Parkdale Activity — Recreation Centre (PARC), with Egerton Marcus and Ward 14
The Parkdale Activity — Recreation Centre began with a group of community volunteers who understood that there were large number of adults living in rooming houses & boarding homes in the Parkdale area after the local mental health centres began to de-institutionalize psychiatric patients. Most of these adults had little income, few family contacts and no place to go during the day and so PARC was born on March 17, 1980.
PARC began with a couple of staff and a stove—based on the "Club House" model where participants could become members by purchasing a lifetime membership card. Although we no longer sell membership cards the term member continues to be used by those who come to PARC. At that time 50% of the seats for the Board of Directors were designated for members of the agency. This is still true today.
Over the years PARC has hired from the membership, created employment initiatives, developed new services, shed light on the desperate need for housing for psychiatric survivors, demanded that people with mental health histories be treated with dignity and respect, advocated for increases to basic needs allowances and worked for the improvement of the quality of life of all psychiatric survivors and marginalized persons.
The PARC drop-in provides friendship, social opportunities, group and individual creative expression opportunities. Members can have a shower, receive clothing from our clothing bank, emergency food support, a daily meal, a warm place to sit, people to talk to, internet access, computer assistance and training from other members, volunteer support, transportation assistance, laundry facilities, art supply subsidies, emergency housing/shelter referral and assistance, emergency warming supplies, outings to local cinema, and many other activities.
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For more information please contact Victor Willis, 1499 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6R 1A3. Telephone: (416) 537-2591/2262, Fax: (416) 537-4159
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