Your Custom Text Here
Workers arrange boxes of produce in the warehouse. (Credit: FoodShare)
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and economic panic, one local farm director is doing her level best to keep food on the table in the Jane-Finch community. Leticia Deawuo of the Black Creek Community Farm leapt into action when she saw the empty shelves in local supermarkets.
Read more
I love my child. But honestly, what I would love more than anything right now is something even close to a good night’s sleep.
Far too often, my nightly state of bliss, those precious and magical few hours where I can close my eyes and maybe, if I’m lucky, fall asleep, abruptly come to an end when I hear something loud and whiny.
To no one’s surprise, it was my son, crying. Oh Joy! It was 2:30 a.m., and I think: “I have to deal with this now. Goodbye sleep, hello crying child.”
I rushed over to his room, and a mixture of exhaustion and panic set in. “Maybe something is wrong, maybe he is hurt,” I thought. I picked him up and started asking him what was wrong. Obviously, my one year-old son couldn’t answer me yet, but I tried anyways.
When situations like this occur, my go-to solution is food - always food. I mean, if he is eating he can’t cry, right?! I was still completely exhausted, but I decided to take him into the kitchen and get him some food.
In the meantime, my son’s cries have now woken up my husband and I worried that because we live in an apartment, he may have woken up the neighbours as well - so I move even faster to take him to the kitchen.
My husband held him while I struggled to find something, anything, to feed him. Of course, my son wanted ME to hold him and as his crying got louder, I got more nervous.
I frantically rummaged through my refrigerator and I found two simple items, a yogurt and a mini muffin and I quickly presented them to him as a gift from me to him. He looked at them, then me, then again at the food and finally decided on the mini muffin.
“Thank goodness,” I said to my husband, and we both breathed a sigh of relief.
As my son rested on my shoulder finishing his muffin, his satisfied expression let us know that he was in the comfortable in the presence of his mommy and daddy. Even in the midst of exhaustion and worrying that I didn’t have enough strength to carry him, my toddler wrapped his arms as tight around me as he could, tucked his head under my chin and peacefully rested it on my chest.
Through these actions, he showed us that he knows we are always there to provide him comfort.
After that, we lay on the couch together, my son was on my chest, my husband was in the bedroom, already fast asleep, and soon enough, so were we.
We did it! Or should I say, I did it! Another “I love you mommy and daddy” moment.
These are the kinds of moments I think all parents need, just knowing that your kiddo loves and appreciates you makes it worth all of the (mostly) sleepless nights.
I must say that, despite all of this, I truly feel blessed to have a little one and to hear the words “momma… and dada…” come out of his mouth.
On Saturday, August 17, Hispanic Mothers with Autistic and ADHD Children Ontario (HAACO) hosted their first official meet and greet event in our community. Attendees included local NDP MPP of Humber River-Black Creek, Tom Rakocevic, PC MPP of York Centre, Roman Baber, federal NDP candidate for York Centre, Andrea Vasquez Jimenez, and former Toronto City Councillor and current federal NDP candidate of Humber River-Black Creek, Maria Augimeri.
The event brought together a room full of parents and advocates from the autism community, including local residents and those throughout the GTA and Hamilton region. The event was hosted by Casa Maiz and the youth leaders who work at the cultural centre, and sponsored by Beyond the Spectrum. Representatives from It's Medically Necessary, a grassroots awareness campaign outlining why autism therapy should be deemed medically necessary in Canada, attended to show support.
Susel Munoz, founder and director of HAACO, introduced her organization and spoke to her own experiences as a Hispanic and Latinx mother of four children on the autism spectrum. HAACO's mission is to raise awareness about autism and ADHD while reaching out to parents about the tools and resources available to help them advocate for their children. Volunteer Coordinator, Diana Radonich worked with Susel to make this event inclusive, informative and moving for all in attendance.
Given the challenges faced by parents of children who on the spectrum, Susel shared what motivates her and opened the floor for other parents to discuss their own experiences. All parents vocalized that there continues to be a strong need for substantial improvements, especially provincial and federal investments in order to make the support system financially fair and accessible for everyone who needs it.
Susel asked working professionals, policy experts, and residents to lend a hand or donate to help strengthen the cause, especially members from the Hispanic and Latinx community. She added that all levels of government need to use an "equity and inclusion lens in terms of how they engage with communities and develop policies regarding the autism file." At this time, most parents, especially those in the Hispanic and Latinx community are not given the same tools and resources as other groups, meaning that they ultimately get less of what they need. Susel said that this is due to the "narrow and exclusionary perspective" of the current policies and programs in place.
