BY: rida shah
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an international observance celebrated annually on October 17 to bring awareness of the persistent poverty many individuals face daily. By working to understand and commit to social justice, and peaceful practices, it becomes essential to assess how individuals living in poverty endure many hardships and experience discrimination that affects their overall well-being and dignity within society. The Downsview community sees various families of various socioeconomic backgrounds, including low-income families.
The Downsview community firmly establishes a mission through organizations such as the Downsview Youth Covenant and The Rhema Foundation Canada. The Downsview Youth Covenant is a charitable organization that provides families and youth with resources and support to address their needs. This safe space allows those impoverished to learn new sports, recreational activities, and artistic forms of expression to eradicate poverty.
Similarly, The Rhema Foundation Canada has established a community kitchen within the Downsview community called The Vision. This community kitchen accommodates individuals to have a food hub and safe space where education on food and nutrition literacy is provided for vulnerable community members that lack resources regarding food security and impoverishment.
Additionally, organizations such as Kitchen24, located at 100 Marmora St #200, North York, have serviced over 40 community organizations and have provided over 30,000 meals to those in need. There are many vulnerable residents throughout Toronto and surrounding areas that have lost access to social services and basic necessities due to COVID-19. Kitchen 24 wants to be part of the solution by using its space, volunteers and resources to bring food to those who need it most.
These resources are present to help advance the success of youth and adults. As a community, we need to recognize the importance of creating meaningful employment and interactive activities within the community for those who need support. It is crucial to remember that the international day for eradicating poverty allows us to evaluate our contributions to the Downsview community internationally. By allocating resources and supporting the impoverished by providing them with more accessible resources, we can work towards forming a stronger community. We must continue to recognize this observance and act as allies to find ways to eradicate poverty and affirm our mission to help those struggling within our communities.