uReport: WoodGreen Community Services unveils new accessible bus


WoodGreen Community Services has a new fully accessible bus thanks to the Steve and Sally Stavro Family Foundation.

This donation brings the east Toronto social service agency’s transportation fleet to 11.

Each year, thousands of frail and isolated seniors benefit from WoodGreen’s transportation service to attend adult day programs as well as important appointments that they would otherwise be unable to get to.

A Nov. 9. celebration, attended by members of the WoodGreen team including Anne Babcock, the organization’s president and CEO, and Teresa Vasilopoulos, executive director of the WoodGreen Foundation, was held to honour the Stavro family at WoodGreen’s 840 Coxwell Ave. location. Ward 29 Coun. Mary Fragedakis took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony to thank the Stavro family on behalf of the City of Toronto. A senior client was also on hand to express their heartfelt thanks to the Stavros for their donation.

The Stavros have a legacy of being a hardworking, dedicated, and generous family that focused on their family of employees and the Toronto community.

They started off with a small fruit and vegetable store at Queen Street East and Coxwell Avenue. Their shop is a precursor to today’s big box stores.

The family’s enterprises eventually evolved to include racehorse breeding, sports team ownership, and philanthropy.

Over the years, the Stavro family has generously supported a wide variety of charitable causes including the arts, education, food security, equine programs, homelessness, and health care. Most notable in their philanthropy is the way they honour the community and their east Toronto roots.

In 2002, WoodGreen honoured the late Steve Stavro as its inaugural Honorary East Toronto Citizen.