The 519, formerly known as The 519 Church Street Community Centre, is an agency by the City of Toronto. A Canadian charitable, non-profit organization, it operates a community centre in the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 519 serves both its local neighbourhood and the broader lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in the Toronto area. The 519 defines its local neighbourhood by a catchment area that spans from Bloor Street to the north to Gerrard Street to the south, and from Bay Street in the west to Parliament Street in the east.
According to the centre's website
The 519 is the hub of community life in Toronto's diverse Church and Wellesley Village. For over 35 years, The 519 has been working with [its] neighbours and [its] lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) communities to build healthy, welcoming spaces to meet, participate and celebrate together.
Governance model
The 519 is one of the City of Toronto's agencies and corporations, alongside organizations like Build Toronto, Exhibition Place and the Toronto Public Library. Led by a community board of directors, rather than the city's parks and recreations department, The 519 leverages community insight, knowledge and resources to determine usage of the building. In 2012, for every one dollar the City of Toronto provided to keep the building open and operational for the public, the 519 brought over two dollars in community investment to provide programming
Board of management
The 519's board of management includes the local ward 13 councillor (Kristen Wong-Tam) and 11 citizens. Citizen members of the board are elected by members of the 519 who are residents of the catchment area. The board of management is subsequently appointed by the Toronto and East York Community Council, a delegated body of Toronto City Council.
The board operates from a modified policy governance model which ensures delegation of day-to-day leadership of the organization to the executive director, Maura Lawless. The board is currently led by chair Margo Foster, who currently manages academic programs at Seneca College.
Association of Community Centres
The 519 is a member of the Association of Community Centres (AOCCs), which comprises 10 volunteer board-run multi-purpose facilities providing a broad range of community, recreation and social service programs to residents in the local community. Other AOCC community centres include Swansea Town Hall, Ralph Thornton Community Centre and Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre (formerly known as Harbourfront Neighbourhood Centre).
The AOCC model is a hybrid between a city agency and an independent, not-for-profit, community-based organization. The core administration activities are funded by the city and treated like a city agency (building maintenance and upkeep, utilities, etc.). Community programming is funded through fund-raising (corporate and individual donations, grants, etc.) and is led by the community-based Board of Management. The 519 is a member agency of the United Way of Greater Toronto and the Toronto Neighbourhood Centres and has received funding from various governments, corporations and foundations including the Community One Foundation and Government of Ontario.
Details of the relationship between the City of Toronto and AOCCs are outlined in a relationship framework approved by Toronto City Council in 2006.
Programs and community services
The 519's governance model results in the development, evolution and creation of programs and services through community leadership and engagement. The centre offers staff-led programming funded through community investment as well as community-led initiatives that are volunteer-led.
Staff-led programs
The 519 offers a wide range of staff-led initiatives that serve a diverse community of members, including:
Newcomer and Refugee Settlement Services
Sport and Recreation Initiatives
Community Drop-In Programs (Meal Trans, Sunday Drop-In) Community Support Services (Counselling, Anti-Violence) Trans Community Services (Trans Youth Mentorship Program, Trans Sex Worker Empowerment Project, Spark: Trans Youth Sports) Older LGBT Services (Senior Pride Network) Family and Children Services Queer Parenting Programs Social Enterprise Restaurant (FABARNAK) Research, Education and Training