China Darrington’s Post

Fellow Torontonians, How Civically Engaged Are You? A new report from the Toronto Foundation's 2023 Vital Signs Report, shows a concerning trend regarding our falling levels of collective civic engagement. Being an active community volunteer has always been part of my DNA, and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to give back with my time, skills, and dollars. In addition to providing stats the report, provides resources and suggestions for getting involved. These stats won't change unless those of us who can engage take up the challenge. I applaud the report's focus on helping readers take action and become engaged. Here are some top-level stats from the report >The percentage of people with six or more close friends declined by 20 percentage points from 2013 to 2018 and a further nine points from 2018 to 2022. >The volunteer rate fell from 37% to 25% between 2018 and 2022, while the donation rate slipped from 75% to 63%, leading to a loss of about 300,000 donors and 300,0000 volunteers. #Toronto #civicengagement #torontofoundation #volunteering #commuity #thesix Read the full report here:

Community arts funding is essential!

Insightful report from @Jospeh-Rowntree-Foundation about neighbourhoods and communities and the crucial role played at the neighbourhood level to protect people from hardship, including charities like The Welcome Centre, food bank and more https://lnkd.in/epzsnUw7

Draft for a Statement of Human Obligation* - A Fall workshop on Mise en scène - the 'setting' of what makes a good neighborhood**. *(Inspired by Simone Weil, French philosopher. PBS.org. Other Voices ) ** (Inspired by the West Fullerton Civic Engagement work of Dr. Robert Emry and Owen Holmes of Cal State Fullerton funded by the California Stories project, League of Women Voters entitled Hope & Civic Renewal) Long post warning: The human soul has need of both personal property and collective property. Personal property never consists in the possession of a sum of money, but in the ownership of concrete objects like a house, a field, furniture, tools, which seem to the soul to be an extension of itself and of the body. Justice requires that personal property, in this sense, should be, like liberty, inalienable. Collective property is not defined by a legal title but by the feeling among members of a human milieu that certain objects are like an extension or development of the milieu. This feeling is only possible in certain objective conditions. - Simone Weil, French philosopher. Workshop dates and sign-up links coming soon. Two hour sessions with 10-15 people using Grove graphic facilitations methodology and community building & problem solving. Where you live is situated IN a neighborhood.

One of the greatest challenges facing rural Iowa today is maintaining and expanding access to affordable, quality housing. On Talk of Iowa we took a look at why and at what some communities are doing to address the issue: https://lnkd.in/gwquFwjP

This story has really captured the hearts & minds of people near & far. A beautifully simple story in so many respects, but also an embodiment of what community regeneration means: connection, revival, action & hope. https://lnkd.in/exnn6ubk

Interesting insights in a recent report highlighting the remarkable influence of volunteers, by Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. #CommunityImpact #InspireChange #Ascendnbs #ArleneSiller

Tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 12th) marks the beginning of the Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge, a unique opportunity to leverage community support for participating nonprofits.   As a volunteer board member for the Idaho Access Project, I have a request: will you help us promote aging-friendly, visitable homes and neighborhoods in 2024? Gifts made to the Idaho Access Project through Avenues for Hope are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2,500 thanks to generous sponsors.   Those same sponsors are funding additional prizes, which means we have a couple of dates that will stretch your contributions even further:   Tomorrow – Dec. 12th ‘Early Bird Prize’ $500 will be awarded to each organization that receives at least 12 unique gifts between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT on 12/12 (Day 1). (Only gifts of $25 or more made online are counted towards this prize. Here’s the math: 12 X $25 = $300 X 2 (matching $) = $600 + $500 (early Bird Prize) = $1,100   December 16th, 17th Weekend Warrior ($250) + $500 Personal Match $250 will be awarded to organizations with at least 12 unique gifts during a single weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of the campaign. (Only online gifts are counted towards this prize.) This prize can only be won once by each organization. $500 personal match. In addition to the Avenues for Hope dollar-for-dollar match, we have another $500 match for donations made on the 16th and 17th—making this a two-to-one match. Here’s the math: $500 X 3 (matching $$) = $1,500 + $250 (Weekend Warrior Prize) = $1,750. That’s a big deal for a small nonprofit. Learn more about our project and goals at the link below, and thanks for your support for any of the nonprofits participating in Avenues for Hope! It also helps if you share this with friends interested in housing access, equity and affordability. Let’s do this! https://lnkd.in/gUg2EU29   Dana Gover, MPA Ethos Design+Build | Remodel & Ethos Real Estate Disability Action Center NW Jennifer Grush-Dale

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