WELCOME TO TORONTO NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES
Toronto Neighbourhood Centres is an association of non-profit multi-service organizations dedicated to strengthening local neighbourhoods and enabling diverse communities to work together to promote justice and a healthy life for all. We share a vision of a Toronto that:
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Provides healthy and caring communities for all of its residents, especially those who are most vulnerable.
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Celebrates diversity, welcomes and supports people from across the globe.
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Enables all individuals in all sectors of society to participate fully in the processes that shape their communities.
Neighbourhood Centres in Action
Neighbourhood Centres develop and deliver community services including:
- Seniors, Youth and Family Programs
- Employment and Skills Training
- Settlement Services
- Community Development Initiatives
- Literacy and ESL Programs
- Housing and Food Access
- Social Recreation Activities
Neighbourhood Centres are hubs and anchors for social participation. They play a central role in fostering key characteristics of supportive communities, including:
INCLUSIVENESS: empowering individuals and groups who have been left out of the planning, decision-making and policy-development processes in their community; promoting increased awareness, respect and an active celebration of people's diversity.
OPPORTUNITY: working to ensure that all community members, especially those most vulnerable, have access to adequate income, education and a network of relationships they need to participate as valued members of society.
MUTUAL SUPPORT: assisting community members to help each other and work together to address shared concerns.
Applying these principles means working directly with community members, developing initiatives from the ground up, mobilizing trained volunteers and skilled staff, and securing government funds and private donations to achieve locally defined objectives.
Toronto Neighbourhood Centres is a
Sector-Serving Anchor Organization supported by
TNC Values
TNC members believe that well-being is a social achievement and not exclusively an individual one, and that every community needs a range of supports to flourish, including:
- government policies and programs that ensure equality of opportunity, income security, affordable housing, childcare, employment equity and human rights
- well-funded public education, healthcare and social services
- opportunities for civic engagement, celebration, expression, mutual support and democratic participation
- thriving local and regional economies
- sustainable relationships with the environment
As one part of this fabric, TNC promotes the model of universal access multi-service Neighbourhood Centres, complementing strong public services and organizations supporting specific communities and sectors.
Neighbourhood Centres are dedicated to empowering neighbours to work together to meet local challenges and create shared approaches to building community. They provide a crucial focus and support for community development, and address the needs of their area by integrating services, capacity building and social reform.
Inspired by the tradition of innovation within the Settlement house movement, today’s neighbourhood centres take many forms as they generate local solutions to global challenges. Together and separately TNC members seek to catalyze change by: TNC members contribute to a world in which the “international community” is shaped by people working together from their local communities, a power and legitimacy from the base of society.
Stronger Together
Individually, TNC member agencies are independent community-managed non-profit organizations that respond to the unique and varied needs of their neighbourhoods. They all look a bit different and do different things. But they are united in their goal of supporting community members to make changes that create a healthier, inclusive and just society for all.
To advance our collective vision and the work of TNC member agencies, the TNC Association:
- Identifies and speaks out on common issues and concerns in our communities as an association and in cooperation with other community groups;
- Promotes the model of universal access multi-service Neighbourhood Centres as a core component of healthy communities (complementing strong public services and a well-supported network of organizations and services targeted to diverse communities and sectors)
- Encourages the development of Neighbourhood Centres in under-served communities across Toronto;
- Links Neighbourhood Centres across Toronto, serving as a medium for the exchange of information and ideas, and sharing organizational resources and capacities;
- Sponsors inter-agency projects with member agencies and other organizations;
- Promotes best practices for community-based social service, health and recreation activities.
TNC is a registered charitable organization and a member of the Canadian Association of Neighbourhood Services (CANS), and the International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres (IFS).
Staff and Board
TNC is a non-profit registered charity. As a membership-based organization we are stewarded by a Board of Directors consisting of twelve representatives from among our member agencies.
The responsibility of the TNC Board is to oversee the organizational health and strategic directions of TNC in a way that is consistent with the members' interests overall, and to provide support and direction to the Co-Executive Directors. Our current Board of Directors are listed below.
TNC is stewarded by Co-Executive Directors Sree Nallamothu and Rob Howarth, who connect with and mobilize the efforts of hundreds of staff from across our member agencies, engaging in ongoing peer support, learning and innovation, and carrying our shared community-building, advocacy, social policy and government relations activities. Check out Focus Areas for details on this work.
