What are the critical elements required to meaningfully tackle the roots of poverty in Toronto? Answering this question has been the key motivating factor behind our work in collaboration with community partners like yourselves, activists, local leaders, and residents with local and lived expertise. In this panel series, we are exploring how collective action and public policy can work in tandem to bolster one another and looking at successful movements, programs and initiatives that are underway and promising ones that are still being designed.

Since the pandemic, community-based organizations have seen the rapid increase of poverty and the toll it is having on our communities. Has Toronto reclaimed its title as the Child Poverty Capital of Canada? Join Social Planning Toronto, Campaign 2000 and Daily Bread Food Bank to hear the most recent statistics on child and family poverty and learn about the staggering rise in food bank usage. Join us as we explore what this means for our city and discuss how we can take action to advance the policy solutions and investments that are urgently needed to stem the growing rise in inequality.

Speakers will include:

Jin Huh is the Executive Director at Social Planning Toronto, a community-based non-profit, charitable organization which challenges inequity in our city — through knowledge generation, community and civic engagement, advocacy, and collaboration — to spark social and policy change. Jin has over two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, with experience in community development, civic engagement, settlement, housing, women’s and 2SLGBTQ+ health. She currently sits on the Executive of the Social Planning Network of Ontario; the Steering Committee of the Toronto Nonprofit Network, and the Policy Committee of the Ontario Nonprofit Network.

Leila Sarangi serves as the National Director of Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty and is a senior leader at Family Service Toronto, responsible for the organization’s non-partisan public policy, social action, and government relations work. She leads the organization’s equity and inclusion work at both the operational and governance levels. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Child Care Now, Canada’s national childcare advocacy coalition. Although she specializes in governance and equity as a board member, she has a diverse skill set. She’s familiar with all aspects of board functions including financial oversight, risk assessments, auditing processes, strategic planning, fundraising, and funder and donor relations. She is also the Chair of the Board of Directors at Social Planning Toronto.

Sahar Raza is the Vice President of Research and Advocacy at Daily Bread Food Bank and a board member of Oxfam Canada. She has been leading research, policy, and communications initiatives on issues ranging from bias in artificial intelligence to poverty, discrimination, and homelessness for over a decade—and has seen advocacy wins at local, national, and international levels. She previously served as Director of Policy and Communications for a national network dedicated to advancing the fundamental human right to housing in Canada.

Sahar holds a Master of Arts in Communication and Culture from York University and Toronto Metropolitan University (jointly), a Graduate Diploma in Communication Studies from Concordia University, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science (Mathematics minor) from McMaster University.

If you require accommodation to attend the event, contact [email protected].