INTERNAL/EXTERNAL

Job Title: Drop-In Community Programming Worker, Drop-In Extended Program

Position Type: Bargaining Unit, Full-Time, Contract (until April 15, 2027)

Number of Positions: 1

Reason for Posting: Existing Vacancy

Rate: $29.40 per hour

Vacation: 7% Vacation Pay

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 2:30pm -10:30pm with some flexibility required depending on program-needs

Supervisor: Drop-In Supervisor

Posting Date: October 21, 2026,

Application Deadline: October 30, 2026

Location: 40 Oak St., Toronto

Why Fred Victor?

For 130 years, Fred Victor has been a leader in helping people rebuild their lives in Toronto. Our mission is to improve the health, income and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. We are committed to ending homelessness, one person at a time.

The Community Services (CS) department at Fred Victor is a multi-service, multi-site structure that encompasses the 40 Oak Community HUB and community programs, Employment and Training Services, Drop-Ins, Keep Cool

Programs, and Food Services. Additionally, it operates social purpose enterprise with catering and community

;outreach services and spearheads a significant Peer Training Initiative that prioritizes the involvement of individuals with lived experience.

The Drop-in Extended Program will operate during Extreme Cold Weather alerts from November 15, 2026, to April

15, 2027, with extended hours of 2:30pm – 10:30pm. The program will provide respite from cold weather, snacks and beverages, shower and laundry facilities, community referrals and harm reduction services utilizing a low-barrier philosophy.

The Drop-In Community Programming Worker is a position focused on activating the Drop-in space and building safer, more inclusive communities through purposeful programming, celebrations, and shared activities. This role is rooted in the belief that strong social cohesion is foundational to community wellbeing, particularly for people who are unhoused or unsheltered, isolated, or navigating significant barriers to care. Located in 40 Oak St., this position works to strengthen local social cohesion by creating a drop-in environment where people feel genuinely welcome and connected.

The Drop-In Community Programming Worker develops and leads programming that reflects the interests, cultures, and strengths of drop-in participants, and that makes the Drop-in a place people want to be.

This position leads the planning and delivery of recreational programming, community celebrations, seasonal events, skill-building workshops, and group activities that activate the Drop-in space and prioritize strong social opportunities, particularly for people who are unsheltered and those most at risk of isolation. The Drop-In

Community Programming Worker collaborates closely with the full Drop-in team to ensure programming is integrated into the broader program environment, and works with participants to co-develop programming that reflects their voices and priorities. This role advances social cohesion by creating conditions where people can build real relationships, find routine, and experience a genuine sense of belonging and community. It brings creativity,

and a deep commitment to more inclusive communities.

Does this sound like work you want to be a part of?

We offer a supportive and collaborative setting, an opportunity to join a diverse team of caring professionals,

and a chance to make a difference. With over 75 programs and services and more than 25 sites, there are lots of opportunities to grow your career with us. Many members of the management team started in relief and front-line roles.

What You Will Do:

Program Integration & Drop-In Participation

- Actively participate in the delivery of Drop-in services alongside the broader team, supporting meals, basic

needs, Drop-in participant flow, and day-to-day program operations as a full member of the shift team.
- Coordinate with the Drop-In Supervisor to plan, programming, ensuring activities are prepared in advance, and

aligned with the broader program calendar.
- Engage Drop-in participants in co-creating programming; actively seek participant input on activity ideas,

interests, and cultural priorities to ensure programming reflects the community it serves and builds genuine ownership and investment.
- Build and sustain meaningful relationships with Drop-in participants, recognizing that consistent, caring

presence is a core program function and a foundation for community trust and cohesion.
- Communicate regularly with the weekday team through shift logs, handoff notes, and check-ins with the Drop-In

Supervisor to ensure continuity of participant relationships, programming momentum, and awareness of any issues arising on weekends.
- Contribute to team meetings, shift changes, and program planning as scheduled, bringing participant feedback,

programming observations, and community-building insights to broader team conversations.




- Maintain accurate documentation including attendance records, programming logs, incident reports, and any

data relevant to funder reporting or program evaluation.
- Participate in training, professional development, and relevant community of practice spaces related to

community programming, group facilitation, and working with people experiencing homelessness. Recreational & Social Programming

- Plan and facilitate a varied calendar of recreational and social programming that activates the Drop-in space and

creates strong social opportunities, prioritizing activities that are meaningful for people who are unsheltered and those most vulnerable to isolation; programming is low-barrier, welcoming without precondition, and designed to draw people in and build connection.
- Lead and coordinate seasonal celebrations and community events, including holiday meals, cultural

observances, birthdays, and community milestones; ensure celebrations are inclusive, participant-centered, and reflective of the diversity of the Drop-in community.
- Organize and lead community outings, including trips to parks, cultural sites, sporting events, community

gardens, and other accessible destinations; manage logistics including transportation, safety planning, and participant preparation to ensure outings are enjoyable and run smoothly.
- Lead an indoor gardening program as a cornerstone of programming; guide Drop-in participants in planting,

tending, and harvesting container and indoor gardens, using the program as a vehicle for routine, responsibility, sensory engagement, and community pride.
- Offer creative arts programming including visual art, printmaking, collage, poetry, and zine-making as accessible,

expressive workshops that build confidence, support emotional well-being, and generate participant-made artwork that can be displayed within the Drop-in space.
- Lead music and movement programming including drum circles, dance, yoga, tai chi, or other accessible

activities that support physical well-being, self-expression, and group energy in a Drop-in environment.
- Facilitate basic digital literacy and technology access sessions to help Drop-in participants navigate smartphones,

email, online services, and government portals, building practical skills that support independence and access to services.
- Run storytelling and oral history circles, journaling workshops, and other narrative-based groups that invite

participants to share their experiences, affirm their expertise, and contribute to a collective record of the drop- in community’s culture and history.

