Reverend Doctor Margaret Evelyn Fleck was a devoted member of our LOFT family as a volunteer and donor for over two decades. Margaret believed that every member of the community deserved a dignified life and she gave the gift of hope to those who many have lost it. For many years, Margaret and her husband Jim opened their home for an annual picnic for LOFT seniors. This event was cherished by clients who often said they felt as if they were treated like family.

She will be deeply missed by our staff and clients, however her impact and legacy lives on through the sparks of joy and hope she added to the lives of so many. The Margaret Fleck Room at LOFT’s St. Anne’s place will continue to be a symbol of hope and unwavering support to our clients and we will forever remember her contribution to LOFT.

Our deepest sympathies to Margaret’s husband Jim, and their children, Robert, Ellen, David and Christopher.

BLOOM Program Receives Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grant

We are pleased to announce that LOFT has been awarded a grant of $42,600 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This grant will be used to renovate five washrooms in the LOFT-owned house that is now the BLOOM Transitional Gender Project, Toronto’s only  mental health housing space for trans people.

The BLOOM house is home for five trans individuals who have been homeless or precariously housed and living with mental health issues. Another 10 individuals who have joined the program either have housing through a partner agency, or are receiving support while they wait for housing. These housing partners are among the nearly twenty organizations from across the social services and health care continuum, who have joined together to for the BLOOM Partnership Network, ensuring trans people have safe and open access to a full range of services.

The goal of the program is to offer each individual the support and services they need in order to follow their personal journey of transition and successfully rejoin the community in their authentic gender.

New Seniors Housing Test Project Opens on White Squirrel Way

LOFT is providing specialized supportive housing services for older adults and seniors who need support in moving out of hospital at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The program is located in twelve housing units in one of CAMH’s new buildings on White Squirrel Way. This test project will assess the effectiveness of our specialized, intensive, one-on-one support model in helping residents to regain their confidence and re-learn life skills. People will live in LOFT’s White Squirrel Way location for three to six months after which they will be ready to move on to live independently with appropriate supports. The first two clients moved in on December 21 and were delighted to celebrate Christmas out of hospital and in a place of their own.

New LOFT Program receives City of Toronto 2017 Pride Award

On December 4, 2017, the City of Toronto Access, Equity and Human Rights Awards were presented at Toronto City Hall. The AEHR Awards recognize people who, or programs that, have made a difference in Toronto by reducing discrimination and barriers to equality.

LOFT was honoured to receive the 2017 Pride Award for LBGTQ and Two-Spirit Issues presented in recognition of the new BLOOM transitional gender program, launched in June of this year.

BLOOM is an innovative and ground-breaking housing program and networking group supporting trans people – statistically one of the most marginalized and oppressed populations.