Working Women Community Centre - Settlement, English classes and family programs for immigrant women

Helps immigrant women and families with settlement (including help with permanent residence and work permit applications and sponsoring family), LINC English classes, tutoring for students, and parenting programs.

For: Newcomer women and families in Toronto; HIPPY Young Moms is for mothers aged 16 to 29 facing financial difficulties, and On Your Mark tutoring is for students struggling with reading, writing or math.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto - Mentoring for children and youth

The wait for an assessment is about 2 to 3 months; in Rexdale, Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough a match usually takes 6 months to 1 year because of a shortage of mentors.

Matches children and youth with trained adult volunteer mentors through the Ignite Mentoring Programs and the Little By Little Program.

For: Children aged 7 to 16 whose parent or guardian lives in a Toronto 'M' postal code (or who are referred by another agency); youth 16 and over can apply on their own; volunteer mentors must be 18 or older and give about 2 hours a week.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know

Student Nutrition Programs in Toronto Schools (free breakfast, snacks and meals)

Runs every school day during the school year. No application is needed for students.

Programs in Toronto schools that give students healthy breakfasts, morning meals, snacks or lunches each school day. Over 230,000 Toronto students take part every day. The City of Toronto funds them through Toronto Public Health, with money from Ontario and from the Government of Canada, whose National School Food Program adds funding to Ontario's Student Nutrition Program. The City aims to have a morning meal program in every public school community by the 2026-2027 school year.

For: Children and youth at Toronto schools that run a student nutrition program. Programs are open to all students regardless of their ability to pay and are meant to be free of stigma. Families do not apply to the National School Food Program directly. It reaches students through these school programs.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

Legal Aid Ontario client service line (apply for legal aid)

No deadline. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

The phone line where you apply for legal aid in Ontario. If you qualify, Legal Aid Ontario gives you a certificate that pays a private lawyer for a set number of hours, or free help from duty counsel lawyers at court, for family, criminal, child protection, immigration and refugee, and domestic violence problems.

For: People in Ontario with a low income and a legal problem. For a certificate in a family, immigration or refugee case, family income must be lower than $18,795 for 1 person, $32,131 for 2, $39,352 for 3, $45,289 for 4 and $50,803 for 5 or more. In a criminal case it must be lower than $45,440 for 1 to 4 people and $50,803 for 5 or more. If you have income or own property above this, you may still get a certificate with a contribution agreement, where you pay back some or all of the legal fees.

Ontario-wide · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

City of Toronto - Community Recreation Volunteers

Volunteer roles at City community recreation centres (program support, swim/camp assistance, special events) open to ages 14+ and accepted toward the 40 hours.

Toronto · checked 30 September 2026 · everything we know

Healthy Babies Healthy Children (Toronto Public Health): free home visits in pregnancy and the early years

Open all year. A child can join until their third birthday.

A free, voluntary home visiting program. A Public Health Nurse and a Family Home Visitor visit you at home and help with pregnancy, breastfeeding and feeding, your child's growth and development, parenting and your own well-being, and connect you to community programs and health services. Family Home Visitors come from many cultural groups and may speak your language, and interpretation is available.

For: People who live in Toronto, are pregnant or parenting a child 3 or younger (children can join until their third birthday), are the child's legal guardian, can have home visits during program hours, and have at least one need, for example: a newcomer to Canada here less than 3 years and having a first baby in Canada, little support around you, a physical or mental health problem that makes parenting or pregnancy hard, questions about your child's health or development, or hard life situations such as homelessness, domestic violence or no OHIP. You do not need an OHIP card.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

Toronto Public Health immunization clinics (free vaccines by appointment)

Clinics are by appointment. Grade 7 and 8 students can also get the hepatitis B, HPV and meningococcal vaccines at school during school hours (School Immunization Program clinics). Ontario law requires students to be up to date with the vaccines for 9 diseases, or have a valid exemption, to attend school.

Toronto Public Health runs free community vaccine clinics by appointment. Students can catch up on the vaccines needed for school and on hepatitis B, HPV and meningococcal vaccines, children under 5 can get free COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines, and the booking page also lists mpox vaccine clinics and an older adult clinic for COVID-19, flu or RSV vaccines.

For: Students in junior kindergarten (JK) to grade 12 who live or go to school in Toronto (school vaccines); children under 5 (COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines); and the other groups listed on the booking page. If your child has no OHIP or health insurance, Toronto Public Health says to contact a clinic that gives free health care to uninsured people.

Toronto · checked 4 October 2026 · everything we know

The Stop Community Food Centre

A community food centre in west-central Toronto with a food bank, free drop-in breakfasts and lunches, a weekly Good Food Market, a tax and ID clinic and perinatal (pregnancy) support.

For: People who need food; households living in its catchment area (north of Bloor, south of St. Clair, east of Runnymede, west of Bathurst, per the map on its site) can use the food bank once a month, and others once every six months.

Toronto · checked 2 October 2026 · everything we know