I can’t recall a time I’ve been more proud of a ministry supported by Timothy Eaton Memorial Church than after visiting New Circles.
For years I have heard about their work, and I’ve admired Cindy Blakely, the founder and spiritual heart of the organization. Cindy’s journey started as a social worker. There she recognized the challenges of those underserved, living on a limited income with limited access to the necessities of life. So, she did something about it. Her vision birthed New Circles, which serves as a beacon of dignity and hope for many.
When I delivered a load of clothing from the church to 161 Bartley Drive in North York, I saw something I can only describe as profoundly Christ-like. I met Jesus (Mt. 25:31-46). Though I admit they may not know that they are Jesus.
New Circles is not a thrift store—it is a living testament to service and community, where the poor are treated with respect and the dignity that should be their right. Gently Loved Outfits to Wear (GLOW) clothes are neatly organized by size, and placed on retail racks, there is no digging through bins here. Cindy calls it “the centre of the circle.” The quality is exceptional; Cindy and Executive Director Philip Groff make sure to only offer items they’d proudly wear themselves. But it doesn’t end there, Phil tells me the surplus material is recycled through the Kidney foundation. In a world where much is thrown away, New Circles saves over 200,000 pounds of waste from landfills every year. There is even a suit shop and a tailor, another community volunteer who helps prepare individuals for job interviews.
Equally important, everything is free. No one pays for anything. It is a glimpse into the world to come, where the marketplace of money no longer dictates who is worthy of dignity (Isaiah 55:1). Many former clients pay it forward by volunteering. I was moved by the sense of pride and community, where "us" and "them" become "we." The diversity of clients is evident, with signage in Arabic, Farsi, and other languages. As Cindy shared, New Circles primarily serves new Canadians, but they turn no one in need away.
More than a clothing program, New Circles offers job training, resume-building workshops, and mock interviews with corporate sponsors. Appointments are necessary and an intake desk helps clients assess their deeper needs. To better serve the community, a move to a larger facility is in the works, closer to transit, this move will help to assist even more.
Cindy is the heart of New Circles, but Phil is the mind and hands. His Ph.D. in psychology and years of experience in social work are paired with a deep personal understanding of how small acts of kindness can change lives. He shared a story his mother once told him about a social worker who bought a $6 bracelet for a client, a gesture that was criticized by others. The worker replied: “She already knows she’s poor. She needs to know she’s special.”
In that moment, I saw Jesus—not just in the work they do, but in the way they do it. New Circles is not a religious organization, but I believe it embodies the Spirit of the Lord (Is. 61:1-2). It is a place where the poor are welcomed, the marginalized are treated with dignity, and where “we” are all part of a larger family. New Circles is midwifing a new kind of community —one that I want to be a part of.
Don’t you?