About us
Engage and Change is a charity that was created to foster good citizenship and encourage healthy communities by giving back.
We focus on promoting, identifying, and developing partnerships between individuals, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations to assemble and distribute survival kits to communities in need.
Our flagship program, Project Winter Survival, runs every January. Project Water, which distributed more than five million water bottles across the GTA, is now an archived program.
Our mission
To assist those in need in our communities by promoting, identifying, and developing partnerships between individuals, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations.
We will stand out from other charitable organizations by designing events that will engage individuals, who will contribute their time, and businesses who will contribute money and product. They will assemble kits containing supplies for everyday survival that will be distributed, through not-for-profit organizations, to those who need them.
We will inspire people and businesses to engage in a hands-on experience with a tangible outcome that will change the daily lives of people in our communities.
Board of directors
Founder, President & Board Chair
Founder & Chief Bargain Officer, The Bargains Group
Jody founded Engage and Change to give people and businesses a hands-on, tangible way to help their neighbours in need. She leads the organization and its flagship Project Winter Survival.
Secretary-Treasurer
Management Consultant, Perimeter Development · former Partner, KPMG
Rhonda oversees the financial stewardship and governance that keep every donated dollar working as hard as possible for people on the street.
Board Member
President & Co-Founder, Origo Communications
Laurie brings four decades of direct-marketing and fulfillment experience to the board, with a particular focus on data. He is honoured to serve unhoused and vulnerable communities.
Board Member
CEO & Founder, Versorix
Jaden leads marketing for the board, helping Engage and Change reach more donors, partners, and volunteers and grow the profile of Project Winter Survival.
Board Member
Founder, The Talent Co.
Anne Marie leads volunteers for Engage and Change, drawing on a career across retail sales leadership, integrated event and corporate marketing communications, and talent recruitment and development. She brings a lifelong commitment to community service.
The problem
The numbers came down from the 2024 peak. They are nowhere near where they were in 2021. Here is what the most recent data shows:
people were counted homeless in Toronto on one night in October 2025, including 1,446 sleeping outdoors, in the City’s most recent count, and still well above the roughly 7,300 counted in 2021.
people were actively homeless in Toronto in the three months to May 2026, according to the City’s Shelter System Flow data.
people experienced homelessness across Ontario in 2025, up 8% in one year and about 50% since 2021, and more than half of them were chronically homeless (AMO, January 2026).
people were sleeping outdoors on the night of the October 2025 count, close to double the 742 counted outdoors in 2021 (City of Toronto).
of people surveyed said they lost their housing because they did not earn enough to afford it, the most common answer given (City of Toronto, 2024 Street Needs Assessment). Income and the shortage of affordable housing lead the list. Mental health, addiction, and gaps in the health and immigration systems run through much of the rest.
Sources
Testimonials
Thank you for the kits. We went out the next day to hand out to our homeless friends.
Thank you for the donation we received from you folks! Your support is greatly appreciated by us and our service users.
Valerie Kuye CAYR Community ConnectionsThanks very much for the sleeping bags and winter survival kits. They will make a meaningful difference for our unhoused community members.
Kerine Allen Warden Woods Community CentreThank you for the donation, it is truly appreciated.
On behalf of over 1500 clients, volunteers and staff, I would like to thank you for your thoughtfulness in selecting our organization to receive 75 cases of water.
Susan Carbone Haven on the QueenswayThank you for what you are doing. We discussed Project Winter Survival with our kids and we decided that rather than buy each other a $100 gift this year for Christmas, each of us would donate this money to Project Winter Survival.
Brad Pedersen Former Co-Founder & President at Basic Fun!After making two trips to fit 40 survival kits and 40 sleeping bags in my tiny hatchback, there are already several guys out on the streets of Toronto this morning with warmer hands, necks and heads.
Sarah Woodgreen Community ServicesThank you for the work you are doing with Project Winter Survival. I will share information about this important cause.
Craig Kielburger Founder at WE CharityYour team is amazing, and we at Blythwood cannot thank you enough for everything you do to get the word out that Toronto has a crisis when it comes to homelessness and the marginalized.
In support of Project Winter Survival, I am honoring each one of my staff with the donation of a Survival Kit as their company Christmas gift.
Priscilla Nesbitt, MHS Best Western InternationalOn behalf of Nestlé Waters, we are proud to help such a great cause and work with such outstanding leaders.
Chris McNeil Former CFO at Nestlé Waters CanadaThe Engage and Change Project Winter Survival has been a truly amazing experience and cause with such a strong sense of purpose towards our community!
Andrew Vassos Former District Vice President at CIBCThank you, Jody! The clients really loved the kits, they will help us build stronger relationships with people on the streets going forward.
Jan Krouzil Former Staff at Margaret’s