GTA Faith Alliance

The GTA Faith Alliance is a multi-faith charitable organization which works to create educational and employment opportunities to divert at-risk youth from gangs and crime. The alliance was founded in February 2003 as a joint effort of approximately 40 religious leaders focussing on the issue of youth violence, particularly involving gangs and guns.[1][2] It received charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency in 2009.[3]

The Alliance has formed its activities on the work of Reverend Eugene Rivers of Boston who has utilized a corps of pastors. These pastors have worked to create alternatives to street gangs for disadvantaged Black youths.[2] The Alliance brought Rivers to Toronto in early 2006 to meet with police and community leaders in an attempt to replicate the "Boston Miracle" in Toronto.[4] As a result, the Alliance launched a program to recruit 400 mentors who would lead 70 youth oriented after-school programs in churches across the city in an attempt to divert at-risk youth from gangs and crime.[1]

References
  1. Welsh, Moria, "Faith in ending violence; 'We are not going to sit back and let 2006 become like 2005'; City's church leaders pray, then announce extensive plan Response to gangs includes 400 mentors for at-risk youth", Toronto Star, January 3, 2006
  2. Fowlie, Jonathan, "No more bodies on our streets", Globe and Mail, April 3, 2004
  3. "GTA Faith Alliance". Canadian registered charities. Canada Revenue Agency. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  4. "Minister says city's black community must unite", CTV News, January 11, 2006
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