Supporting independent living for people with physical disabilities.
For almost 70 years, Bellwoods Centres for Community Living has been supporting people who want to remain living independently in their communities.
We provide accessible housing, personal support, and community-based services across Toronto.
65+ Years
supporting independence
124,000+ Hours
of support (2024–2025)
10 Sites
across Toronto
Who We Are
Bellwoods Centres for Community Living provides community-based, non-medical support for people with physical disabilities.
Our programs help individuals manage daily living, access safe housing, and remain active members of their communities.
How We Support You
In-Home Personal Support
Personal support services delivered in the home and community.
Accessible Housing
Safe, accessible apartments with personal support services.
Hospital-to-Community Transition Support
Short-term programs that help people transition from hospital to community living.
Independent Living Skill-Building
Education and guidance that help people build independence.
How to Apply
Accessing services begins with an application through the Attendant Services Application Centre or by Referrals.
We review each application to understand individual needs and determine the appropriate supports. If eligible, services are arranged based on each person’s goals and living situation.
"Community is a shared space where people - regardless of ability, background, or role — come together. It's neighbours, clients, PSWs and management getting their hands dirty in the same soil.
It's people showing up because they understand that healing, independence and strength happen best when they happen together."
— Blair Williams, Supportive Housing Client
Bellwoods Blog & News
April 16, 2026A Warm Meal, Shared
At Bellwoods, small moments can make a meaningful difference.
Recently, clients at our Shaw/Dundas location came together to share a hot meal in a welcoming and familiar space. What may seem simple at first is often something more. It is a chance to connect, take a break from routine, and enjoy time with others.
Meals like this create space for conversation and community. For many of the people we support, these moments can help reduce isolation and bring a sense of comfort to the day.
This initiative was made possible with the support of the Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church Community (Mississauga), who organized and delivered the hot meals. We are grateful for their time and generosity in helping create this experience.
We continue to look for ways to support not just daily needs, but overall well-being. Opportunities like this remind us that support can take many forms, and that community plays an important role in that experience.
If you are interested in partnering with us or supporting future initiatives, we welcome the opportunity to connect. [...]Read more...
February 9, 2026Listening First: Client Engagement Forums at Bellwoods
Bellwoods hosts Client Engagement Forums at all of our sites so everyone has an opportunity to share their voice. These forums create space for listening and open conversation about our services.
During each forum, participants share what is working well, where improvements may help, and what supports their day-to-day lives. Participation is always voluntary, and people decide how much they want to contribute. Importantly, discussions focus on services and systems rather than individuals.
As a result, feedback from the forums helps guide service improvements and informs leadership decisions. By hosting these forums regularly across our sites, Bellwoods continues to strengthen its commitment to person-centred care.
[...]Read more...
May 27, 2025Video Q&A: Meet Nirogi
Nirogi is the Client Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator at Bellwoods. In this new role, she’ll be bringing memorable experiences to our clients through recreation and community events. Get to know her through a video Q&A!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inP_fw-r2lo
Anna Schmidt, Bellwoods’ Communications Specialist, met up with Nirogi Kuganeshen at our Dundas site to chat about her new role. Learn how Nirogi plans to engage clients, the importance of volunteers and what she’s most excited about for the future of Bellwoods. [...]Read more...
May 22, 2025“What we can do together:” Talking people and purpose with Adrian Puopolo
We sat down with Bellwoods’ new Vice President, People, Culture and Operations to learn more about his approach to leadership, goals for the position and favourite ’70s pop group.
This spring, we welcomed a new member to the executive team, as Adrian Puopolo joined Bellwoods as the Vice President, People, Culture and Operations.
Not only is Adrian new to Bellwoods, but he’s taking on a newly created portfolio, leading a diverse team that spans everything from human resources to facilities oversight. And while the role is varied, Adrian says his approach comes down to one thing: making sure employees feel genuinely connected to the job they do and the people they work with.
We sat down with Adrian to learn more about his leadership style, plans for the position and not-so-secret obsession with all things ABBA.
Bellwoods: What drew you to work in human resources?
Adrian Puopolo: I love working in environments that thrive based on engaging people. I also genuinely like being there for people. Many times, I’ve been in meetings where someone is going through something difficult, and the best thing I can do to support them is show up as a human being. Challenging things might have come up in that meeting, but it’s about what we can do together to help resolve the situation.
BW: Why did the position at Bellwoods catch your interest?
AP: I spent some time considering my next move career-wise. I toyed with different opportunities, but as I explored options, nothing was inspiring me. I realized I wanted to put my energy and focus into advancing the mission and vision of an organization like Bellwoods. I started thinking about the impact Bellwoods has on clients by removing barriers. We live in a very ableist world, so to be a small part of a solution to that challenge is profound.
BW: What’s your approach when it comes to leading people?
AP: Fundamentally, I think an organization can and should be centered around employee engagement. If folks feel connected to the values of their workplace, to their team members, to leadership, other things start to sing in harmony. And having operations as part of my portfolio, I can look at how the systems and structures of Bellwoods can support employee engagement too.
