ABORIGINAL HOUSING SUPPORT CENTRE - Key Persons
Antonella, who goes by Toni, has been a Child & Youth Practitioner for 17 years. She graduated with her C.Y.W 3-year diploma in 2004 from Centennial College. She then went on to work in the educational system with youth on the autism spectrum for almost 2 years then moved on to working with youth 15 and young adults who were dealing with trauma, addictions, criminal justice system, intergenerational trauma, housing, academic and career pathway planning.
Toni went back to college in 2015 to obtain her Honors B.A. in Child & Youth Care, which she successfully completed in 2017. Toni then went on to work in community centers and the shelter system, advocating for housing stability and rights, food security and taught groups about Diversity and Inclusion, Conflict Resolution through Indigenous Practices, Self-Care, Understanding Trauma and Triggers and Building Self-Esteem. Toni has always had a passion for helping people and for being an ally.
Toni is the proud mom of two adult children, her daughter who is Metis and her son who is ASD . She is also the proud grandmother of a granddaughter.
In her spare time, Toni enjoys watching Marvel, DC and sci-fi movies. Toni is also an avid martial artist for the past 15 years and most times you can find her training in Muay Thai because she feels it is great for the body, mind, and spirit. She also takes part in courses and trainings that are about Indigenous peoples and their histories while staying updated on current issues.
Lori joined us as the Housing First Worker at the Aboriginal Housing Support Centre in December of 2016.
Lori brings many years of experience assisting homeless people in Toronto to secure and keep their housing in the community.
She also has experience providing tenant support services to tenants in supportive housing, and brings with her a keen understanding of subsidized and supportive housing issues, and strategies to help applicants navigate that system, as well as the private rental market.
In 2000, with the creation of a new housing help sector by the City of Toronto, Lori saw the value and importance of these new workers having an opportunity to network with, and learn from, existing housing help workers in the city. In this context, she and a handful of other workers created the R.E.N.T. (Resources Exist for Networking & Training) network of housing workers which has grown into an important online resource for housing professionals in the years since.
Lori's personal interests include art and music. She enjoys painting, creating mosaics, and playing guitar and ukulele. For three years, she lived in southern Illinois, U.S.A. where she and her late husband performed old time music with a string band, and as a duo they performed at heritage fairs and fiddle contests.