Toronto Joy started as a small group in Toronto trying to make a hands-on difference for people facing barriers with food and other essentials. That's the actual work. Serving meals. Meeting essential needs. Showing up for people who need it. Doing it with the right spirit, and no judgment.

What we've noticed along the way is that serving does something for the people doing the serving too. They grow, in kindness and in joy, in a world where loneliness has become more common than most of us like to admit. More than 1 in 10 Canadians now say they feel lonely often or always, according to Statistics Canada. We've seen it quiet down here too, not because we set out to fix it directly, but because when people work together to do something for someone, no name, title, or anything like that matters among them, and a sense of belonging and connection forms automatically.

Right now we're building the foundation for more of that. Toronto Joy is a community group in the process of becoming a registered nonprofit under Ontario's ONCA, with a growing core of members who've taken the next step and registered directly on torontojoy.org. We run a Community Service Program with Good Shepherd Ministries, connect volunteers to Fred Victor's ongoing program, and we're actively building relationships with new partner organizations as we grow. We also host a weekly global online gathering called The Journey Home.

What we don't have yet is a board. That's where you come in.

We're looking for 3 Founding Directors to help build the governance side of Toronto Joy from scratch. This isn't a "join something already running" ask. It's a "help us build the thing" ask. If that excites you more than it intimidates you, keep reading.

The three seats

Secretary

Someone organized who can keep our records straight, track filing deadlines, take minutes, and help onboard future directors. We're looking for someone with organizational instincts, someone who takes deadlines and recordkeeping seriously. This role matters right now. We're mid-incorporation, and staying compliant from day one keeps everything else on track.

Take and keep board minutes, and make sure they're properly approved and stored

Track ONCA filing deadlines so nothing slips through Keep bylaws and incorporation documents organized and easy to find Help onboard new directors as the board grows

Governance & Legal Director

A board seat for someone with legal experience and a strong understanding of governance, policy, risk, and compliance. This isn't our incorporation work. We already have counsel for that. This means ongoing internal oversight of contracts, partnership agreements, insurance, and employment questions, and accountability as we grow.

Review contracts and partnership agreements before anything gets signed

Flag legal or compliance risk before it becomes a real problem Help build out our governance policies as the board takes shape Keep us on track with what ONCA requires, and CRA rules if we register as a charity Guide our decisions on insurance, liability coverage, and volunteer waivers Advise on employment questions as we bring on staff and volunteers

Partnerships & Fundraising Lead

Someone good at building relationships, whether that's with a food bank looking for volunteers or a donor who believes in the mission. We're looking for someone with instincts for building relationships. This role covers both, because at our stage it's genuinely one skill: finding people and organizations who want to be part of this, often starting with your own network, and keeping those relationships going once they are.

Find new venue partners and organizations who want to work with us

Identify people and businesses who might want to support us financially Be the one who actually makes the ask, not just tracks a list Follow up and thank donors properly, so they stick around and come back

These are the shape of each role today, not a locked list. We're building this from scratch together, so some of it will shift as we go.

What this actually looks like

Board meetings once a month, currently held virtually. Expect roughly 7 to 10 hours a month. Ownership of your piece of the work between meetings, not just showing up. Initial term of 1 year, renewable, since this genuinely is a founding year for the board itself. Terms will likely settle into a longer, more standard cycle once the structure is in place. Unpaid and volunteer, like everything at Toronto Joy right now.

All three directors are also encouraged to open doors when they can, an introduction, a warm connection, a share with someone in your network.

Who we're looking for

Someone who wants to get in at the very start of something, not join a finished product. Someone who believes in serving people for the right reasons. Someone who can commit genuine effort, not just a name on a page. And someone based in Toronto, since that's where the work actually happens.

If this sounds like you, hit Apply above with your resume. We'll ask a couple of questions right there, about location, the role you're drawn to, and your background. Have a question before applying? Reach out to hello@torontojoy.org directly.

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. If it looks like a fit, we'll reach out to set up a conversation. We're aiming to have all three seats filled in the next couple of weeks.

Not quite the right fit for one of these three seats, but still want to be part of this? Reach out anyway. We're building out volunteer and coordinator roles too, and there may be a place for you there.

More about us at torontojoy.org

Thank you, genuinely. Looking forward to building this with you.