Toronto/CMEDIA: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was reportedly joined by community members and representatives from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) to celebrate nine organizations who received the Mayor’s Community Safety Awards for community safety and well-being projects at a ceremony held at Toronto City Hall last night.
Developed by the City of Toronto’s Task Force on Community Safety, the Mayor’s Community Safety Awards were launched in 2022 to celebrate innovative Toronto-based senior-led, youth-led and community-led projects that help build safe communities, support well-being and respond to gun or community violence and victimization.
“Vibrant neighbourhoods are also safe neighbourhoods…The Community Safety awards empower our residents to take a hyperlocal, unique approach to well-being within their neighbourhoods, and we are thankful for their leadership and innovation. Congratulations to our winners and thank you for showing us how caring our city can be,” Olivia Chow said
The 2025 Mayor’s Community Safety Award recipients fall under three categories: Community-led, Youth-led and Senior-led
Community-led:
- Happy Mom Happy Children – The Safer Toronto Centre, Stronger Future project is a comprehensive community safety initiative, using a holistic approach to promote safety and well-being in the Regent Park, Moss Park and St. James Town communities through safety audits, mental health workshops, crisis intervention training and youth engagement.
- iIMPACT – Youth Farming Mentorship Program Rooted in Leadership is a grassroots community-led initiative designed to address gun violence and victimization through hands-on farming, leadership workshops, mental health and wellness sessions, and community marketplaces, creating pathways away from violence and toward resilience, opportunity and building community pride.
- NU Rising Community Services C.O.U.R.A.G.E program – Delivered through Nubian Rising Community Services to youth and residents of the Shoreham community, the C.O.U.R.A.G.E program created intentional spaces for healing, growth, reflection and restoration and worked with participants to build mutual respect across generations, growing a “family” rooted in accountability, care and healing.
Youth Led:
- Mind on Strength – The Street Smart project works to break cycles of gun violence and victimization by providing safe structured fitness programs, mental health supports for those impacted by violence and community walks and events that unite residents and reclaim peace.
- MDZ Productions – MDZ Productions created a community-led basketball tournament in Toronto’s Alexandra Park designed to address gun violence and victimization by offering youth a safe, positive and culturally relevant alternative to high-risk activities, combining sport, mentorship, community engagement and workshops to inspire youth, foster leadership and drive lasting social change in underserved communities.
- YouthUnlocked – Launched in 2024, this Regent Park project supported youth through leadership development, trauma support, conflict resolution and gun violence prevention, while promoting healing and resilience to youth from surrounding communities facing systemic barriers.
Senior-led:
- Stephen Leacock Seniors Executive Committee – This initiative brought seniors and the TPS together to discuss safety and scams targeting older adults, in a supportive group space to foster belonging, learning, and connection.
Also recognized as honourable mentions were two organizations: Empower Health Equity (youth-led) and Concrete Rez (community-led).
A commemorative certificate and a $1,500 award to support their innovative approaches to addressing safety within their local communities were received by the award recipients.
Engaging residents, building community capacity to lead and strengthening collaboration are all goals of SafeTO, the City’s Community and Safety Well-Being Plan.
More information on the Awards including a list of winners is available on the City’s website.
