Founded in 1937 by Reverend Ray McCleary in Toronto’s Riverdale neighborhood, WoodGreen Community Services began as a grassroots response to local poverty during the Great Depression. What started with recreational programs and child care for neighborhood families has grown into one of the largest non-profit social service agencies in Toronto.

Today, WoodGreen operates more than 75 integrated programs across the city. The organization manages 1,846 social housing units across 39 properties, delivers employment services, provides licensed child care, and runs specialized initiatives like Homeward Bound, a four-year wrap-around program that supports single mothers through education, housing, and career placement.

Yet, despite scaling to support more than 40,000 people annually, WoodGreen maintains a hyper-local, community-driven model. It's presence at 100 Broadview reflects that approach, keeping a key part of the organization connected to the East End neighbourhoods that have shaped WoodGreen for nearly 90 years.

"Our approach hasn't changed since 1937: meet people where they are and build around their actual lives."

- Tishanth Kanesalingam, Senior Vice President, Transformation & Chief Financial Officer

WoodGreen’s philosophy centers on addressing complex social challenges through connected care. Rather than treating housing, employment, mental health, and senior care as isolated issues, the agency structures its programs to intersect. A senior accessing home support can connect to financial counseling, while a newcomer family using child care services can access language training and settlement support under the same umbrella.

This model relies not only on the programs and partnerships, but also on physical anchors that keep staff, leadership, and operational teams grounded in the communities they serve.

"When your housing, employment, and care talk to each other, the impact multiplies."

- Tishanth Kanesalingam, Senior Vice President, Transformation & Chief Financial Officer

At 100 Broadview Avenue in Riverside, WoodGreen maintains a key administrative hub within a repurposed 1930s industrial building that originally served as a Coca-Cola bottling plant. The space combines restored brick-and-beam architecture with flexible workspace for administrative, program management, and foundation staff.

The location offers more than simply office space. Positioned close to WoodGreen’s historic Riverdale roots, 100 Broadview gives the organization a physical presence within the community while providing a modern environment for collaboration across its broader network of partners and programs.

"Riverside is our home turf. 100 Broadview grounds us right where our story started."

- Tishanth Kanesalingam, Senior Vice President, Transformation & Chief Financial Officer

As Toronto faces growing pressures around housing affordability, workforce shifts, and urban health, WoodGreen continues to expand its citywide initiatives and pilot new service models.

By grounding high-impact social programs in permanent, well-designed spaces, the organization ensures that as Toronto grows, its social infrastructure evolves alongside it.