On August 11, employees from our Ontario offices gathered at Youth Without Shelter (YWS) in Etobicoke for their annual Youth Engagement Day event supporting youth (aged 16 to 24) facing homelessness. The Concert Properties team helped organize a superhero-themed day of fun by cooking and serving a BBQ lunch as well as participating in games alongside YWS staff and the youth living in the 53-bed shelter.
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable event you organized. Your dedication to creating an inspiring and engaging experience has left a lasting impact on our youth. For many of them, this event marked their first interaction with our donors, and your warm welcome and efforts to make them feel included did wonders for their confidence and sense of belonging. Thank you for helping create such a positive and memorable experience,” says Monika Fox, Director of Philanthropy at YWS.
Concert Properties’ Property Management team also delivered an impressive 3,170 pounds of food to the YWS food bank as part of the company’s corporate sponsorship. Given the inherent challenges of managing the cyclical supply of food donations, YWS moved to a new monthly sponsorship approach to help meet their needs throughout the year. Concert Properties is proud to be their sponsor for August.
“As a rental community builder and commercial property manager in Toronto, we were able to draw upon the generosity of our residents, tenants and employees,” says Rod Pirie, Vice President, Property Management. “Their contributions truly exceeded our expectations.”
Steve Doherty, Executive Director of YWS, added, “I am always amazed at the incredible effort and thoughtfulness Concert Properties puts into the annual engagement day. All of you are truly amazing.”
Support for YWS over the past eight years also included helping them with the acquisition of a 24-bed rooming house. This enabled YWS to expand their unique Stay-in-School program that provides shelter and wrap-around support youth facing homelessness while they complete their post-secondary education or training.
As an organization, and as individuals, we’re proud to support this worthwhile cause as we strive to act on one of our founding principles: giving back to the communities where we work.