TNC BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025-26
Natasha Francis - PRESIDENT
Yvette Bailey - VICE PRESIDENT
Wayne Woolery - TREASURER
Wayne (he/him) is the Director of Human Resources and Administration at the Jane/Finch Centre. He joined the organization in 2014. Jane/Finch Centre is a mult-service, community based organization with a strong focus on resident engagement, capacity building and anti-oppression.
Bonnie Hunter - SECRETARY
Bonnie Hunter (she/her) is the Director of Talent and Culture at North York Community House (“NYCH”), a nonprofit, neighbourhood-based centre in northwest Toronto. NYCH is focused on supporting newcomers to Canada, families, and residents of low-income neighbourhoods in becoming active and engaged in their communities. Bonnie has been at NYCH for 18 years in roles spanning from program manager to HR director to her current role. Her background includes experience in corporate human resources as well as working in women’s shelters and other nonprofit organizations. Bonnie holds an MSW degree from the University of Toronto, and loves singing, cooking, and hanging out with her dog.
Vanda Henriques
Vanda Henriques is the Executive Director of the Working Women Community Centre. She brings over 22 years of dedicated service to the organization, holding various senior management roles. Her expertise spans leading teams in women’s services, newcomer support, civic engagement, and food security. In addition to her work at WWCC, Vanda actively contributes to the broader community through volunteer roles on several Boards. Her extensive background in community service, combined with her leadership experience, underscores her deep commitment to improving the well-being and opportunities of diverse and underserved populations. Vanda is passionate about developing impactful programs that promote community engagement, encourage civic participation, and foster a sense of belonging and stability among vulnerable groups.
Amanda Bland
Amanda Bland has more than a decade of experience in the not-for-profit sector, and has held positions in the public service and with a national health charity. She is passionate about civic engagement and social justice, with a particular focus on advocacy for healthcare and equity for marginalized communities. She currently works for The Neighbourhood Group Community Services, a large multi-service agency in Toronto. Amanda is a dedicated volunteer and has served on the Boards of Directors for Storefront Humber, CommunitiCare Health, Social Planning Toronto, and North York Community House.
Vanessa Patterson
Vanessa (she/her) is the Coordinator of Youth Advocacy Programs at The 519. Vanessa is a Black, queer woman who has worked in and with marginalized communities for over eight years.
When she first joined The 519 she was responsible for the activation and animation efforts in Barbara Hall Park. The initiative created inclusive opportunities for all residents of the neighbourhood, especially our most isolated neighbours, to come together in community.
Vanessa currently supports the development and implementation of a new program at The 519 called Building Power; created specifically for BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University in Media, Information, and Technoculture. Her engagement with TNC has been through attending various workshops and being part of TNC’s BIPOC Leadership Energies; a project that addresses and offers solutions to the glaring gaps in diverse leadership across organizations and boards in our city. Vanessa is an enthusiastic contributor to The 519’s Black Collective and Trans Engagement Strategy. When not at work, Vanessa loves going to see live music and going to the movies.
Talia Fine
Talia Fine (she/her) is the Director of People Experience & Equity at WoodGreen Community Services, one of Toronto’s largest social services agencies whose mission is to enhance self-sufficiency, promote well-being and reduce poverty through innovative solutions to critical social needs. She joined the organization in 2017 and has held several positions on the People & Culture team where her goal has always been to create a sense of belonging for anyone who walks through WoodGreen’s doors.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and a Certificate in Human Resources Management. She loves travelling, reading, and a good Netflix binge.
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Keddone Dias
Keddone Dias’ (she/her) commitment to building healthy communities has fuelled her passion to work in the not-for-profit sector for over 20 years. In her current role as Executive Director at LAMP Community Health Centre, Keddone leads a multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of primary health care services and health promotion programs that address the needs of the whole person. With special emphasis on areas including health equity, youth development and education, Keddone has worked to improve access to the resources needed to help communities grow and thrive.
Keddone holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from Ryerson University and a Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law from York University, as well as certificates in Community Health Leadership from the Rotman School of Management, and Leading Sustainable Strategic Change from the Schulich School of Business.
Keddone volunteers as Chair of the Board of Visions of Science Network for Learning, an organization that engages children and youth from under-represented communities in education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. She enjoys spending time with family, especially her two school aged children, who always keep her on her toes.
