Councillor Brad Duguid (Scarborough Centre, Ward 38), Chair of the Community Services Committee and the Task Force on Community Safety, announced the recipients of the 2002 Mayor's Community Safety Awards at a special ceremony on May 23 2002. These awards recognize the contributions of individuals and groups that have worked to make Toronto's communities safer.
"The response to these awards has been wonderful," said Mayor Mel Lastman. "There were so many truly outstanding organizations and individuals nominated, it was difficult to choose just a few to honour. The variety of directions taken by the award winners are excellent examples of the many ways that communities across our city are active stakeholders in promoting and enhancing safety for all of Toronto's residents."
"Council has identified community safety and crime prevention as key priority areas for our city and its residents," said Councillor Duguid. "The Mayor's Community Safety Awards recognize that community safety has a direct impact on the quality of life of our communities and the well-being of all our residents. The quality of the nominations received has further reinforced that while the City still has more work ahead of it, many things are already being done well by communities that share Council's commitment to making our city safe for everyone."
Developed by the Task Force on Community Safety, the Mayor's Community Safety Awards recognize the contributions of people who work to make their communities safer places to live, work and play. A team of City of Toronto staff and representatives from the community and business sector reviewed and assessed the 45 nominations submitted. One individual and four organizations were recognized for their outstanding achievement, and each award winner received $500 to be used for violence prevention work, along with a plaque commemorating their work.
Dr. Parvathy Kanthasamy, a leading expert on safety issues and a founding member of the Vasantham-Tamil Wellness Centre, was recognized for her Outstanding Commitment to Community Safety. Her contributions include staging plays and dramatic events in the community and in various schools, writing many articles and booklets on preventing woman abuse, elder abuse and youth violence, producing safety videos, and appearing regularly as a safety expert on television and radio.
The award for Strengthening Neighbourhoods was presented to The Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre, founder of The Caring Community Project. This innovative, school-based program is helping to reduce aggression, acting-out violence, and providing school staff and parents with new skills to deal with these issues. The program, piloted at Willow Park Junior School, combines the efforts of a children's mental health centre and the school community to promote violence-free schools.
The Concerned Kids Charity of Toronto received the award for Children, Youth and their Families. This organization features 15 troupes of volunteer puppeteers who entertain and educate children, young people and adults with developmental disabilities, on a variety of different social issues. One show, being presented in schools across Toronto, features segments on resisting gang membership, alternatives to violence, racial/ethnic stereotyping and prejudice. After each show, the puppets lead a discussion with the students.
Leave Out Violence, also known as LOVE, received the Youth Violence Prevention award for their work to reduce violence in the lives of youth and in communities by creating a team of youth spokespeople who communicate a message of non-violence. LOVE offers training and a forum to begin a healing journey and become part of the solution to eliminating youth violence to victims, perpetrators and witnesses to violence.
Education Wife Assault's Access and Education Project received the award for the Abused Women and their Children category. This project features a team of eight women with disabilities who have been trained to provide violence prevention workshops to service providers, health professionals and community members. Personal experience, role-play, focused discussion and a presentation format are used to educate participants about issues of violence against women and children with disabilities.
The annual Mayor's Community Safety Awards are open to groups, individuals and organizations located in the city of Toronto that provide support to Toronto residents. Initiatives must have taken place within the past three years.
