David Lockett is a long-time Rotarian, volunteer, visionary and social entrepreneur who has spent most of his working life developing, delivering and funding innovative and cost-effective programs and strategies to address the underlying factors that lead to family and domestic violence, poverty and youth crime in Toronto.
As the co-founder and President of the PACT Urban Peace Program, and the co-founder of the Redwood Shelter in Toronto, David has leveraged his business experience, professional network and personal perseverance to make a positive and significant social impact through integrated, best-practice solutions.
In 1987 David became a charter member of the (now) Parkdale-High Park-Humber Rotary club and is also a Paul Harris Fellow. In 2010, he was named one of the 100 Canadians nominated by the Globe and Mail as a Transformational Canadian. In 2019, he was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Legacy Award by Volunteer Toronto.
PACT has been acknowledged by the United Nations for its work and was presented with the Rotary Urban Peace Award named after past Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson. David sees himself first as a Rotarian and second as a social entrepreneur living the rotary principal of service above self.
In his current leadership role with PACT, David continues to focus on building and improving best-practice social delivery models so they can be scaled.
About the PACT Urban Peace Program
PACT is a registered charity that supports and empowers youth and vulnerable populations through three core program areas:
1. LifePlan Coaching is an award-winning program that provides intensive, one-on-one certified life coaching to high-risk youth in repeat conflict with the law, and at-risk youth in middle schools.
2. Grow-to-Learn is an integrated program that enhances the educational outcomes for under-resourced schools and provides thousands of pounds of organic produce to vulnerable families and individuals in low-income communities. Operating in two outdoor school gardens, Grow--to-Learn teaches curriculum-linked workshops to thousands of students, feeds families at weekly markets and community dinners, and provides nurturing green spaces for both communities and pollinators.
3. Life & Job Skills projects in things like cooking, fashion and music allow youth to learn practical and social-emotional skills and give back in meaningful ways.