Founded in 1970, Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA) works to improve the quality of life in Scarborough, Ontario by supporting youth, new immigrants, young mothers, and the poor. The charity operates five locations, primarily serving the neighbourhoods of Agincourt, Dorset Park, Steeles, and L’Amoreaux.  

Each ACSA location hosts a different combination of programs and services. The main site helps the poor and homeless through drop-in services, housing support, and providing mailboxes. Support is available for people struggling with addiction and the charity reaches out to local sex-workers to prevent the spread of HIV and STIs through regular testing. Individuals with annual income less than $30,000 and families with less than $40,000 can access Financial Empowerment and Problem-Solving (FEPS) programming. Through FEPS, clients can enroll in basic personal finance courses, receive help in filing income tax returns, and access one-on-one assistance for financial issues, including CRA-related requirements, debt and credit issues, and personal budgeting. In 2017, ACSA delivered 15 financial workshops to 174 people.

ACSA’s Child and Family Centre works with children and parents through early childhood education, workshops, and after-school programs. The programs aim to have children succeed in school and life by ensuring that they receive healthy parenting and social stimulation as well as helping to develop language and math skills.

Chester Le Community Corner offers programming for residents of all ages. ACSA maintains a communal garden, teaching clients how to grow their own food and using harvested produce in cooking classes. In 2017, youth attended various programs at Chester Le Community Corner, such as Kung Fu, dance, art, and leadership development courses. In 2018, approximately 300 people participated in the ACSA Black History Month celebration with drum circles, music, and poetry.

ACSA’s Dorset Park Community Hub houses a food bank, children’s programming, and the Newcomers’ Centre. ACSA reports that 57% of Dorset Park residents have a first language other than English. In 2017, 2,572 recent immigrants to Canada were supported through paperwork assistance, jobs skills training, and online English learning.

Agincourt Community Services Association is a medium-sized charity with donations of $1.6m in F2017. The charity received $3.4m in government funding, representing 63% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 11% of revenues less investment income, and fundraising costs are 2% of donations. For every dollar donated, 87 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. ACSA has $1.2m in funding reserves which could cover three months of program costs.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Agincourt Community Services Association for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 6, 2019 by Madison Kerr.