PROGRAM UDPATES

By Kathryn Scharf, Program Director

The flurry of holiday parties was very successful, thanks to staff organizers and the CHUM Christmas Fund. Green Barn programs held a joint party attended by 100 or so community members, with amazing snacks, as well as stories by Dan Yashinsky . It was a wonderful example of how successfully these new programs have incorporated the same diversity of people we’ve traditionally seen in Stop programs. At 1884 Davenort, the drop-in hosted a special meal with prizes; Healthy Beginnings had their traditional full-on party; Sabor Latino featured live music and traditional Christmas tamales (which I got to ceremonially, if awkwardly, present in my halting Spanish while also chewing on an inaugural mouthful). Our Christmas Day brunch was better attended than ever, and almost entirely run by volunteers (including staff). Just before Christmas, Bread and Bricks and staff organized a free store that was so successful not a single item was left at the end. Chaotic, yes, but nice to see stuff dodge the landfill in favour of homes where they’ll enjoy new usefulness.

Cleanliness and expansion have been the themes for us recently—hard and irksome work, but necessary. Scott’s scoured the kitchen, and Rekha, Sharon and the indefatigable volunteer team cleared the decks for a food bank renovation. Aside from a cleaner space, by the end of the month we expect to have a more spacious and practical food bank area; we’re moving a wall and installing a pass-through and produce-sorting/handwashing area (thanks to a City of Toronto HPI grant.) As well, staff and students who currently jockey for desk space at 1884 Davenport will feel a little less nervous and nomadic when we expand into new office space next door. Renovations are underway that will enable six staff to move out of our currently cramped quarters.

With Jonah’s departure, we’re still one person down in our Community Action Program, but Jen and Nadia (with the help of students and the community advocates) managed to put together a successful series of Community Action Training sessions. Offered to local community members, this program included ten units on topics such as Understanding the Media and the History of Anti-Poverty Organizing in Toronto. Graduation occurred just before Christmas, and we’re now recruiting new community advocates to replenish our team. Those who don’t get involved like this we hope will still be better equipped to advocate for themselves and neighbours on the issues that are important to them; we encourage everyone to join the Bread and Bricks Social Justice Group. We were delighted to learn that we received renewed funding from the Metcalf Foundation to step up this training and expand our community advocacy team into the Wychwood neighbourhood. The last film night at the Green Barn, organized by Ash, was a great success. Despite the fact that “poverty” rarely packs them in, the documentary Poor No More drew a big crowd who talked well into the evening about different approaches to attacking poverty. More film nights to come.

Hussein and Rekha organized a well-attended food demo in the food bank. The recipe prepared was salmon and eggs. Canned salmon is often donated to the food bank and we offer it whenever possible; it’s less contaminated by heavy metals, more nutritious, and (possibly) more sustainable than tuna. And now that we have eggs for each hamper (as mentioned last time), simple, affordable recipe demos will be a regular event in the food bank and drop-in.

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