Community support
Experience supporting drop-in food programs, access to showers and essential supplies, and harm reduction services. Welcoming people with respect and without judgment.
SOCIAL SERVICE WORK · ADVOCACY · GOVERNANCE
Denyse
Clara.
she he they Toronto, Ontario
Rooted in community.
Guided by care.
I bring frontline experience, lived experience, and a commitment to dignity into my work, my studies, and the spaces where decisions are made.
A little about me
Hello EnglishBonjour FrançaisHola Latin AmericaAaniin Anishinaabemowin – AnishinaabeKwe kwe Haudenosaunee / MohawkSheda WendatMari mari Mapudungun
01 / ABOUT ME
Many experiences.
One commitment
to community.
Hello, I’m Denyse, also known as Dee. I’m a queer, non-binary, Latinx person with Mapuche Indigenous heritage from Chile, a caregiver, and a mature student.
As a person with a disability and a first-generation Canadian, I care deeply about who has access, whose experiences are heard, and who gets to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
I’m completing my Bachelor of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University. My approach centres dignity, accessibility, harm reduction, and the right to self-determination.
LANGUAGE & LEARNING
I speak English and Spanish and have completed Level 2 American Sign Language.
02 / MY WORK
Care in everyday practice.
Supporting people with respect.
Making space for their choices.
Support across life stages
Experience in residential support, programs for young children, and life enrichment with older adults. Bringing patience, connection, and attention to each person’s needs.
Workplace advocacy
Leadership experience at the LCBO, including past service as a union steward and secretary, and work as a health and safety representative. Advocating for dignity at work.
03 / GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP
A seat at the table.
A responsibility
to listen.
These roles are a responsibility and a promise: to listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and contribute with honesty and accountability.
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS
Council Member
District 3 · Social Service Worker category
Contributing to regulatory governance and the College’s public-interest work.
TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
At-Large Undergraduate Senator
2026–2027
Bringing student perspectives into university academic governance.
TORONTO METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION OF PART-TIME STUDENTS
Director of Programs
Supporting community and engagement for part-time students through TMAPS.
TMU SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK COUNCIL
Advanced Standing Student Representative
2026–2027
Bringing the experiences of advanced standing students into School discussions.
WHAT I STAND FOR
Love. Honesty. Trust. Integrity.
Values I bring to how I support people, build relationships, and take part in collective decisions.
Dignity & self-determination
Reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, and the right to make choices about our own lives.
Access & belonging
Disability justice, accessibility, and queer and 2SLGBTQI+ rights.
Justice & accountability
Human rights, including Palestinian human rights; anti-racism, anti-oppression, and anti-fascism.
Care & safety
Evidence-based, pro-science approaches; opposing human trafficking, child exploitation, and abuse.
LET’S CONNECT
Good conversations
can start something.
If you’d like to talk about social work services, advocacy, or opportunities to work together, I’d welcome a conversation.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Grateful to live, learn, and work on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-Wendat Peoples.