Community Advisory Network

Kelly has been an active and dedicated member of the DET OHT since December 2022, when she first joined the Community Advisory Council. Recently, Kelly stepped into the interim co-chair role, where she played a key part in supporting the community engagement restructure committee. Her work has helped strengthen connections between community members and service providers, ensuring that lived experiences and local priorities remain central to the OHT’s decision-making process.

Kelly’s passion for food security has been a driving force in her community involvement. She played an instrumental role in establishing a local food bank—an initiative that continues to provide vital support to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Her ability to identify needs, mobilize resources, and build partnerships reflects her deep belief in the power of community-led solutions.

Beyond her professional and volunteer commitments, Kelly is a dedicated single mother whose resilience and compassion fuel her work. Her lived experience, combined with her unwavering dedication to improving community wellbeing, continues to guide her efforts to create positive, lasting change.

Steven has been an engaged and committed contributor to the DET OHT since its earliest days. His involvement began even before the official creation of the Engagement Working Group, participating in conversations and collaborative efforts as early as 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After reconnecting with the DET in 2023, Steven quickly re-established himself as an active and reliable community member, bringing both continuity and fresh insight to the group’s work. Steven has played an important role in several vital initiatives, including co-designing the Strategic Plan, supporting the mentoring initiative, and contributing to the development of the Community Engagement Evaluation Survey.

In 2023, Steven stepped into the role of Co-Chair of the Engagement Working Group where his lived experience and strong sense of collaboration helped guide key initiatives and strengthen community participation. Steven has since taken on the role of Interim Co-Chair of the Community Advisory Network.

Beyond his work with the DET, Steven is also a proud Progress Place member and serves as a member/director on their Board, where he continues to advocate for community wellness and empowerment

MissNatasha is a committed member of the DET OHT and has served on the Community Advisory Network for the past three months. During this short time, she has contributed to the development of the new strategic plan and supported the growth of the new community engagement structure. A passionate mental wellness and disability advocate, she brings her lived experience to her work as a sincere peer supporter, author, and speaker. MissNatasha also leads MissNatasha Connects on the Create Don’t Hate show on YouTube and collaborates with CIH Mental Wellness Solutions, using each platform to uplift voices and promote inclusive wellness.

Veronica is a distinguished advocate and systemic change agent who has been at the forefront of collaborative work with lived-experience experts since 2011. Veronica is dedicated to transforming health and social systems by ensuring that the voices of those most impacted are centered in policy and governance. In addition to her work with CAN (Community Advisory Network), Veronica holds several high-impact leadership and advisory positions:

· The Dream Team (Co-Chair): Veronica helps lead this premier advocacy group, which utilizes the power of lived experience to campaign for supportive housing and to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction.

· The Empowerment Council CAMH (Board Member): In this role, she advocates for the rights of service users within mental health and addiction systems, ensuring institutional accountability and social justice.

· CLELN (Canadian Lived Experience Leadership Network): As a member of this national group, Veronica contributes to a pan-Canadian movement of People With Lived Experience (PWLE), shaping national dialogues on leadership, equity, and systemic reform.

· PCERC (Patient-Centered Experience and Research Council) at Unity Health: Veronica provides strategic consultation to Unity Health, ensuring hospital policies and medical research are deeply informed by the patient perspective and human rights.

· CEG (Community Expert Group): Within this specialized group, she consults on community-based Research projects to bridge the gap between large institutions and the diverse populations they serve.

Since 2011, Veronica has remained a steadfast voice for empowerment. Her decade-plus of dedication has made her a respected figure among groups of lived experts, as she continues to foster a more inclusive, compassionate, and equitable society.

Sunil Vakil is a community member with the Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Community Advisory Network, where he has volunteered for more than two years. A resident of the Downtown East Toronto area, he is passionate about strengthening primary care delivery. Sunil works as the Business Development Manager at Kinsip and previously studied Econometrics at Trinity College, University of Toronto. In his spare time, he is developing a blockchain project that reflects his interest in innovation and emerging technologies.

Zbigniew Cichy has been an engaged and dedicated member of the DET OHT for the past year and a half. During his time with the DET OHT, Zbigniew has contributed to several key initiatives, including supporting the creation of the Land Acknowledgement Guidance document, co-designing the Strategic Plan, and playing a vital role in the community engagement restructure committee.

Originally trained as a civil engineer in Poland, Zbigniew immigrated to Canada and successfully navigated the challenges of the Canadian employment system, which led him to build a career in the hospitality sector. With more than 20 years of experience, including 17 years in management, he brings strong leadership, teamwork, and equity focused skills to all aspects of his work.

Zbigniew’s professional expertise is enriched by his lived experience as a four-limb amputee and as a member of the LGBTQ community. He is committed to using his unique perspectives to advocate for accessibility, inclusion, and meaningful community engagement.

For the past 12 years, Zbigniew has been an active member of Progress Place Clubhouse, a community that supports recovery and mental health. His involvement there inspired him to join the East Toronto Health Team.

Dann has been a dedicated member of the DET OHT for nearly two years, contributing his time and insight, to strengthening community engagement and collaboration within the OHT. He first joined as part of the Engagement Working Group, where he quickly became known for his thoughtful approach and genuine commitment. During his time with the Engagement Working Group, Dann supported several key initiatives. He played an important role in the creation of the Learning Series, as well as the development of the Community Engagement Evaluation Survey that supported the groups efforts to build meaningful tools for improvement and accountability. In addition, he served on the community engagement restructure committee, offering valuable insight during a pivotal period of organizational planning.

Dann transitioned into the Community Advisory Network, where he now serves as a proud member. In this role, he continues to foster strong relationships, and support impactful, community engaged initiatives.

Miguel Avila-Velarde is a prominent Indigenous community activist in Toronto’s Regent Park area, known for his advocacy on behalf of marginalized tenants, Indigenous communities, and public housing residents.

Key aspects of his activism include:

· Housing and Tenant Rights: As a long-time resident of a Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) building and a tenant representative, he advocates for improved living conditions, tenant safety, and reforms to TCHC policies like mandatory insurance and the Tenant Transfer Policy.

· Indigenous Advocacy: An Indigenous man originally from Peru, his activism is deeply rooted in his personal experience. He has spoken out against historical oppression and highlighted issues faced by Indigenous communities.

· Social Justice Protests: He gained significant media attention for his role in the August 2021 toppling of the Sir John A. Macdonald statue in Hamilton, Ontario, which he protested due to Macdonald’s role as an architect of the residential school system. He was charged with mischief over $5,000 but maintained his innocence, and the charge was later stayed.

· Community Involvement: He is a member of the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association and the Coalition for Community Benefits, working to leave “a better society, a better place for everyone”.