Susel highlighted that there are many challenges prior to and post-diagnosis for marginalized people in Ontario. Andrea Vasquez Jimenez expressed about how proud she was to see Hispanic and Latinx community leaders like Susel leading an initiative centred on the real issues. Vasquez Jimenez said that moving forward she will call for greater inclusion and more research to be conducted in the Hispanic and Latinx community with regards to the autism file.
Maria Augimeri spoke to the importance of education and about how data collection will help HAACO materialize and educate the public about autism and ADHD. Susel said that her organization is committed to using methods like surveys, in order to gather feedback about the diverse needs within the community, saying that HAACO plans to "use data to put together educational seminars and workshops."
MPP Tom Rakocevic gave Susel a scroll for all of her hard work and dedication to the community. He also shared a speech about the importance of developing a needs-based file that represents the real needs of all ASD and ADHD families, calling for responsible collaboration among government. Susel reinforced that constant research will help outline the varying needs and shape the messaging going forward, and that all levels of government must work together to make progress a reality. Given the recent cuts at the provincial level by the Premier, families are worried about their children's futures. PC MPP Roman Baber also gave a speech showing his support for ASD and ADHD families in the area.
Visit HAACO's social media pages, website and GoFundMe for further information about the launch of Hispanic Mothers with Autistic and ADHD Children Ontario.
Facebook: Hispanic Mothers with Autistic and ADHD Children Ontario
Website: www.haaco.org
GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/helps-us-become-a-nonfor-profit-organization
On March 12, 2019, just days before yet another round of violence in our world, a bit of peace happened at York University. It happened because people of four different faith groups decided that unfamiliarity and separation can lead to fear and further isolation. This gathering of people believed there had to be a better way.So on a cold but sunny late afternoon, folks with different belief systems and different cultural experiences gathered at the et. al. Cafe at York University. The evening was planned by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute, Hillel at York, Hindu Students at York, and Logos Christian Community. It started with plenty of food and opportunity for conversation. There was a little mingling of the groups, but people tended to stay with people they knew.The program for the evening had each group presenting some music that was representative, in some way, of their culture. Windows of understanding were slowly being opened. People were encouraged to continue eating and drinking coffee and tea. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Then came the time for discussion, each person present was invited to a table with people they did not know. Fear may have gripped a few at that moment, but organizers quickly helped people find a spot and get to know some new friends. There were envelopes with questions on the tables to spark discussion and that spark was all that was needed. Soon everyone was engaged in free flowing conversation. Some of the questions were simple. They helped everyone understand each other better. People were surprised by the similarities and respectful of the differences. Participants were also allowed to ask difficult questions; things that they may have wondered but never had the opportunity to ask. There was laughter; there was appreciation; there was understanding. Peace happened.In the end, there was an acknowledgement that all of us could very well have been in this cafe on this day or any other day, and we would never have said a word to each other. There was a recognition that we inhabit the same spaces at York on a regular basis. But we also were aware of the fact that for the most part we stay separate. It took initiative to get to the cafe. Desire to experience something different was needed.Participants were glad that they came. Instead of the fear and isolation that grips much of the world, people experienced peace and friendship. In fact, they had to be encouraged to leave, so the cafe could close. There was agreement that this kind of thing takes effort, but it seemed that the effort was well worth the time and energy.
York Woods Library is located on Finch between Jane and Sentinel, and it backs onto a beautiful ravine. The library first opened in 1970 and has served as a community hub for decades. But York Woods is due for an upgrade! The inaccessible second floor, the inconvenient layout, and the lack of dedicated spaces has left the library behind the times. In mid-January, York Woods held a public consultation where they unveiled the most up-to-date plans for the new library. Once complete, York Woods will be a bigger and more accessible community hub. It will have multifunctional as well as dedicated spaces so the library can be a place of learning, collaboration, and innovation. Children and teenagers who come to library will have access to different spaces - there will be a kids-stop to give a space to play, learn, and develop fine motor skills, a youth hub that will have after school activities and access to nutritious snacks, homework help, tech and programming lessons, and space to provide teenagers from the community a space to hang out.There will also be a digital innovation lab - a place where those who are interested can have access to the latest technology like green-screens, video equipment, 3-D printing, cutting-edge software, and more! The building is outdated. Its architecture is from the 1970s and layout no longer effectively services the neighbourhood’s growing needs and the modernization of world.The project developers and architects of the York Woods Library aim to build the space to be responsive to; What’s best for the community? What’s coming up next for tech? What kind of spaces does (and will) the Jane-Finch Community and the rest of Downsview need, especially as our spaces are getting smaller?These are exciting times for the community - the consultation was attended by many enthusiastic community members. York Woods Library will be closed once construction starts and many residents were upset to hear that they would be losing their space - but do not fret! A pop-up space will be opening to fill in the gap in the interim.
