Previous Editions
Previous Editions
VOLUNTEER PORTAL
Our Community Assistants and Volunteers are the backbone of CMT. In three short years we now have close to 30 active volunteers who deliver and support our programs. We'd like to introduce them to you. We have developed a volunteer portal to introduce them to each other and to our Friends. So please check it out.
Community Matters Toronto
Community Matters Toronto is a charity providing direct services, education, training and research to develop the life and social skills of children, families and adults, and in turn, encourage their contribution to their community
Contact Information
Community Matters is an operating name of St. James Town Family Literacy Services, a registered charity.
260 Wellesley St. East, Unit 102, Toronto, ON M4X 1G6
Telephone (416) 944-9697
E Mail us
Our Web Site
We would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial committment made to Community Matters and the St. James Town Community. In particular we would like to recognize:
Acceptance Speech
Here are parts of Ali's acceptance speech For the complete speech click here
I want to be useful rather than rescue people by bringing purpose to the conversation. We can put light on the issues and together we can bridge the gap between the resources available in the community and the people who live in this same community.
I tell people, Canada is your final destination, so it is time for you to decide to contribute, to be active, to be passionate and that your personal engagement is a common commitment to the first step to peace.
I believe that people all need love and are able to give love to each other but need help in finding the wisest way of doing that. I help people to understand each other, to help each other and to share the benefits of each other's point of view.
We each have gifts to share, even if we do not think so, and this is one of the most important things that we can do, since through sharing our time and attention, we help ourselves. We heal the wounds of separateness in each other too.
NOMINATION SPEECH
Here are parts of Margaret nomination speech For the complete speech click here
It is difficult in an age when superlatives are often used to describe the mundane, to describe the exceptional.
Ali knows that peace comes from the belief in the fundamental goodness of everyone. This is not difficult for him. This is not a blind faith or an interesting idea. It is simply who he is
He knows that the roots of peace grow when people are at peace with themselves
Ali leads by his actions, knowing that Peace comes from a sense of community.
His brilliance as a community organizer is his innate skill of finding the unity then working to resolve whatever differences remain.
Peace comes from courage- he doesn’t have to work here, to take on roles which are very different from those honoured by his community…
We are humbled to learn from a very fine leader and human being! It’s not Ali who is part of us, the truth is, and we are part of him.
About the Peace Medallion
We are very honoured that Ali has been awarded the YMCA Peace Medallion. The Peace Medallion,is presented annually during Peace Week to recognize the achievements of individuals like Ali who -without any special resources-demonstrate in their lives and activities the values expressed in the World Alliance of YMCAs' 1981 Statement on Peace,
We all know that through his actions Ali is most qualified to be recognized in this very special way.
Ali was recognized in a wonderful award ceremony attended by many of his family and friends from St. James Town and Community Matters. The evening included a nominating speech by Margaret , Ali's acceptance and the presentation of the Peace Medallion and Certificate.
In this special news flash we have included the nomination speech, Ali's acceptance, pictures of the evening and the biography which was included in the evenings program.
“Peace has many dimensions. It is not only a state of relationships among nations. We cannot expect to live in a world of peace if we are unable to live in peace with those close to us…”
World Alliance of YMCAs' 1981 Statement on Peace
"When we take the first step in helping someone else, we are helped, often in ways that we do not know. We become part of a community that matters to us. We matter. We all matter, and the only way we know that is through the eyes and hearts of others".