In the wake of Toronto Foundation 's social capital research indicating Toronto is Canada’s loneliest city, last year Volunteer Toronto gave out $35,000 in microgrants for projects led by small groups of neighbours. Projects included a queer swim club, a walking group for Ghanaian seniors, and a healing circle in Kensington Market—all focused-on rebuilding social relationships that were lost or damaged by COVID-19.

Read the full list of funded projects and groups here or hear from the recipients by watching the video below. 

“Torontonians have lost their social constellations—neighbours don't know neighbours, community event participation is down, and there are fewer people we feel we can call on for support when things get tough. But at Volunteer Toronto, we've discovered an intervention that overwhelmingly increases social connection. Our microgrants revealed that people do want to reconnect and make friends, they just need to be invited to participate in their community at the hyperlocal level. The key ingredient? We have to resource volunteer leaders in our communities to do the inviting!”

— Joanne McKiernan, Executive Director, Volunteer Toronto

Volunteer Toronto's microgrant program was recently highlighted by the Toronto Star as a successful intervention to reducing social isolation in Toronto. Read an excerpt below:

It's hard to make friends in Toronto. These people are making some in Canada's loneliest city

Etobicoke grandmother Lydia Brown was grieving the death of a son during COVID when she decided to join a micro-funded group in Etobicoke, called Sistaz in Sound which offered tutorials on steel drums, and other activities, including beading and crochet, to encourage people to interact with one another. It ran over six weeks. She tried the drums and crochet and stuck around for the beading. She made new friends. She found someone to go to church with.

“I was nervous and shy, which I still am. I don’t feel alone as much as I did. If I have a problem, I have someone I can talk to." 

— Lydia Brown, Participant, Sistaz in Sound

As we work to make Toronto a less lonely place, we hope to deliver more microgrants so grassroots leaders can continue to engage isolated Torontonians—and make new friends—in their neighbourhoods. If you’d like to support Volunteer Toronto’s delivery of microgrants, please consider a donation to our organization under our “Civic Spark Microgrants” here.