NeighbourLink North York

NeighbourLink North York Building a connected community towards alleviating poverty and isolation.

At NeighbourLink North York our goal is to foster a resilient, sustainable and vibrant community where no single individual or group is left behind. Our mission is to engage and empower neighbours to care for each other in practical, relational and sustainable ways that give everyone the opportunity to live out their potential. As a locally based Christian community development organization, we believe transformation happens when we come together as friends, neighbours, churches, organizations and business owners to address poverty, social isolation, discrimination, violence and other community gaps and injustices.

10/06/2026

🎄 Calling local makers, artisans & businesses!

There are only a limited number of spots left for the 6th annual We Love Willowdale Christmas Market — and now is the time to apply, before it's too late!

Taking place Saturday, November 28 at Mel Lastman Square, our carefully curated outdoor market has built a loyal following of shoppers and neighbours who come back year after year to discover local businesses, enjoy live performances and celebrate the holiday season together.

✨ Carefully curated vendor lineup
🎁 Unique outdoor shopping experience
❤️ Loyal community following
📍 Mel Lastman Square

We’re committed to showcasing local talent, and spots are filling quickly. If you’ve been thinking about applying, don’t wait!

👉 Apply now at www.neighbourlink.org/market (link in bio).

We’re also looking for bands, choirs, marching bands and other performers to join us!

Saturday, November 28 | Mel Lastman Square

🦃 Thanksgiving is just one week away — and our Thanksgiving distributions are almost here!Between Wednesday and Friday, ...
10/05/2026

🦃 Thanksgiving is just one week away — and our Thanksgiving distributions are almost here!

Between Wednesday and Friday, our team and volunteers will be busy distributing hundreds of turkeys, chickens and Thanksgiving staples to help ensure 350 households across our two food banks have a special meal to enjoy with their loved ones. We're also dropping off turkeys so 500 more hot meals can be prepared for those in need who are not able to cook.

We’re in the final stretch, but there’s still time to help.

This is your last call to make a contribution to the 5th Thanksgiving Willowdale Turkey Miracle as we work to fill tables with the food that makes this holiday special. 🥧🍗❤️

Help us make sure every neighbour has something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Donate today at www.neighbourlink.org/thanksgiving

On Friday, September 25th, we served 155 households, amounting to over 500 individuals at our 415 Food Hub!Recipients to...
10/02/2026

On Friday, September 25th, we served 155 households, amounting to over 500 individuals at our 415 Food Hub!

Recipients took home chicken (kosher & halal included), apples, bananas, lettuce, broccoli, milk, eggs and bread.

We are so grateful for our partners, who we could not do this without: Carlo's No Frills for providing such affordably priced fresh food and Charlies Meat Supply for providing a generous discount on chicken for every food distribution.

We're grateful to Lifespring Church for putting on a great BBQ at the distribution!

A huge thanks to our food drive hosts that brought in 4136lbs on non-perishables, including Alterna Savings , Lansing United Church , North York Chinese Baptist Church , St. Edward the Confessor Parish , St. George on Yonge ,Skyview Condos, Ultima Towers, Your Independent Grocer, Costco on Billy Bishop Way and 32 Division - Toronto Police Service

Across two 675 Food Hub distributions on September 2nd and September 16th, we served 130 unique households and 296 individuals. We distributed non-perishables from North York Harvest Food Bank , along with chicken, milk, beets, potatoes, carrots and bananas that we purchased thanks to support from neighbours like you!

A big thank you to all the amazing volunteers who supported last month’s distribution, and to the volunteer groups like Shinhan Bank Canada for sorting and restocking our pantry of non-perishables.

We’re grateful to North York Chinese Baptist Church for providing the space and to Zawadi Farm for supporting us with additional leafy greens to distribute.

Next we're running both food banks with a special Thanksgiving distribution! Help us provide turkeys and all the fixings to 750+ households! Donate today at www.neighbourlink.org/thanksgiving

Today is the 15th National Seniors Day in Canada. Please join us in celebrating and thanking the older adults in our liv...
10/01/2026

Today is the 15th National Seniors Day in Canada. Please join us in celebrating and thanking the older adults in our lives for their contributions to our community.

At NeighbourLink, our seniors programming is expanding, reaching more seniors in the neighbourhood than ever before.

Last week, we hosted our first “Tech and Connect” event at The Kempford, a Toronto Seniors Housing residence in Willowdale. Residents enjoyed tea, coffee and snacks, while receiving free one-on-one tech support on their phones and other electronic devices.

We celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with our Chinese seniors community. Anna, a NeighbourLink volunteer, spearheaded this wonderful event. Senior volunteers came together to make mooncakes, using a traditional recipe that Anna’s family has cherished for over 50 years! We enjoyed these delicious treats with the residents of Willowdale Manor as they made beautiful paper lanterns. The lanterns and mooncakes symbolize family unity, gratitude for the fall harvest and the full moon.

We are also excited to introduce “FoodFit for Older Adults”. A national initiative focusing on cooking nourishing food, experiencing joyful movement and the social benefits of sharing a meal. NeighbourLink is honoured to be one of only 10 organizations across the country starting the program this year. We have recently begun our first 12-week session and will continue offering sessions throughout 2027 and 2028. Our first cohort of seniors are having so much fun, sharing laughter and great conversations as we cook and enjoy movement in our weekly classes.

