I, Maryanne McMullen, a social media influencer and the The Next Music Generation (TNMG),
advocate for homelessness and poverty, passionate about bringing transparency and equality to
the healthcare system as I stand with the communities with the most need. I am serving the
community as a member of this council and working to bring positive change through continuous
efforts. I have a project called 'Our heart beats together’ (ohbtproject.org). It is a non-profit,
non-governmental organization established in 2021 that works for the betterment of the
community.
As I continue to grow to learn more about myself, I keep coming back to the desire to bring
positive change into my community. Taking sociology and psychology courses has also heavily
impacted my decision to switch career paths and pursue a position within the public service
sector
Member of the CPLC Committee
As a member of the 55 Division Toronto Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), I have constantly
been striving to bridge the gap between the police and youth. The CPLC falls under the Toronto
Police Service within this area. It has been working with other community members to create
programs that helped develop relationships and understanding between young people in their
communities and the police.
Besides not being provided training, I led sports projects and prepared presentations, letters to
schools, proposals, and logos on social media. I helped with the youth horse program as well.
Along with the programs, I also managed to attend Police events. I did it all using my lived
Experience only.
Member of the Ontario health council
I’m also a member of the Ontario Health council, community advisory council, strategic working
group, and Ontario Health performance measurement committee for over 2 Years. But
unfortunately, none of the Ontario strategy planning applied to any of this treatment provided by
the CPLC; this goes against the Ontario health values. I took an interview with the chair of the
DETOHT. She with her team is working to serve people and cater to their needs individually
rather than making them fit in the same box.
at How do DETOHT values match with the program ‘Our heart beats
together.’
Toronto is a diverse city that welcomes people from diverse backgrounds to come and live
together. In such a city, the solutions to problems like homelessness, poverty, mental health
problems, and food insecurity should be general enough to accommodate everyone regardless of
gender, race, color, background, religion, or any other thing.
'Our hearts beat together' works on the exact principle of treating people equally without
discrimination. It works to bring transparency and equality in the social serving departments.
Still, there are a lot of gaps between what is done and what should be done. But the team of
OHBT and DETOHT can work together to serve people in a better way. Also, diverse
professionals can serve the community in a better way because different people have different
experiences and knowledge to share and use.
Effectiveness of a Program
More than providing services is needed to know the effectiveness of any program. It must be
ensured that the work an organization or a team is doing benefits the people around it. This can
only be estimated by getting feedback from the ordinary people of the community because,
anyhow, the health service/shelter providers are accountable for what they do for the betterment
of the community.
My personal Experience
I have been living in housing and dealing with harassment for many months. I wanted to be
involved with the police, thinking it would be a safe place to get support and help; within six
months, I was involved in attending meetings without any formal training and used to help with
CPLC initiatives. I was also asked to lead an initiative with all my idea by creating a
presentation, letters, etc. I did it all on my own. Other than working for the committee, I was also
asked to serve the other members personally, which I did to my limit.
I have been waiting for a response from the CPLC but didn't. I have just been making rounds
from one place to another but didn't observe any progress. If this is the treatment with the CPLC
member, how would they be transparently serving the common community?
Toronto Police Values
The mission statement of the Toronto police goes as follows:
“We are dedicated to delivering police services, in partnership with our communities, to keep
Toronto the best and safest place to be.”
It highlights some core values that the Toronto police department follows.
Service at our Core involves respecting and upholding the rights and freedoms of all people in
all of our interactions, free of bias and stereotypes, seeking to understand and help others by
making a difference, and asking, "How can we do our best to help others?"
Do the right thing: act with integrity, without prejudice, and with professionalism when no one
is watching, whether on or off duty; challenge inappropriate behavior; and ask, "Did I do the
right thing?" in every situation."
Connect with Compassion: showing empathy, respect, equity, and dignity to all people; being
available and supportive to others, including and engaging them in their lives; valuing the
experiences of others; and asking, "How can we help?"
Reflect and Grow: Recognizing we do not have all the answers, asking for input from
communities and colleagues, acknowledging our mistakes and successes, and asking, "What can
I do to improve?
Final Words
As I explained above, in my Experience working with the CPLC committee and Ontario health
council, I have experienced quite the opposite of the standard treatment of such councils and
committees. My personal Experience and 'no response' to my complaint do not match the
Toronto police values described above. No training or professional treatment from the members
of authority made me realize I had no one to whom I could reach out when needed.
Instead the Toronto police are expected to work for the city's betterment in terms of providing
safety and shelter to those who need it. All the members of the CPLC committee should be
treated as members of the committee and should be treated equally regardless of everything else.