In spring of 2019, North York Women’s Shelter (NYWS) will open the doors to its newly renovated facilities that are set to be kid friendly, culturally competent, and include a community hub. NYWS is nestled in between Downsview Park and Sheppard West station - making it connected to a local scene and accessible to the rest of the city’s resources.Established in 1984, NYWS continues to be a safe place for women and children impacted by violence. As research on how to best help survivors of gendered violence advanced, NYWS took federal funding opportunities to redesign and renovate the facility to better serve their residents. Executive Director, Mohini Datta-Ray, described the new shelter as “future oriented” with a focus on providing survivors a holistic approach to healing and giving women the tools they need to take the next steps in their lives. It will be a 24,000 square feet shelter with 17 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms with 30 beds, with the capacity for an additional 10 beds if their operational budget targets are met. This is a huge improvement from the 3,000 square feet shelter with only six bedrooms and three bathrooms for 30 beds that left residents crowded and prevented necessary programming. Traditionally, women’s shelters are at a confidential and discrete location. Shelters are usually intended to be outside the purview of the community and to exist in isolation of the neighbourhood.“It’s a new model - we’re breaking the paradigm. The model is that we are both a shelter and a community service hub,” Datta-Ray explained. The community hub will service not only those in the shelter but women within the community who need a safe space and cannot leave their situations. The shelter itself will be built to accommodate children, have a kennel for residents’ dogs, and a wood-burning oven for women of different cultures to bake bread. Its new community hub will have partnerships with different groups like the Black Creek Community Health Centre, Black Creek Community Farm, and other service groups to ensure that clients can access the resources they need. As Toronto becomes more expensive and funding for ending violence against women continues to be erratic and dependent on governments, it is important to not only give survivors the resources they need to survive but also to thrive.The new NYWS has a large 1000 square-foot multipurpose room that can be a space where women can self-organize and be political. Alongside providing services, NYWS aims to foster a peer-support system so women can be politically active and demand more from their politicians to enact lasting change.“We realized that you can build 40 thousand shelters but you will never address the issue because you are just continuing to address the symptom of the problem,” Datta-Ray explained. The new space will help empower residents to advocate for institutional changes to end violence against women.
Young people play a vital role in the political and civil life of Canadian society through traditional and non-traditional forms of activism and community engagement. However, there remains a strong need to promote more civic engagement among young people at an earlier age. There is a necessity for more systematic mapping of youth community and civic engagement. Facilitating civic engagement at a young age in Canadians as well as systematically charting a picture of youth civic and community engagement will challenge the socio-normative notion of young people as being apathetic to community development and civil life. #YiP fulfils this need to engage students in civil and political life from an early age and allows them to showcase their civic engagement. Dr. Nombuso Dlamini and Dr. Uzo Anucho co-designed the YiP project to engage grade 10 students in the October school board trustee elections. #YiP also builds students’ capacity to involve their families and communities in local governance issues. Moreover, #YiP facilitates youth action projects that are connected to youth learning about the governance of schools and their communities. #YiP sees youth as having the power to examine their schools and communities, to decide what is good in them and what they want to change. #YiP does three main activities - 1) designing and leading student civic engagement workshops; 2) designing and learning teacher professional development workshop and 3) funding student mini-projects.
We have facilitated a series of youth-led, student-focused 3-day workshops in Ontario to stimulate student interest in community and civic engagement. Our youth presenters engaged students in a conversations and workshops about how they can be change agents in their communities and how to be civically engaged citizens.
We also hosted a workshop for teachers and leaders of experiential learning with student representatives. We engaged our participants in conversations about reframing the Civics curriculum to make it more connected to the students’ lived experiences and community knowledge.