A big thank you to our volunteers, many of whom are seniors themselves, who make all of these events possible. If you would like to volunteer and support seniors in our community, sign up at www.neighbourlink.org/volunteer

Your donations help to keep these programs, which are free for seniors, running. Please consider contributing to these programs by visiting www.neighbourlink.org/donate

Wishing all seniors in the community a Happy National Seniors Day!

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour Survivors of residential schools, the children who never returne...
09/30/2026

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour Survivors of residential schools, the children who never returned home, and Indigenous families and communities who continue to carry this history.

At NeighbourLink, we believe community is built through connection, care and a willingness to listen. Reconciliation asks us to do all three: to learn the truth, listen to Indigenous voices, and consider how we can contribute to a more respectful and inclusive community.

Today, we remember. We listen. We learn. And we commit to continuing the work.

🧡 Every Child Matters.

If you need support or want to learn more, explore resources from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. https://nctr.ca/

Give your holiday decorations a second life! Getting rid of a Christmas tree, large holiday decor or garland? Help us cr...
09/29/2026

Give your holiday decorations a second life! Getting rid of a Christmas tree, large holiday decor or garland? Help us create a Willowdale Wonderland at Mel Lastman Square.

They’ll animate the space before the big Tree Lighting Ceremony

Your tree will then be donated to newcomer families in North York. Unfortunately we are not able to receive ornaments or small decorations.

To arrange a donation contact Event Manager Sebastian at [email protected]
Thank you!

Congratulations to Shradhaa for being our Volunteer of the Month! Shradhaa is a local youth who started volunteering wit...
09/28/2026

Congratulations to Shradhaa for being our Volunteer of the Month! Shradhaa is a local youth who started volunteering with us last summer providing tech support to seniors. Shradhaa has volunteered over 90 hours and is a regular volunteer at Tech Help and Tea sessions, After School Programming, NeighbourLink Food Hub, Youth mobilization park clean ups and community garden support.

Shradhaa reflected on her experience at NeighbourLink and said," Volunteering, for me, is a way to step outside of my own head. The food banks and senior programs give me a sense of purpose that helps manage my anxiety, while also connecting me with people I might never meet in my daily life. My favourite part is the sense of community, especially during the senior tech help and tea sessions, where I’ve loved playing board games, joking around, and getting to know the regulars. It’s really special to see how these small moments of connection bring people together and remind me that we are all contributing to the health of the neighbourhood.

I continue to volunteer with Neighbourlink because it reminds me that life is bigger than my own routine. Every conversation shows me a perspective I would not have encountered otherwise, and that keeps me coming back. Thank you so much for choosing me as volunteer of the month! I am truly honoured and grateful."

We look forward to continuing to serve our community together with Shradhaa!

If you're interested in volunteering at the NeighbourLink Food Hub or in our other volunteer opportunities, please visit www.neighbourlink.org/volunteer to learn more about our volunteer opportunities and to apply as a volunteer.

If you have any further questions, you're welcome to email the volunteer manager, Lily Su, at [email protected]

We had a special treat at Willowdale Manor last week when Planet Putt visited! Michelle and Rob brought their pop-up min...
09/25/2026

We had a special treat at Willowdale Manor last week when Planet Putt visited! Michelle and Rob brought their pop-up mini-golf to the seniors, and everyone had a blast.

The golf holes were fully accessible for all residents. Those using walkers could use a modified golf club, allowing everyone to participate and feel included. Some residents were trying mini-golf for the first time and loved it! Some had played before and showed off their competitive spirit. Regardless of experience, everyone had a great time. Thanks, Planet Putt!

Programs like this highlight the importance of physical activities that challenge the mind and body and foster a sense of community. All while having a lot of laughs!

A big thank you to all of the volunteers who make these events possible. If you would like to volunteer and support seniors in our community, sign up at www.neighbourlink.org/volunteer

Your donations help to keep these programs going, alleviating social isolation for our senior neighbours. Please consider contributing to these programs by visiting www.neighbourlink.org/donate

On this we’re so grateful to a local business that has been champions of NeighbourLink for five years. Mullholland Ros...
09/24/2026

On this we’re so grateful to a local business that has been champions of NeighbourLink for five years. Mullholland Ross Group has hosted photo booths at our Christmas market each year, fundraised for us through their shred days and sponsored several of our Move-a-thon & BBQs!

When they heard that Willowdale Yard Sale Day needed a sponsor in order to continue, they jumped in right away to help us put on the event! We’re so grateful to Ora, Jordan and the whole team for their support. If you’re looking for a team to help you buy, sell or lease look no further!

Saturday was such a special day! Here are some pictures from the trunk sale market at Spring Garden Church and a few of the 29 home yard sales that took place! We’re grateful to volunteer photographers Farid, Bernd Weller and Ruby Dalvina for their support!

Address

89 Centre Avenue
Toronto, ON
M2M2L7

Telephone

416-221-8283

Website

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