The city celebrated its 175th birthday on March 6th, and everyone is making lists—what are your favourite things about Toronto?

Check out The Star’s list here.

Personally, one of my favourite things (other than Greg’s roasted marshmallow ice cream!) is the Toronto skyline. I love how it looks from so many directions—coming down the DVP, from the air on approach to Pearson or the Island Airport, from my great aunt’s 15th floor apartment on St. Clair, and even when I look up from the corner of Church and Wellington, near my work. I love the look of the cluster of buildings downtown, with the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre, but I also think it’s great how many trees and green spaces you can see when you look around those buildings.

Coming in on the train, seeing the skyline was always my cue that I was home, and I think you only get that warm and fuzzy feeling from the place you call “home.” It’s that exact warm and fuzzy feeling that makes it home.

That leads me to another thing that I love about this city—the generosity of the people who make up the Toronto community. And by generosity, I don’t just mean people opening their wallets; I mean people opening their hearts. That definitely gives me warm and fuzzy feelings!  I see these acts with the volunteers that I work with all the time—they give so much of their time and energy, I’m constantly amazed. But it’s not only in organized ways like volunteering, it’s also the little things like the jar of tomato sauce from my neighbour who grew her own tomatoes, and the people I see all the time helping moms lift their strollers on and off streetcars and buses.

That’s what I love about Toronto.

Comment and tell us what you love about Toronto—what you Give A Damn about and what makes it home for you.

Where does the misconception come from that people our age don’t volunteer?

Sure, we may not be able to make large financial donations but what we can offer is our time, which can be invaluable, especially taking into account the large number of agencies in Toronto that need assistance.  

The easiest way to discount the myth that our generation doesn’t volunteer? Come out to the next GenNext event! The first thing you’ll see is a large group of like-minded young people, rolling up their sleeves and helping out. People assume that our generation is too focused on our careers to make the time to volunteer but nothing could be further from the truth. Although our lives get pretty hectic sometimes, you’d be surprised by the number of people that still find time to squeeze in a few volunteer hours.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience—my involvement with GenNext has introduced me to a variety of agencies around the city that are making huge contributions to their respective communities. It’s great to know that our efforts as volunteers are helping to make a difference.

Having been involved with United Way and GenNext since 2006, I have a whole lot of positive UW memories. But more than any other GenNext initiative I’ve been involved with, my participation and involvement in the "Get in the Way" awards has stands out above the rest. As a matter of fact, it’s my go-to "feel good" memory.
 
The "Get in the Way" program were awards presented by Foresters in conjunction with the United Way, given to community-minded elementary and high-school aged students. One of my roles was to read the application forms from the children and young adults—and their incredible commitment to their communities was both heart warming and inspirational.
 
We received many applications from children who simply saw a void in their lives and filled it. From hosting a lemonade stand with the proceeds going to charity, to raising funds for a community skate park, these kids saw a way that they could help, and did it. The high school-aged students were equally noteworthy, with one young leader taking a passion and turning it into a volunteer experience benefiting their peers and community by volunteering at a local radio station.
 
Whenever someone laments to me about the state of our world, I always bring up my involvement with the next generation of community leaders –and I feel a sense of pride at being a part of growing tomorrow's hope.