What differentiates #YiP from other civic engagement projects is we propose to provide financial support for students to design mini-projects, which would have facilitated the participation of our student participants’ families and communities in the school board trustee elections. Unfortunately, due to logistical reasons, our funding for the project was reduced, and we could not fulfil this aim. To compensate for this, we have provided a series of online resources such as our “Hosting a School Board Trustees All Candidates Meeting: A Student’s Guide.” These online resources provide students with practical ways in which they can host the trustee meetings and encourage their parents to become more politically aware and active.We learned some vital lessons from #YiP;
#YiP has taught us numerous lessons from which we can posit the following suggestions. This list is not exhaustive but rather acts to stimulate a more in-depth and thoughtful conversation about youth civic engagement.Our first recommendation is for more systematic research to ascertain the impact of the work that young people are already doing. Second, we need to find exciting ways to increase students’ political engagement. Politicians and their political machinery need to find intriguing ways of connecting with young people about issues that matter to them. Third, we must listen to youth voices and engaging students should go beyond using them as tokens on committees and boards. Our student participant shared with us that on the one hand, this resulted in their opinions being ignored or meaningfully used to impact policy changes while on the other hand, it made them more reluctant to voice their views.In sum, any real efforts to increase young people in civic engagement needs to be research-led and multifaceted. These efforts also need to be informed by and for youth to impact policy changes and practices rather than attempts to solely increase the youth vote.
On Sunday August 26th, the Bathurst Manor Action Group held its second annual Art in Chapley Park event. The copious talent and pleasant weather generated a large turnout to musical performances and workshops put on by local artists. Although we can’t confirm, we know several adults jumped on the trampoline while the camera wasn’t rolling. All kidding aside, The Downsview Advocate spoke over the phone with the event’s Founder and Artistic Director Michael Anthony, to learn more about how the event unfolded. Michael is also a teacher, an activist in North York and the Lead Organizer of the Bathurst Manor Action Group. Here’s what he told us:DA - This is the second successful Art in Chapley Park festival. Give us some background: How did Art in Chapley Park come about last year? Michael- A few years ago a few community members noticed that in Chapley Park there seemed to be enough programming around sports but not much for artists. So, we wanted to start something to showcase artists and get kids involved. We started by running free Concerts in Chapley Park with Carl Berger, and have run three of those, so far. People loved it, so, to expand on this idea, I created Art in Chapley Park.DA – We had some interesting names for bands that performed at the festival – Sonshine and Broccoli, and Old Boyfriends to name a few. Tell us about some of those performances last Sunday. Michael- Sonshine and Broccoli are well known children’s entertainers across Canada. They are really wonderful at what they do. The children definitely enjoy them. And they always invite the kids on stage to participate. Old Boyfriends are a group of Toronto area musicians. When I contacted the drummer Joe Wilson about this event he reached out to his band members and they were all very excited to join us and volunteer their time to liven up the program in ways that only Old Boyfriends can.DA – We don’t always hear about glass-blowing but one of the artists is famous for this. Can you tell us about that?Michael- Yes actually. Melani Davis is a professional glass artist. This is her second time at Art in Chapley Park. She works with kids on how to design glass pieces, walking them through each step. They did a glass-blowing demonstration where the kids saw their design go all the way to the finished product. The kids’ designs were really fantastic. DA - What was the biggest highlight of the festival for you?Michael- There were many! I love seeing the kids create art. Normally when kids are given the opportunity to paint it is often on paper. But this time the kids were all painting on aisles and on proper canvasses that they could take home and frame. They were all very colourful and interesting pieces. The kids were actually seeing themselves as artists. For the second time the kids also made a large life- size canvass that will be hung in the Chapley Community Centre.Also, this event gave a place for young artists to display their work for a first time. Seth Morris, a 7 year old phenom, had his work on display and for sale. His stuff is absolutely amazing! We also had Priya Rastoogi, a 13 year old artistic photographer with her work on display, and the photos she takes of nature are absolutely breathtaking. Providing these real opportunities to our youth is what it’s all about!DA - Downtown community art festivals and cultural events are numerous, well advertised and well-funded. What do you want to see in the coming months or year in terms of support for cultural events and festivals in Bathurst Manor? Michael- We sit just outside of a City of Toronto priority neighbourhood. Priority neighbourhoods get access to arts and cultural funding from different levels of government. But our neighbourhood does not. We are not able to apply for any grants with any art or cultural organization run through the government or through any arms length organizations connected to a governmental body. There should be funding available for all neighbourhoods to be able to develop arts and cultural programming and events. Support from our MP Michael Levitt and City Councillor James Pasternak is something we’ve always appreciated. They have helped out and supported this community initiative since day one, but we need more official, institutional support. We also love to partner with companies in the private sector.We’d also like to get funding and support for more indoor events and winter events for arts and music. Finally we would also like to tap into community artists and volunteers from high school. They can email art.in.chapley.park@gmail.com or contact me at 416-554-7962DA - Was there any individual, local organization (s) or business (s) in particular that you wanted to thank for helping Art in Chapley Park become so successful?Michael- Yes, there were many organizations and businesses that helped make this event a success. They include: North York Arts, The Dewji family who are the owners of Mr. Lube at the corner of Dufferin and Steeles, Carl Berger a musician with Music for Munchkins, local real estate agent Marcy Koifman, Attitude Print and Design, Darchei Noam, Just Bounce trampoline club, Thrive Kids, Vibe Dance Studio and Wow Digital.