Ultimately, I want people to think “I am here because I want to be here.” And we all have challenging days, the long Mondays, but work should be something that makes your heart sing.
BW: What’s one thing you’ve learned since starting here?
AP: What stands out is how committed everyone is. I’ve been out as much as possible meeting folks and talking to those working on the frontlines. Seeing employees in action supporting clients and supporting each other is really wonderful.
BW: What are you looking forward to in your role?
AP: Coming back to employee engagement, I want to get a sense of how people feel. It’s been a while since we’ve asked staff about that directly. I’m looking forward to prioritizing an employee engagement survey.
I’d also really like to get connected myself. I’m not the kind of person who wants to lock themselves away in the office. I want to meet people to get a sense of where I can support their work and what might need to shift.
BW: What are your interests outside of work?
AP: I really love to travel, especially to Sweden. I’m fascinated by Swedish culture and I’m a massive ABBA fan. My first memory of music is when I was two and my mom was playing an ABBA 8-track. That’s where it all started.
So I love visiting Stockholm. It’s an archipelago and just beautiful. The people are lovely too. And they have an ABBA museum. [...]Read more...
February 27, 2025—
“I couldn’t contain myself for the joy.” Bellwoods client Leotha Roberts shares her journey from the hospital to supportive housing.
Just last month, Leotha Roberts had no place to call home.
Originally from the Bahamas, Leotha moved to Canada in 2021, seeking asylum. In June of last year, she had major surgery to her foot due to complications from an old injury and her type I diabetes. Through inpatient rehabilitation, Leotha learned to navigate in a wheelchair, then with a walker.
After seven months, she was more than ready to leave the hospital — but the extended family members she’d been living with could no longer house her. Leotha simply had no place to go.
That’s when she got a life-changing phone call. Bellwoods Centres for Community Living had an open apartment at the Madison supportive housing site in Toronto’s Casa Loma neighbourhood. For Leotha, it was an ideal arrangement — she would have a place to call her own and still receive support for daily tasks limited by her surgery.
“I couldn’t contain myself for the joy,” says Leotha, recalling the moment she entered her accessible Bellwoods suite. “I like to be in an environment where I can get out and go places. In the hospital, I was in a cocoon, waiting. Now the butterfly is out.”
The Madison building is just one of 10 Bellwoods supportive housing sites across Toronto and the GTA. Each site provides accessible, affordable apartments to people with physical disabilities, along with access to care from personal support workers.
After months in the hospital, this renewed independence was especially meaningful for Leotha. She’d missed cooking her own food, sleeping in a private bedroom and exploring the city.
“That first night at Madison, I slept like a baby,” she says. “When I went to my family doctor she said, ‘Leotha, I can see you are happy. I can see the difference. I can see the relief.’ ”
Living at Madison recalls the sense of safety and community Leotha associates with her childhood in Nicholls Town, a seaside village on the island of Andros, Bahamas. With nine siblings, her early years centred around food, family and communal care.
“My mother would cook in those hotel-sized pots. And when she cooked, people in the neighbourhood would send their children with their own pots. My mother would put whatever she had in and send it back to the neighbours,” recalls Leotha. “No one needed for anything. Everyone would give. You didn’t have to ask.”
In her new home, Leotha is cooking the stewed fish and homemade bread of her childhood and looking for ways to connect with her new neighbours. As February draws to a close, Leotha says she is thankful to recognize Black History Month in an environment where she feels connected to her heritage.
“To be able to celebrate my culture as a Black person is just amazing,” she says. “I’m so grateful.”
This story is part of Black History Month at Bellwoods, where we are recognizingthe contributions and experiences of our Black community members. Read more stories. [...]Read more...
February 19, 2025—
For Eva Lumley, the month of February will forever evoke the sites and smells of her grandmother’s kitchen in the coastal town of Savanna la Mar, Jamaica.
Every year, her grandmother would scour the house, visit the butchers and start cooking—serving dish after dish piled high with local ingredients, from tropical fruit to fresh-caught fish.
“She would do this for a whole week. And the whole community would know when she was doing it,” says Eva, a personal support worker in Bellwoods’ Attendant Outreach program. “You could come in and eat anything you wanted. And people who couldn’t come, she would send food for them.”
For Eva’s grandmother, celebrating Black history was about caring for her community. In fact, sharing food and resources was built into the culture of Eva’s entire family. She, along with her mother, father and nine siblings, lived on one large property with dozens of extended family members. Every evening, they would gather under the shade of a towering tamarind tree to share dinner at a banquet table handcrafted by her grandfather.
Growing up in this communal environment, Eva felt drawn to work in a profession where she could connect with and take care of people.
Now, as a personal support worker with Bellwoods’ Attendant Outreach program, Eva supports individuals with disabilities to remain independent. She visits clients’ homes to help with physical care and light housework, enabling them to continue living in their communities. Next year, Eva will celebrate 20 years at Bellwoods.
