On July 9, 2025, the Toronto Sun highlighted Tayyaba Shazad and volunteerism as a part of their How Canada Wins series. This series highlights what makes community unique and special within Canada. Excerpts from the article are included below:

Tayyaba Shahzad is one of the founders of Weaving Threads, a Toronto-based collective working toward engaging diverse youth through art. Weaving Threads works to make art more accessible, [for example], through a scrapbooking workshop [that took place last summer] for QTBIPOC youth. The workshop gave youth a chance to reflect, connect, de-stress, and engage in the art of memory preservation and expression. Weaving Threads is a micro-grantee recipient that participated in Volunteer Toronto and Toronto Foundation’s Power of Us campaign.

Joanne McKiernan, Volunteer Toronto’s Executive Director, said while not everyone sees themselves as volunteers, many people have supported a neighbour, gave their time to a cause or taken part in community life that helped others.

“Volunteering is woven into the fabric of who we are — as a city, a province, and a country, it powers our non-profit sector and brings our communities to life through programs, events and everyday acts of care.”

Read the full article on the Toronto Sun’s website here.

Support Volunteer Toronto’s campaign to raise more funds for microgrants here.

“Showing up for each other builds the kind of support network we all rely on in times of need,” says Joanne, “volunteering isn’t just about giving back — it’s about building the community we want to live in.”