cox-Kina Minogok Public School and Ossington Old Orchard Public School are eligible to join the program. Programming takes place, Monday to Friday, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

We aim to make our programs accessible to families in our community. For any questions about the cost of program and/or subsidies, please connect with Mallory Cochrane at malloryco@westnh.org or call 416-532-7586 ext. 126.

For more information about programming for children and parents, please visit westnh.org/children/

Adult Day Program

The Adult Day Program (ADP) is a multilingual service that offers social and recreational activities for people with physical and health challenges, and cognitive impairments.

Individuals are cared for in a friendly and secure environment where we strive to keep everyone socially active and mentally and physically stimulated. The program provides the opportunity for caregivers to have time to themselves and manage the stress of providing care.

Our program is delivered in-person at our 248 Ossington location, as well as, remotely Enhanced Adult Day. Staff visit the homes of our participants to help set up for activities.

For more information on the Adult Day Program, please Call Seniors Intake at 416-532-7586, ext. 146 or visit westnh.org/adultdayprogram/.

We also offer education and training for caregivers, which includes workshops and social gatherings, which help informal caregivers perform their duties, and manage stress and responsibilities in their own loves. For more information and to register, call 416-532-7586, ext. 146 or please visit westnh.org/caregivers

Celebrating the Diversity and Vibrancy of our Community

Our community at West Neighbourhood House provides various opportunities for social engagement and cultural celebrations.

The image on the left a woman in traditional Vietnamese cultural dress and is taken from our Lunar New Year event. In the middle, is a musician, which represents the different musical events we have across of programs.

Finally, the image of the right is a woman in traditional Portuguese dress, from one of our cultural events.

Meet the artist Anja Javelona

Anja Javelona (right) is a Toronto-based designer and successfully submitted her design for the Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood.

Earlier this year, West Neighbourhood House invited artists to submit mural proposals featuring imagery inspired by the House’s new Heartbeat of the Neighborhood campaign for the exterior of our 248 Ossington Avenue building.

The Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood theme aims to foster connections among community members and promote participation to enhance neighbourhood engagement and activity.

The House appreciated collaborating with Anja Javelona, the artist behind our Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood mural at 248 Ossington Avenue.

Anja shares that she always had a creative spark in her. “I knew from a young age, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I leaned on that very heavily.”

“I feel like I could draw ever since I was a child. I remember when I was younger, my mom would give me scraps of paper from the office. She would give it to me and say, ’You could use this.’ My mother knew if she gave me an official sketchbook, I would go through it super-fast. Any sort of scrap paper that I can get, I would draw.”

Anja has turned this passion into an impressive career as a designer and artist.

When the House issued a call for proposals to create a mural as part of the Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood campaign, Anja decided she had to apply. “I looked at what the project was about, and I thought I could be someone who could bring this vision to life. I wanted to get involved.”

“I did research into what the House was about, including what they do for the community. I looked at the different programs like Meals on Wheels, children’s, newcomers’, and more. That really resonated with me, and I incorporated the programs into the mural itself.”

From the start, Anja’s ambition and vision for our Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood mural matched our organization’s values of inclusivity, diversity, and community building.

“I wanted the mural to reflect the diversity of West Neighbourhood House and encompass its energy so that people can gravitate towards it. Whenever I work on a project, I make sure that the visuals are vibrant and engaging so that the community feels welcomed,” she explains.

Her goal was to highlight the community members we work with and to showcase the range of programs the House provides. “That made the artwork more powerful,” Anja shares. “When I think of this neighbourhood, I think of diversity and inclusion,” Anja noted, and she really connected with and was inspired by the Heartbeat of the Neighbourhood message to create the mural.