Nearly two decades in, Eva says her favourite part of the job is still the relational aspect. “I like working with people.”
Outside of work, Eva travels regularly to her family property in Savanna la Mar, where she visits with loved ones, swims in the ocean and shares traditional meals with family.
Back in Toronto, Eva finds small ways to stay connected to home. At the grocery store, she stocks up on avocados, oranges and tangerines. She hosts relatives who have also immigrated to Canada. And, while miles away from her grandmother’s kitchen, she recreates the aromas of her childhood by cooking ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish.
Ultimately, for Eva, celebrating Black history means remembering her personal history, and using her energy to care for others. “It is very important to know my roots,” she says.
This story is part of Black History Month at Bellwoods, where we are recognizingthe contributions and experiences of our Black community members. [...]Read more...
December 8, 2024Bellwoods Centres for Community Living Inc. has one vacancy on our Board of Directors.
We are seeking a member who brings expertise in the areas of accounting and financial management, and would consider eventually serving as Board Treasurer. Experience with not-for-profit boards and knowledge of board governance principles would be an asset.Terms of office for Directors are three years in length, renewable once for a maximum of six years. Board meetings take place on Monday evening at the head office of the corporation situated at 3 Concorde Gate in Toronto. The Board of Directors meets from September to June, usually every second month on a Monday evening or ad hoc, as needed. Members also serve on at least one Committee of the Board. The number of committee meetings varies, depending upon the business of each committee.
To apply: Please submit a completed application – click here. Those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by email. Questions can be referred to Irena Apostolovska, Executive Assistant/Office Manager at iapo@bcclsp.org [...]Read more...
December 1, 2024International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) will be observed on December 3rd.
This a time to reflect on the achievements of persons with disabilities and a time to remind everyone of the urgent need for stronger government actions to fulfill their promises. Despite progress, significant gaps remain in ensuring access to quality healthcare, income, housing, and community services, among other things. True leadership and clear, actionable plans are essential to ensure dignity and equality for all.
Bellwoods Community Advisory Council (BCAC) is continuing its efforts to advocate for meaningful change at all levels of government. This past Spring, BCAC conducted a client advocacy survey to find out more about the types of issues Bellwoods should focus on as part of this work, and ideas on potential allies and partners.
We are happy to share the survey findings as part of our recognition of IDPD. Please click here for the report for these findings.
The call to action is powerful: by coming together as a community and continuing the push for strong, more inclusive policies, we can help build a society that truly offers dignity, equality, and opportunity for all. We encourage everyone to engage with these efforts, whether by participating in local events, sharing experiences, or advocating for change at local, provincial, or national levels.
Click here: It’s Time to Have Our Voices Hear
About Bellwoods Community Advisory Council (BCAC)Bellwoods Community Advisory Council (BCAC) serves in an advisory capacity and reports directly to the Bellwoods Board of Directors. The Council provides a platform for client representatives and allies to collaborate, share insights, and exchange information on program and service planning at Bellwoods. It also plays a critical role in addressing broader systemic issues that impact the lives of individuals with disabilities. The Council is committed to supporting the development and implementation of Independent Living services both within Bellwoods and the wider community. The Council works to advocate for the rights and needs of people with disabilities, ensuring their voices are heard atevery level. [...]Read more...
September 26, 2024Bellwoods is excited to announce the appointment of Aly N. Alibhai as the new Chair of our Board of Directors following the completion of Mary Lewis’s term as Chair.
Aly is a highly accomplished lawyer with extensive and wide-ranging experiences in the public sector at both the federal and provincial levels of government. He currently serves in an executive role in the Ontario Public Service. Aly’s commitment to community service is inspiring, having held key roles with a host of different organizations such as Habitat for Humanity GTA, Legal Aid Ontario, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation. We are confident that Aly’s leadership will guide us through the next phase of our development.
We are also excited to welcome Pegeen Walsh as a newly elected member of the Board. Pegeen is a retired executive who has led health promotion and public health initiatives within the federal and provincial governments, including roles with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Her extensive experience will bring valuable perspectives and skills that will support our continued growth and success.
We also want to express our deep gratitude to Mary Lewis, our outgoing Board Chair and Cindy Dunn, who has completed her term on the Board. Their dedication, leadership and contributions have been invaluable. Thank you for everything you’ve done to support our mission and for your gifts of time and knowledge!
Bellwoods’ Board members are appointed for a term of no more than three years with a maximum tenure of two terms.
We look forward to working together as we continue to fulfill our mission and serve our community.
The full Board of Directors list is here: https://bellwoodscentres.org/about-us/leadership-team/
Board of Directors 2024-2025
Front row – left to right: Stanley Makuch, Pegeen Walsh, Aly N. Alibhai, Melissa Ying, Jim Tom and Louise Stratford.
Back row – left to right: Farrell Hall, Debbie McDonald, Nancy Polsinelli, Iona MacRitchie, and Angela Bonfanti. [...]Read more...