Inclusion, Skills Development & Community Integration

- Design and facilitate skills-building workshops tailored to the practical and social needs of Drop-in participants,

and other life skills that build confidence and support greater independence.
- Develop and sustain partnerships with community organizations, cultural groups, volunteers, artists, and local

institutions to bring guest facilitators, collaborative programming, and external community connections into the Drop-in.
- Create intentional programming that builds social connection, reduces isolation, and advances social cohesion;

design group activities that help people get to know one another, identify shared interests, and form natural peer relationships, contributing to the development of more inclusive communities within and beyond the Drop- in.
- Lead culturally responsive programming that honours the diversity of backgrounds, traditions, and experiences

within the Drop-in community, including cultural celebrations, food sharing events, and programming that reflects the heritage and identities of participants, particularly Indigenous, racialized, and newcomer community members.
- Identify and proactively respond to barriers to programming participation across the full range of equity-

deserving groups served by the drop-in, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, people experiencing homelessness and unsheltered individuals, people with disabilities, newcomers and people with language barriers, and people living with mental health and substance use challenges; apply an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens to program design and facilitation, ensuring activities, spaces, and approaches are culturally safe, accessible, and genuinely welcoming for all participants.

What You Bring to the Team:

- College diploma or degree in recreation and leisure services, social service work, community development, arts education,



or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.

- Minimum 2 years of experience in community programming, group facilitation, recreation services, or social

services, with experience working with people who are homeless, marginally housed, or otherwise experiencing significant barriers.
- Demonstrated ability to plan, facilitate, and evaluate group programming in a community setting, with skills in

adapting activities to meet participants where they are and building inclusive group environments.
- Knowledge of the social determinants of health, trauma-informed practice, and the lived realities of people

experiencing homelessness, including issues of poverty, mental health, substance use, and systemic exclusion.
- Experience or interest in horticulture, indoor or community gardening as a therapeutic or community-building

tool is a strong asset.
- Naloxone certification and basic knowledge of harm reduction principles; willingness to respond to on-site

overdose situations as part of a team is required.
- Creativity, resourcefulness, and a genuine enthusiasm for facilitation; comfort working with small and larger

groups, and ability to read a room and adapt programming in real time to participant energy, mood, and engagement.
- Strong relationship-building skills and ability to engage with people experiencing homelessness, mental health

challenges, substance use, or social isolation in a way that is warm, non-judgmental, and genuinely affirming.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, while maintaining strong communication with the

weekday team and the Drop-In Supervisor.
- Lived experience of homelessness, poverty, substance use, mental health challenges, or other experiences

shared by drop-in participants is a genuine asset and will be recognized as a strength.
- A genuine commitment to trauma-informed and person-centered practice is essential.

What Sets You Apart:

- You bring genuine creativity and enthusiasm to programming, and you understand that activating the Drop-in

space on weekends, when many people who are unsheltered have nowhere structured to go, is one of the most meaningful things this role does; you show up with energy, ideas, and a real commitment to making the drop-in a place people want to be.
- You are a skilled facilitator who can hold space for diverse groups, navigate conflict with care, and draw out

participation from people who are hesitant, guarded, or unaccustomed to being invited to contribute; you make inclusion feel natural, not performative.
- You understand that programming in a drop-in setting is not about delivering a curriculum; it is about building

relationships, creating routine, and contributing to safer, more inclusive communities where people feel capable, valued, and connected; you see your work as part of something larger, including the long-term social cohesion of the Moss Park community.
- You are resourceful and adaptable; you can run a meaningful group with whatever materials are available, pivot

when something is not landing, and find the humour and humanity in the unexpected moments that come with working in a drop-in environment.
- High integrity; genuine commitment to social justice, equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and the dignity of

every person who walks through the drop-in door.

Compensation and Benefits:

- For the Drop-In Community Programming Worker, Fred Victor offers an hourly rate of $29.40
- 7% vacation pay
- Access to employee and family assistance plan

How You Can Apply: Internal employees who are interested in this opportunity are encouraged to apply through ADP by navigating to

Myself > Talent > Career Centre. External candidates may apply using this link: Fred Victor ADP Career Centre or by scanning the QR code:

Please note that we are currently soft-launching our new online hiring system through ADP.

During this transition, not all job postings are available in the system yet. We appreciate your patience as we work through this transition. As part of the application process, applicants are asked to upload their resume and a cover letter as one document describing their interest in joining the Fred Victor team A Police Record Check is required by the final candidate prior to hiring.

Accessibility & Accommodation

Fred Victor is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential. As such, we welcome and encourage applicants who identify as racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and have lived-experience

If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation and/or assistance during the application process, please contact us in advance. We strive to provide reasonable accommodations whenever requested. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.

📌 Drop-In Community Programming Worker (Toronto)
🏢 Fred Victor
📍 Toronto