Maytree blog
These stories highlight what organizations and individuals are doing to reduce poverty and strengthen their communities, as well as how and why they do the work that they do.
Published on 17/05/2022
A group retirement plan such as Common Good is attractive to workers. It enables them to maximize their savings, minimize their costs, and retire in dignity.
Are you looking to acquire and retain top talent? There’s a simple organizational upgrade. You might be surprised to learn that offering a group retirement plan could be one of the most successful tools in your human resources efforts. The ultimate “attract and retain” strategy It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a […]
Published on 30/08/2021
Along with many friends and colleagues, we are deeply saddened by the loss of Francisco Rico-Martínez on August 13, 2021.
Along with many friends and colleagues, we are deeply saddened by the loss of Francisco Rico-Martínez on August 13, 2021. Almost 30 years ago, shortly after having fled El Salvador during its civil war and arriving in Canada as a refugee, he founded what is now known as the FCJ Refugee Centre together with his […]
Published on 28/07/2021
We spoke with Annie Kidder of People for Education about what COVID-19 showed us about the way we think about schools, why we need to talk about education as a human right, and what we need to do next.
Access to public, universal education for children is something that is widely accepted in Canada – so much so that we might be taking it for granted. We sat down with Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education, to talk about what the COVID-19 pandemic showed us about the way we think about our […]
Published on 09/06/2021
Toronto’s experience with the human right to housing is just one example of how local communities in Canada and around the world are acting on human rights.
Poverty is what happens when people cannot access their human right to an adequate standard of living. They lack equitable access to housing, health care and pharmacare, education and training opportunities, or decent work. They experience food insecurity, poor sanitation and undrinkable water, or lack of income. Poverty is created by systems that affect people […]
Published on 27/04/2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased number of encampments across Canada. Our response needs to be guided by adopting a human rights-based approach.
When you think of human rights violations, you may think of states that “arbitrarily imprison citizens,” says housing and homelessness researcher Emily Paradis. “States that are wealthy but allow hundreds of thousands of people each year to experience homelessness – that’s not what people think of when they think of human rights violations.” But maybe […]
Published on 15/04/2021
Since Toronto’s amalgamation in 1998, multi-tenant (rooming) houses have operated in a sort of regulatory limbo. The right regulatory framework could enable both tenants of multi-tenant houses and their landlords to come out of the closet.
On April 12, 2021, the City of Toronto announced its plans to consult on the future of multi-tenant houses (traditionally called rooming houses) in Toronto. That’s good news! Since Toronto’s amalgamation in 1998, multi-tenant houses have operated in a sort of regulatory limbo. They are legal and regulated in the old City of Toronto, illegal […]
Published on 25/03/2021
The fare policy review by the Toronto Transit Commission is a golden opportunity to reimagine the role of public transit as a human right and advance a pandemic recovery plan that addresses poverty, racism, and the digital divide.
Transit ridership in Toronto dropped dramatically at the beginning of the pandemic as people who could work from home stayed put. But essential transit trips continued for those who relied on public transit to get groceries, access medical care, and commute to essential workplaces. A survey conducted by University of Toronto researchers found that people […]
Published on 25/03/2021
Throughout April, staff at the Children’s Breakfast Clubs would like to use their social media channels to highlight random acts of kindness people are performing in these difficult times.
The Children’s Breakfast Clubs, a Maytree grantee, has always focused on ensuring that its children are kind and caring towards each other, their teachers, their parents, and members of the community. To reinforce this, six years ago, it initiated an “act of kindness” campaign during the month of April to stress how important it is […]
Published on 24/03/2021
We spoke with Connor Bays, Director of Employer Solutions at Common Wealth, to learn more about the Common Good Plan and why it’s a good idea for non-profits to invest in their employees' financial security.
Employers and workers in Canada’s non-profit and charitable sector have a new option for a workplace savings and retirement plan. The Common Good Plan is provided by Common Wealth Retirement, a Toronto-based fintech company that is on a mission to make it possible for every Canadian to achieve a financially secure retirement. It is working […]