Read below
to find out where the 2005 Green Toronto Awards winners donated their $5,000 prize and how these recipients are putting the donations to good use.
Jerry DeMarco - Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP)
The $5,000 contribution will allow FLAP to continue to educate building owners, property managers, tenants and residents of the City of Toronto about the importance of migratory bird species to the health of our natural environment, and on specific measures that can be implemented to ensure their safe passage through Toronto during their twice annual migration flights.
Beach Solar Laundromat - Neighbourhood Link/Senior Link
The contribution has been earmarked towards lowering utilities by installing a series of solar thermal collector panels on the roof of Neighbourhood Link's new building which will have 25 units available for homeless seniors or those at risk of becoming homeless. There will be a garden courtyard and a green roof as well as several energy and water efficient installations (such as ENERGY STAR appliances, thermal windows, etc.).
The Stop Community Food Centre - The Stop Community Food Centre
Thanks to the $5,000 contribution, The Stop's Urban Agriculture program is well on its way to an extremely successful year. During this growing season they have harvested over 2,500 lbs. of organic produce from their community garden for their food bank, community kitchens and meal programs. They have also hosted over 1,500 youth and adults from the community in hands-on food systems educational workshops. This summer, they were able to hire a garden assistant to help in developing curriculum materials focusing on the preconditions for food security: sustainable agriculture, income security and healthy food. As well, they have hosted a series of farm trips and celebrations, which have enabled neighbourhood residents to connect with each other, the soil and their community.
Grassroots Environmental Products - Community Bicycle Network
Funds were directed to Community Bicycle Network's www.communitybicyclenetwork.org BikeShare Mobility Jump Start initiative which will see the program add two new BikeShare hubs in 2006 to community centers that service marginalized and low income communities. BikeShare Mobility Jump Start is an ideal service for Toronto's low-income population to increase economic opportunities and to reduce the isolation of poverty by providing affordable mobility that is empowering and healthy.
FoodShare - FoodShare
The $5,000 contribution was allocated to two projects that significantly improved FoodShare's Sunshine Garden at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The first project involved the hiring of five people from CAMH's Creative Crafts program, where clients from the Centre work on a variety of art projects. The five individuals came up with the design and worked from August until October with wonderful results. Previously there was a drab, grey shed littered with graffiti, and they now have a beautiful, colourful representation of the garden activities.
The second project was the building of the new Sunshine Garden site. Thanks to the donation, they were able to purchase all the materials and extra labour needed to set up the new space. They hired four people from CAMH to build a "lasagna garden" which involves layering waste materials and allowing them to decompose to create fertile soil. Next spring will be the start of another beautiful garden and more healthy vegetables for the community.
Enwave Energy Corporation - The Task Force to Bring Back the Don
The Task Force to Bring Back the Don will use the contribution to fund public education initiatives that will encourage stewardship, recruit volunteers and promote the vision of a healthier Lower Don River Valley.
Jennifer Gordon - Evergreen
The $5,000 was donated to Evergreen and spent on planting native species of trees and bushes around a new street youth shelter run by the Salvation Army. Maple trees, honeysuckle bushes, and dogwood bushes were planted invitingly along with other native species. The facility now looks fantastic, and shows how native plants can be used to beautify an area as well as providing food and shelter for small native animals.
thINK FOOD/Phones-for-Food Project - Daily Bread Food Bank
Contributions made to the Daily Bread Food Bank are essential to distributing the most nutritious food to the 175,000 people in the GTA who are in need. In addition to keeping the basic day-to-day programs running, Daily Bread buys the most needed food items in large quantities and, in doing so, can double the value of the donated dollar (compared to the public purchasing the same item in a store). In addition to collecting and distributing food for immediate hunger alleviation, Daily Bread Food Bank has public education and advocacy programs that focus on eliminating hunger over the long term.
Food banks also play a role in helping the environment. In the last five years, Daily Bread Food Bank has collected over 50 million pounds of good food that would have otherwise gone to the landfill.
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