I rise today to recognize the important contributions of WoodGreen Community Services to my constituency of Scarborough Centre. Today in the gallery, we have about 13 members here from the organization, and I want to recognize them for the work they have been doing.

WoodGreen, who serve close to 40,000 people each year, is one of Toronto’s largest social services agencies and is the largest non-municipal affordable housing provider. WoodGreen has over 75 programs and services that tackle the social determinants of health and help vulnerable populations get out of poverty and homelessness and into education, employment and sustainable housing.

These services include helping people to find safe and affordable housing, supporting seniors to live independently, assisting internationally trained professionals entering the Toronto job market, delivering programs for children and youth, and assisting newcomers with settling into Canadian life. They also focus on workforce development and creating opportunities for employment and financial empowerment, which are key components of the social determinants of health.

For example, WoodGreen’s financial empowerment services help thousands of struggling Ontario households stabilize and rebuild their financial health. They offer one-on-one counselling, free tax clinics, budgeting workshops, debt management and other resources to support community members. These financial counselling and support services can create a pathway for different populations, including Ontario Works recipients, to better understand the financial process of transitioning from social assistance to employment.

I want to thank them very much for the work they have done over the years.