Drop-In Worker

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL

Job Title: Drop-In Worker

Position Type: Bargaining Unit, Full Time, Contract (December 2026-June 2027)

Number of Positions: 1

Reason for Posting: Existing Vacancy

Rate: $29.40 per hour

Vacation: 7% Vacation Pay

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Supervisor: Senior Manager, Drop-in Services

Posting Date: November 13, 2026

Application Deadline: November 24, 2026

Location: Drop-In sites, located at 145 Queen Street East, and 40 Oak Street

Why Fred Victor?

For 130 years, Fred Victor has been a leader in helping people rebuild their lives in Toronto. Our mission is to improve the health, income and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. We arecommitted to ending homelessness, one person at a time.

The Community Services (CS) department at Fred Victor is a multi-service, multi-site structure that encompasses the 40 Oak Community HUB and community programs, Employment and Training Services, Drop-Ins, Keep Cool Program and Food Services. Additionally, it operates social purpose enterprise with catering and community outreach services and spearheads a significant Peer Training Initiative that prioritizes the involvement of individuals with lived experience.

Fred Victor’s 145 Queen Street East Drop-In is the community living room of the 145 Queen hub, known to many as the Moss Park living room. It is a compassionate, inclusive and low-barrier space grounded in harm reduction. We welcome people who are unsheltered, unhoused, precariously housed or socially isolated in Moss Park and the surrounding neighbourhood. Low barrier means no ID, proof of residency or intrusive questions. Adults 18 and over are welcome as they are, wherever they are in their journey. Relationships are at the centre of this work. The people we serve bring tremendous resilience and community, and many carry experiences that can make stressful moments harder. Drop-ins are on the front line of Toronto’s overdose and housing crises, and our staff, trained in crisis support and de-escalation, are often the first to respond. The Drop-In offers a warm, safe place to meet basic needs, including snacks, clothing, washrooms, harm reduction supplies and shelter from extreme weather. Staff connect people to referrals and partner services on site. Evening and weekend shifts add drug checking, system navigation and recreation. Peer access workers bring lived and living experience to the hub. They support people to access washrooms and harm reduction supplies with comfort and guidance. They also draw on their own experience of the treatment and recovery continuum.

The Drop-In is part of a connected hub that includes supportive housing, a community meal program, mental health and justice workers, and concurrent disorders and clinical services. Partners offer harm reduction case management, housing help, ID clinics and legal support. It takes all of us to support the people who come to 145 Queen.

Does this sound like work you want to be a part of?

We offer a supportive/collaborative environment, an opportunity to join a diverse team of caring professionals and a chance to make a difference. With over 75 programs and 25 sites, there are lots of opportunities to grow your career with us. Many members of the management team started in relief and front-line roles.

What You Will Do:

• Work within a collaborative Community Services team to ensure seamless day-to-day operations of the Open House Drop-In Program
• Help create and sustain the Moss Park living room, a warm, welcoming and safe space for individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, social isolation, food insecurity and mental health or substance use challenges, many of whom face multiple barriers to accessing services
• Build positive, trusting relationships with Drop-In participants using a trauma-informed, harm reduction and client-centered framework, meeting people where they are
• Build and facilitate recreational programming, community outings and activities that foster social connection, a sense of belonging and community engagement
• Intervene early and proactively in potential crisis or conflict situations to address challenges and promote positive outcomes
• Offer information, referrals and advocacy within Fred Victor and with external organizations, with particular attention to participants who need extra support to access services
• Support participants to connect with the System Navigator, working alongside them to access the services and supports that fit their goals
• Clearly communicate with individuals accessing the Drop-In centre and actively listen to their needs
• Provide detailed information about the range of programs and services available at Fred Victor, such as case management, mental health support, access to justice resources, employment and training opportunities, health services and drug checking
• Take the time to understand each individual’s unique circumstances, goals and barriers, and guide them towards services that fit their needs
• Support participants to navigate referrals to internal and external organizations, helping to reduce barriers and advocating on their behalf when needed
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge about the various community resources and services available to effectively refer individuals to additional support
• Collaborate with partners to deliver integrated services within the Drop-In centre, creating a seamless and accessible support system for individuals accessing Fred Victor programs
• Assist with the provision of snacks and beverages
• Assist with the set up and tear down of the program each day
• Support the community meal program
• Manage emergency situations as needed
• Enter all relevant information into the Fred Victor client database, ensuring accurate documentation of participant interactions, referrals made and services provided

What You Bring to the Team:

• Diploma/Degree in a relevant discipline or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 2+ years’ experience in the non-profit, community-based sector with an awareness of relevant issues
• Solid experience engaging individuals facing multiple barriers and demonstrated understanding of and commitment to social justice issues, equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression practices
• Demonstrated crisis prevention/management skills
• Extensive experience offering services within a harm reduction, low barrier framework

What Sets You Apart:

• Collaboration: Exceptional communication and coordination skills that create opportunities for joint programming and partnerships to address complex community needs
• Demonstrated ability to make sound assessments and decisions
• Community Engagement: A proven track record of actively engaging with diverse communities, fostering meaningful relationships, and building partnerships to address social issues collaboratively

Compensation and Benefits:

• For the Drop-In Worker, Fred Victor offers a pay rate of $29.40 per hour
• 7% vacation pay
• Access to employee and family assistance plan

How You Can Apply:

Internal employees who are interested in this opportunity are encouraged to apply through ADP by navigating to Myself > Talent > Career Centre.

As part of the application process, applicants are asked to upload their resume and a cover letter as one document describing their interest in joining the Fred Victor team.

A Police Record Check is required by the final candidate prior to hiring.

Accessibility & Accommodation

Fred Victor is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential. As such, we welcome and encourage applicants who identify as racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and have lived experience.

If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation and/or assistance during the application process, please contact us in advance. We strive to provide reasonable accommodations whenever requested. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.