The Social Justice and Advocacy Consultant, with the Social Justice and Advocacy Committee, coordinates and advances the public witness of our Diocese on issues of social and ecological justice. We seek to be faithful to God’s call to compassion and justice, live out our baptismal vows, and engage faithfully with the world.
To learn more or get involved, contact Elin Goulden, Social Justice & Advocacy Consultant, at egoulden@toronto.anglican.ca or 416-363-6021 (1-800-668-8932).
Get started with our Social Justice and Advocacy Parish Outreach Guide
Find the Outreach and Advocacy Prayer Cycle on our Prayer Resources page
Read our 2024 Social Justice Vestry Motion and find template letters to send to your federal and provincial representatives on the issues in this year’s motion.
What’s new:
Provincial Advocacy - Our response to Budget 2024
The 2024 provincial budget was released on March 26, 2024.
Read our response to Budget 2024.
Our 2024 provincial pre-budget submission can be found here.
Federal Advocacy: Homelessness Prevention, Canada Disability Benefit, and more
The 2024 federal budget was released on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. It will likely be the last budget to be implemented before the next federal election.
Housing & homelessness: The 2024 federal budget makes major investments in housing, including $1 billion for Reaching Home, Canada’s Homelessness Strategy; $250 million for housing-focused responses to encampments and unsheltered homelessness; $50 million to support local homelessness reduction efforts; and a $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund to help non-profits and charities acquire and preserve affordable rental housing.
Read an analysis of the budget from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
Poverty Reduction: 1.5 million people with disabilities are living in poverty across Canada, and across the country, 50% of people with disabilities over the age of 16 are food insecure. While Budget 2024 did introduce a Canada Disability Benefit, advocates are concerned that the eligibility requirements are too strict and the amount of the benefit too low to lift Canadians with disabilities out of poverty.
At the same time, Budget 2024 introduced a National School Food program and made significant investments in universal dental care, pharmacare, and affordable childcare.
Read a response to the 2024 federal budget from Community Food Centres Canada
Climate change: Budget 2024 was also somewhat disappointing in terms of addressing climate change. The federal government did not heed calls for an excess profits tax on the oil and gas sector in Budget 2024. The budget does include promising investments in passenger rail service, as well as $800 million over five years for a new Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program targeted to lower-income households.
Read an analysis from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, “Budget 2024 pushes new climate action down the road.”
Anglican Outreach Support Network
Many parishes have contacted the Diocesan Office for guidance on continuing outreach programs during COVID-19. See the Amber/Red Guidelines for Outreach Ministries and the Guidelines for Outreach Ministries Offering Indoor Food Services documents on our COVID-19 Updates page.
We urge all parishes to follow public health protocols for screening, hygiene, PPE and distancing when offering outreach services.
What we do
We facilitate communications between the diocesan and suffragan bishops and various levels of government. We also educate, equip and support parishes and individual Anglicans in advocacy on social and ecological justice.
Priorities
Our ongoing social justice work is focused on three priority areas:
Other areas of concern, where we support the work of other church ministries, include:
Some of our key activities include:
- the annual social justice vestry motion
- the annual Outreach & Advocacy Conference
- the Outreach & Advocacy Prayer Cycle
- promoting events and advocacy campaigns through our newsletter and Facebook page
- providing advocacy resources and support for parishes