Challenge
Responsive local services and problem solving
Solution
Cluster tables
We bring together agencies, residents, all levels of government, corporations and others across the region — in a way no one else can — for maximum impact. The Community Coordination Plan, also known as cluster tables, is a prime example of this. Established by United Way and the City of Toronto in the early days of the pandemic, to expedite services and resources, this model of co-operation and effectiveness has evolved to become a best-in-class approach to meeting emerging and ongoing community needs. Today 12 cluster tables — with close to 350 participating organizations — continue to support neighbourhoods across the city, and specific populations, through the Newcomer Table, as well as the Black Resilience Cluster, which alone counts 79 organizations at the table.
Cluster tables are behind dynamic local responses that provide the help people need now. In Black Creek Humber Summit that looks like a food portal, a partnership between seven agencies that means food access for hundreds of residents. And in North Etobicoke, it is a collaborative research study with Humber College, to better understand and address the impact of the pandemic on youth mental health.
They are also strengthening the sector. A number of table members have built their capacity to collect, analyze and use the social identity data of service users — part of the data equity pilot and learning captured in our latest case study, Challenges, Lessons and Implications from Collecting Social Identity Data — with a focus on assessing and enhancing services. And they’re improving resilience in our communities through a special project with the Canadian Red Cross that builds on the City of Toronto’s Resilience Strategy to help Torontonians survive, adapt and thrive in the face of any challenge, especially amid the growing threat of climate change.
In York Region, similar collaboration is underway at the Service Partners Table and Seniors Cluster report table led by United Way and the Region of York. As well, United Way supports the efforts of residents, agencies and local government in advancing community safety and well-being at the Region’s Community Action Tables and through Quick Action Grants that invest in resident-led projects focusing on priorities like mental health and housing stability. And in Peel, United Way sits at the Peel Community Response Table and co-chairs the Peel Poverty Reduction Committee.