From June to August 17th, PEACH (Promoting Education and Community Health) continued to find ways to keep youth focused and motivated-outside of school. The Learning Beyond Adversity (LBA) Summer Employment Program was initially started by Executive Director Shari Castello and Youth Advocate Wayne Black as a way to keep youth engaged and productive over the summer months. Eight young members from the Jane and Finch community had the opportunity to work alongside one another performing tasks that enabled them to expand their knowledge and learn how to work cooperatively as a group.PEACH partnered with Black Creek Community Farm’s MwanaJuma and planned activities. The summer participants gardened and worked with plants like callaloo and peppermint and cooked nutritious vegan meals such as vegan lasagna and fruit smoothies. Castello and Black realized how important bridging the gap between youth and the elderly was and so the youth teamed up with the seniors at Black Creek Community Farm and learned how to cook meals like popular Jamaican dish, Ackee. The program also offered workshops on Financial Literacy, Resume and Job Workshops, Stress Management, Media, and even the process of getting your G1 Driver’s License! The youth were also taken to the Knowledge Bookstore to purchase books, and were given a lesson on how to start their own business and was needed to succeed. Jordan Thomas, 18, says his experience at LBA Summer Employment was definitely worthwhile/ “I found this program very enjoyable,” Thomas says. “For me it was nice to make decisions about different topics like why it’s important to get your G1 or how to maintain proper hygiene, and how to find a job.”The recent height of violence in Toronto has shown the importance of initiatives like the LBA Summer Employment and the importance to fund these programs. Not only do these programs keep youth off the streets, but they provide youth with a sense of belongingness, mentorship, accountability, and of course, the knowledge they need to move forward and succeed in their future.
A full house of youngsters, elders, art enthusiasts and some of Toronto’s emerging singers, poets, rappers and dancers united on January 26 at York Woods Library to celebrate Freedom Fridayz’s seventh anniversary.Many artists including C-Flava, a dance group specializing in Afro-Caribbean dance, inspired five live painters to create full canvas paintings in a matter of hours. The live performances showcased the incredible talent that we are fortunate to have in the Jane-Finch community.“Freedom Fridayz is always dope and it’s a good environment that supports the youth”, says Sheldon, one of the young community members.Freedom Fridayz is an initiative of Black Creek Community Health Centre and The Spot, a youth-friendly space in the Jane Finch Mall.During the Freedom Fridayz showcase, Passport to Employment (PTE) held their Ontario Trillium Foundation Recognition event, acknowledging three years of funding for a youth employment project.Neighbourhood Action Youth Employment Committee (NAYEC), a collaboration of community and employment organizations, recognized the need to increase the employability of youth in Jane-Finch. Passport to Employment (PTE), a project of NAYEC, was created to tackle the issue of youth unemployment.Sheldon believes the program is important for young people, saying, “The Passport to Employment program doesn’t leave anyone behind. That’s what I like about it.”PTE works with five high schools in the Jane-Finch/Black Creek area which includes C.W. Jefferys, Westview, Downsview, Emery and McGuigan. Youth participate in training sessions to learn skills in a fun and interactive way. The trainings include customer service, food handling, HIGH FIVE and first aid/CPR.PTE also serves youth between the ages of 15 and 29 who are out-of-school and out-of-work, assisting them with Smart Serve, fork lifting, first aid and food handling training. The program also offers job readiness workshops to assist youth with their online job applications, resume writing and interview skills.The project is dedicated to increasing future economic opportunity and stability for high school students and out-of-school and out-of-work youth in the Jane-Finch community.For more information, contact Faduma Mohamed at 416-747-5616 ext. 106, or at pte.coordinator@gmail.com.