About Doorsteps
Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services is a community development organization focusing on community education, prevention and enhancing resiliency of individuals and communities.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who attended the 2011 Masquerade Ball. Doorsteps is pleased to announce that we surpassed our goal of $5000 and raised a total of $5306 in profits! Overall, it was a fabulous night.
Pictures will be coming soon. If you wish to view all of the photos from the 2010 Masquerade Ball, please visit our Picasa album
Community Development
“There is no agreement about what community work is. For the purposes of this book however I will define community work, at its simplest, as being the process of assisting ordinary people to improve their own communities by undertaking collective action.” (Twelvetrees, p.1)
“Community development is an ancient and persevering aspect of human activity. In some ways it is the most natural of human behaviours--getting together to make necessary changes in the way we live together. It is also, however, a time-consuming, threatening (to some) and very complex bit of business. It requires dedication, energy and a rigorous analysis of situations, events and people (ourselves as well as those with whom we work).” (Lee, p. 39)
“Collaborative, collective action taken by local people to enhance the long-term social, economic, and environmental conditions of their community. The primary goal of community develpment is to create a better overall quality of life for everyone in the community.” (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants)
(1) Lee, Bill, Pragmatics of Community Organization, 2nd Edition, Commonact Press Mississauga, Ontario p. 39
(2) Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. 'settlement.org' (2005): n.pag. On-Line. Internet. 3 May, 1995. Available: www.settlement.org/atwork/CDN/cd.as
(3)Twelvetrees, Alan, Community Work, Macmillan Press Ltd. Second Edition, p.1
Community Education
Community Education includes: parenting education, leadership training, understanding the roots of empathy and resiliency and providing practical leaning opportunities college and university students. We also partner with the Toronto District School Board to provide local English Classes in Daystrom and Toronto Catholic District School Board for Basic Math and English Classes in Falstaff.
Prevention
Prevention is a way of looking at issues and researching the causes or roots of these problems and then trying to provide programs that improve the early conditions that contribute to the problem. An example of this is our concern for the increasing number of young people in our neighbourhoods who are dropping out of high school before graduating and getting into trouble with the law when they are unable to find legal employment. Our response to this concern is to work for quality After School Programs to provide help with homework and healthy, well-supervised recreational activities.
Enhancing Resiliency
Resiliency focused Programs and Services begin from the strengths and assets that already exist within each individual and within the community. We can help to enhance resiliency by using the strengths to overcome the areas of weakness. This asset-based approach reminds us that we all have strengths and weaknesses and we make greater improvements when we begin with the strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses. Society has a lot to learn about enhancing resiliency in children and in communities. Doorsteps is contributing to the community learning through our Resiliency Research funded by the United Way of Greater Toronto. We are also contributing to the implementation of the resiliency framework in our community Programs for children.
Thanks to our Core Financial Supporters for their continuing support of our programs
