Rexdale hub a beacon for area hurt by poverty and crime

Fatima Filippi can hardly contain her excitement as she walks along the corridors of the new Rexdale Community Hub.

"A place like this for us is, well, it's Wow! You can't imagine what this means to everyone in this area," she says enthusiastically. "It's proof that the people of Toronto really do care about Rexdale."

Filippi is executive director of the Rexdale Women's Centre, one of 11 diverse neighbourhood agencies moving into the new multi-purpose centre on Panorama Court in the Finch-Kipling neighbourhood, one of the poorest and most underserved areas in Toronto.

It's a neighbourhood that receives more than its share of bad publicity due to high levels of gang activity, gun violence, poverty and joblessness.

"Out here, we've been playing catch-up with the downtown area seemingly forever," Filippi says. "We're 10 years behind in providing services that are offered elsewhere. That's all changing. This hub can be the go-to place for our entire community."