DESIRE TO ENGAGE AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY ANCHORS WOODGREEN COMMUNITY SERVICES AND TORONTO ZOO PARTNERSHIP

TORONTO, ON, Wednesday, September 9, 2020: Your Toronto Zoo and WoodGreen Community Services are proud to announce an exciting new five-year partnership with the purpose of engaging the local community to build environmental literacy and improve quality of life. We believe connecting to nature and visiting parks and your Toronto Zoo is important to people’s well-being and mental health. This relationship establishes shared objectives between WoodGreen and the Toronto Zoo including:

  • Working together to host events to incorporate environmental and conservation related education.
  • Providing internships, mentorships, volunteer and employment opportunities at the Toronto Zoo for WoodGreen clients and encouraging Zoo staff to be community mentors in the Community Connection Program.
  • Working with the Toronto Zoo to undertake cultural celebrations at the Zoo.
  • Working with other cultural/tourism destinations to create a network of cultural destinations for newcomer immigrants.
  • Jointly applying for funding, developing and undertaking programs to promote environmental sustainability and conservation.

With a rich history spanning more than 80 years, WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto, serving 37,000 people each year. Together, WoodGreen helps people find safe, affordable housing, seniors live independently, internationally-trained professionals enter the job market, parents access childcare, children and youth access after-school programs, newcomers settle in to Canadian life, homeless and marginalized people get off the streets, youth find meaningful employment and training and provide a wide range of mental health supports.

"We know how important it is for newcomers to feel connected to their new city," said Anne Babcock, WoodGreen’s President & CEO. "Visiting a special place like the Toronto Zoo with their families gives our clients a chance to feel a real sense of belonging. The job fairs the Toronto Zoo will hold for WoodGreen's newcomer youth clients are another wonderful opportunity to gain employment, and settle, into their new city."

“As an anchor institution in Scarborough, your Toronto Zoo has established itself as a premier conservation tourism destination and a leader in sustainability and wildlife advocacy,” said Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “Through this new partnership with Woodgreen, we are working to connect in news ways with the community and engage residents about the importance of sustainability and wildlife conservation, and bring them into the active effort to save wildlife,” he added.

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Toronto Zoo Media Contact:

Amanda Chambers
Supervisor of Strategic Communications
[email protected]

Woodgreen Community Services Contact::

Jessica Freeman
Director, Strategic Communications & Marketing
[email protected]