In The Community
The homelessness crisis in Toronto has reached a critical point, with more than 12,000 people experiencing homelessness every night in 2025.
The Editor’s Desk believes in helping people experiencing homelessness find suitable housing and providing other support during the process. That’s why we founded and supported two important initiatives that bring people together to strengthen our community: Warm It Up! and Artists Against Homelessness.
Warm it Up!
The Editor’s Desk was the founder and a direct sponsor of Warm it Up!, a grassroots initiative that became a worldwide movement.
Warm It Up! was originally conceived as a way to comfort people experiencing homelessness in the days leading up to the Christmas season. It started as a conversation over Facebook in which people were encouraged to donate Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, or other coffee gift cards to needy people, allowing them to pick up a warm drink and spend a few minutes out of the cold.
The idea quickly spread online, attracting more than 250 participants in Toronto and across North America who provided gifts of warmth to over 1,300 people. This event sparked a new holiday tradition of sharing with those less fortunate.
The second event saw donations expand into blankets, socks, jackets, and care packages as more people got involved in efforts to support people in need within their own communities.
Following the third Warm it Up! event, a Sock Patrol component was added, sponsored by Toronto Rotary. This new effort focused on handing out over 240 pairs of socks to people needing a little extra warmth during the cold winter months.
Artists Against Homelessness
In 2023, our founder, Richard Todd, partnered with Woodgreen Community Services on a project that brought 13 of Toronto’s best indie talent together to create the ensemble group Artists Against Homelessness.
The group recorded Richard’s song “The Forgotten Homeless”, produced by multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Chris Birkett, to raise awareness and money for this ongoing crisis.
Royalties from streaming the song and video are being donated to Woodgreen’s UNMET Needs campaign, which provides support for people experiencing homelessness.
(L to R): Michael Quattro, Chris Birkett, David Moses, Sarah Siddiqui, Luciana Santaguida, Rahaf Alakbani, Signe Miranda, Osaze Dolabaille, Anna Goldsmith, Richard Todd, Chatrisse Dolabaille, Esmaeel Abofakher, and Shari Tallon.
In 2024, Richard accepted a Community Service Award in the Arts & Culture Leaders category on behalf of Artists Against Homelessness from MPP Chris Glover to recognize the ensemble’s efforts.
To honour the work of Artists Against Homelessness, Richard’s guitar, pick, and the song’s sheet and music video have been installed at the Toronto Museum’s “At Home in Toronto” exhibit for 2025.