I am a 1st generation English-born man with a Grenadian Heritage, who came to Canada as a 15 year old orphan. After completing high school and two (2) years of college in London, ON, I joined the Canadian Air Force. I served in the Armed Forces for 12 years and left in the mid 1990s. This is when I returned to Inuvik, NT, which was the location of my first posting while serving in the Armed Forces. I worked in a school residence once known as a Residential School for six (6) years. Because of the many injustices and unfair representation in the legal system, I became the first Black Justice of the Peace in the Northwest Territories.
While working as a Justice of the Peace, I also owned and operated a Sports & Leisure store as a way to offer amenities to the local population who did not have access to certain services and products due to their remote location.
In 2000, I moved back to Ontario, where I worked as a correctional officer in secure custody and detention centres for youth.
In 2006, I was hired as the Adult Justice Worker for a Victim/Offender Program at West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre (WSNCC). From 2008 to the present, I have worked as the Divisional Coordinator for Youth Justice Services at WSNCC.
(preferred pronoun: he, him, his; preferred form of address: first name)
Wendy Lancashire
TNC STAFF
Sree Nallamothu
A passionate connector and storyteller, Sree brings decades of experience in relationship-building, community engagement, and participatory filmmaking to her work. Her path has been shaped by collaborations across borders—from Sakshi Human Rights Watch in India to the Arab Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, from Community TV Network in Chicago to Native Child and Family Services Toronto—each experience deepening her commitment to justice, healing, and collective thriving.
At TNC, and through her documentary practice, Sree helps bring visibility and voice to advocacy campaigns and community research focused on 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion, equity, belonging, reimagining leadership, and people-centered, community-led development. Her leadership is grounded in a belief that change flows not just from strategy, but from relational courage and shared imagination.
Sree serves on the Board of the International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres, and is also the field documentarian for a global health research team advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion across Asia, Africa, and North America. In every role, she is guided by a quiet tenacity and the enduring question: How do we show up for one another in ways that seed transformation, not just reform?
Rob Howarth
TNC 2026 Annual Report
Download TNC's 2026 Annual Report
Deepening Our Capacities for Relationship
Kinship Dinners: Creating Community Living Rooms Building on the learning and practices developed through TNC’s Kinship Dojo, TNC began experimenting with Kinship Dinners as a way of bringing relational practice into the everyday spaces where people gather. The idea of a “community living room” is simple: creating welcoming spaces where people can slow down, listen differently and stay in conversation across different experiences and perspectives.
Our first Kinship Dinners brought together staff who facilitate and hold community spaces to practice different approaches to listening, facilitation and navigating difficult conversations. The interest emerging from these gatherings has also sparked a desire to create an ongoing facilitation Community of Practice, where people across the network can continue learning from one another through practice and strengthen their capacity to hold difficult conversations.
We also began bringing the Kinship Dinner approach into neighbourhood settings, creating opportunities for residents and local stakeholders to gather over food and practice conversation across difference. These experiences are helping us learn what people need to hold difficult conversations well and how TNC can strengthen facilitation capacity across the network. At its heart, this work is about rebuilding our collective capacity to be in relationship with one another, especially when we disagree, as an essential part of strong communities and a healthy democracy.
Youth Futures Lab: Exploring Youth-Led Change This year, TNC officially launched the Youth Futures Lab, creating a space for young people most impacted by systems to identify the issues that matter to them and shape what they want to do about them. Twenty young people are being supported to build relationships, and develop their own ideas for change across the systems that affect their lives. These include education, employment, housing, immigration, child welfare, health/mental health and the justice system.
At the heart of the Lab is a commitment to exploring what youth-led change actually looks like when adults step back from setting the agenda and take on a supporting role instead. We don’t know in advance where that will lead and that is intentional. Our role is to create the conditions, provide resources and follow the questions, priorities and possibilities that young people themselves identify.
Settlement House Movement
Neighbourhood Centres emerged from the Settlement House Movement which began in 1883 with the establishment of the first settlement house, Toynbee Hall in London, England. The first settlement houses established in Toronto included University Settlement House (1910), Central Neighbourhood House (Now part of The Neighbourhood Group) (1911) and St. Christopher House (now West Neighbourhood House) (1912), all of whom are still active members of the Toronto Neighbourhood Centres. Inspired by the tradition of innovation within the Settlement House Movement, today’s neighbourhood centres take many forms as they continue to generate innovative local solutions to global challenges.
TNC Timeline
