News Release
September 26, 2025
At a ceremony held at Toronto City Hall last night, Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by community members and representatives from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) to celebrate nine organizations who received the Mayor’s Community Safety Awards for community safety and well-being projects.
Launched in 2022, the Mayor’s Community Safety Awards were developed by the City of Toronto’s Task Force on Community Safety and celebrate innovative Toronto-based senior-led, youth-led and community-led projects that help build safe communities, support well-being and respond to gun or community violence and victimization.
The 2025 Mayor’s Community Safety Award recipients are:
Community-led:
- Happy Mom Happy Children – The Safer Toronto Centre, Stronger Future project is a comprehensive community safety initiative, using a holistic approach to promote safety and well-being in the Regent Park, Moss Park and St. James Town communities through safety audits, mental health workshops, crisis intervention training and youth engagement.
- iIMPACT – Youth Farming Mentorship Program Rooted in Leadership is a grassroots community-led initiative designed to address gun violence and victimization through hands-on farming, leadership workshops, mental health and wellness sessions, and community marketplaces, creating pathways away from violence and toward resilience, opportunity and building community pride.
- NU Rising Community Services C.O.U.R.A.G.E program – Delivered through Nubian Rising Community Services to youth and residents of the Shoreham community, the C.O.U.R.A.G.E program created intentional spaces for healing, growth, reflection and restoration and worked with participants to build mutual respect across generations, growing a “family” rooted in accountability, care and healing.
Youth-led:
- Mind on Strength – The Street Smart project works to break cycles of gun violence and victimization by providing safe structured fitness programs, mental health supports for those impacted by violence and community walks and events that unite residents and reclaim peace.
- MDZ Productions – MDZ Productions created a community-led basketball tournament in Toronto’s Alexandra Park designed to address gun violence and victimization by offering youth a safe, positive and culturally relevant alternative to high-risk activities, combining sport, mentorship, community engagement and workshops to inspire youth, foster leadership and drive lasting social change in underserved communities.
- YouthUnlocked – Launched in 2024, this Regent Park project supported youth through leadership development, trauma support, conflict resolution and gun violence prevention, while promoting healing and resilience to youth from surrounding communities facing systemic barriers.
Senior-led:
- Stephen Leacock Seniors Executive Committee – This initiative brought seniors and the TPS together to discuss safety and scams targeting older adults, in a supportive group space to foster belonging, learning, and connection.
Two organizations were also recognized as honourable mentions Empower Health Equity (youth-led) and Concrete Rez (community-led).
Award recipients received a commemorative certificate and a $1,500 award to support their innovative approaches to addressing safety within their local communities.
Engaging residents, building community capacity to lead and strengthening collaboration are all goals of SafeTO, the City’s Community and Safety Well-Being Plan.
More information on the Awards including a list of winners is available on the City’s website.
Quote:
“Vibrant neighbourhoods are also safe neighbourhoods, and we celebrate this year’s recipients of the Community Safety awards who are doing meaningful, on-the-ground work every day. The Community Safety awards empower our residents to take a hyperlocal, unique approach to well-being within their neighbourhoods, and we are thankful for their leadership and innovation. Congratulations to our winners and thank you for showing us how caring our city can be.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.
