Item - 2021.EC22.7

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1.  Requested the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to apply the City of Toronto's Community Space Tenancy Policy and the appropriate granting process to Councillor Paul Ainslie's request on behalf of Parents Engaged in Education and to report in September 2021.

2.  Requested the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services and the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services to report to the Economic and Community Development Committee by the second quarter of 2022 on a framework to guide the planning and implementation of community hubs and economic incubators in City-owned spaces.

City Council on May 5 and 6, 2021, referred Motion MM32.15 to the Economic and Community Development Committee.

Summary from Motion MM32.15 by Councillor Paul Ainslie, seconded by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie:

When schools closed last March, Parents Engaged in Education's team of volunteers immediately began building Learn at Home kits for children living in poverty in Toronto. As a member of the Toronto COVID partnership table they distributed 2,000 kits last summer into fall.

Their experience highlighted that helping 2,000 low income students was not enough leading Parents Engaged in Education to continue their work as the need was greater.

It became apparent that there was a need for a more permanent source of supply of materials that children/teens can access to prepare them to learn and to support their mental health. A gap became clear, they have all been aware of the need for food banks to feed students bodies, but the gap to feed their minds and spirits has grown wider every week. Children are falling through the cracks and are suffering in the process as parents are left with a choice of feeding their children or supplying them with much needed school resources.

There has been an increase of 600 percent in requests for support in the last two weeks alone. Parents Engaged in Education has served 275 families and 435 children in the last two weeks (April 12-28) with more requests every day.

The families accessing the resources are from across the Greater Toronto Area, including Jane and Finch, Regent Park, Dorset Park etc. Of course, the high needs areas of Scarborough see the most traffic where they are serving Malvern, West Hill, Orton Park, Mornelle Court, Danzig, Tuxedo Court to name just a few.

Partnerships with corporate Canada has brought in more than $600,000 since last summer, but financial support has been minimal and has now created a huge gap. It is estimated that $200,000 is required to fund this project for an entire year.

During the lock down, families are accessing materials through a curb side pickup and delivery.

Students select what they need through a google form link from the website www.educationbank.ca.