The Jane Finch Ministry is a community ministry of the Toronto West Presbytery with the United Church of Canada. It is situated in the Firgrove Community, of Toronto Community Housing Company (TCHC) and works quite closely with the Firgrove Tenant's Association. Although this public housing community of 382 households is the immediate catchment area, the ministry provides support and is also involved in initiatives taking place in the larger area of Jane and Finch. The role of the ministry is to provide community development and community organizing support, offer pastoral care and do advocacy through coalitions and networks. Many of the programs and initiatives are done in partnership with others.
This year could be categorized as one of highs and lows, things to celebrate in the community and things to grieve. Just before Easter a young man by the name of Allen Benn was stabbed to death in Firgrove. At first I thought it was gang related but later found out that it was more of a Cain and Abel story. Two youth from the same youth program with one youth extremely liked by his peers, going back to school and just being offered an outreach workers job and the other youth just getting out jail, homeless and on the fringe of formal and informal youth groups. Something must have transpired between them resulting in the one youth robbing Allen of his life. This murder sent shock waves through the Firgrove, youth and Jane Finch community. In conjunction with resident leaders and other institutional and organizational support we conducted two talking circles in Firgrove to bring some healing. Later in the spring two youth from Jane and Finch were killed as a result of a car chase running into the cab that they were riding in. Then, just a few weeks later Jordan Manners was shot to death in a local high school. To assist youth workers in Jane and Finch to try and cope with these tragedies I was asked by the Youth Issues Coalition to do a healing circle for youth workers. I did this in conjunction with a First Nations youth from Firgrove who smudged the circle. With the accidental shooting of a young boy on Sheppard Ave, the community rallied in response with a peace march and a brown ribbon peace campaign which was further promoted at a basketball tournament where 1,000 youth attended. Later in the fall, tragedy again struck the community when 4 people were shot in the Yorkwoods community. Two of the victims were innocent bystanders from Firgrove. Rachel Alleyne and a friend of hers had gone to watch people play dominoes in Yorkwoods. Shortly after they arrived they were victims of stray bullets. Rachel died as a result of her wounds, leaving behind to three small children. Much community support arose for this situation including support from Humber Valley United for the two Firgrove families at Xmas time.
As for things to celebrate, just to mention a few. Last year, the community ministry had the pleasure of providing some support for Kofi Hope's national youth animation project called Youth Connections. This project looked at issues of Black, Aboriginal and Asian/South Asian youth within society and the church and what could be done about these issues. In addition to the many speaking engagements and consulting work across the country, Kofi co-facilitated the Young Leaders group in Jane and Finch, provided some support in the development of a music studio in Firgrove and provided support to a First Nations youth group in Parry Sound. One of the major initiatives of the project was the Leadership Circle where 20 dynamic youth from across the country and two international participants from India and Nicaragua met for a week at the Five Oaks retreat centre. These youth leaders, from diverse backgrounds (Black, South Asian, Caucasian, Aboriginal, Christian and Muslim) learned from each other as well as from facilitators on organizational development from the University of Toronto. Grandmother Sarah provided some rich aboriginal teachings and the sharing of elders from many traditions was a big highlight of the event. A documentary video about the event was produced and aired on Vision TV's Spirit Connection. Kofi, now in Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, can be greatly thanked for the gifts that he shared.
Another celebration in the community was Dusk Dances. The Firgrove community, working in conjunction with Dusk Dances Inc. and with the ministry acting as the local producer, hosted a dance festival from July 5-8th. Professional dance routines and a choreographed dance with children from Firgrove School took place each evening in various parts of the Firgrove Park, on the school property and in the Firgrove community. A local band by the name of Ngoma welcomed people to the event and Baby Boyz a local Hip Hop dance group brought the house down and garnered rave reviews from the Globe and Mail.
Another thing to celebrate is the incredible organizing skills of the residents of Firgrove. The chair of the Firgrove Tenants €™ Association, Lorraine Anderson, thought that it might be good to supply the children in Firgrove with some backpacks with school supplies for when they went back to school in September. Through her involvement on the economic working group with the Black Creek Community Capacity Project she approached someone from Labour Community Services. Just before going on holidays I found out that one of the unions was going to donate $1,000 for this endeavour. The community ministry added another $400 to the pot. Upon coming back from holidays I learned that Lorraine, Maryan Hilowle and several other residents had distributed 167 back packs with supplies. In addition to donated items they raised in total $3,000 from two unions, community organizations and individual donations. Some of the funds will be used for Sept. 08. The Painters Union is interested in continuing ongoing support and the tenant's association is looking at ways to establish a local scholarship fund and support a women's group.
Our monthly supplementary food day continues to help out about 20-30 families each month. Our free income tax clinic done in conjunction with the Chartered Accountants Assoc. assisted about 60 individuals in filling out their tax forms. Halima Abdela (the office Coordinator and bookkeeper) and I provide information and referral to people who drop by the office or phone in. A variety of issues are dealt with such as legal matters, immigration, housing concerns, employment, schooling, skills training, parental support, conflict mediation, access to food, translation, etc.
This summer the Firgrove Tenant Association was engaged in fund raising to subsidize a community trip to a Water Theme Park in Brantford. Funds were also used to cover some of the costs for a family retreat at Five Oaks for the tenant association. 25 people attended the two day retreat. In partnership with the Tenant Association, and the local housing recreation program and TCHC, the Community Ministry hosted the winter festive season celebration in which Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa was celebrated and small gifts were given out to 135 children. The meal for the event was prepared by the residents and included curried goat, jerk chicken, stewed chicken, fried chicken, spanish rice, rice and peas, several salads and an assortment of baked goods. Some children from the Recreation Center and the dance troupe Baby Boyz provided a performance of Hip Hop at the event. Earlier in the fall we provided 85 gifts to some of the Islamic children of Firgrove in support of their Eid Celebration. In addition to the festive season and Eid celebrations, with support from Humber Valley United and the Chum Xmas Wish Fund, the ministry provided Xmas gifts for 140 children.
I continued to be an active member of the Network of Community Based Organizations, serving as chair during the fall. I have been one of the community representatives for the York University satellite project. I still play an active role with the Black Creek Community Capacity project, which is being done in conjunction with community organizations, City staff, York University, TDSB, TD Bank, local businesses, faith leaders and community residents. In addition to being on the coordinating committee I chaired the Economic Working Group and one of its sub committee: the Community Loan Fund. In the spring some York University Students, who have been part of the committee, researched various models of micro lending programs to support small business development. Then in the summer and fall we were able to, with support from the Comart foundation, survey the community and conduct focus groups to determine their needs and the most appropriate model.
This last year the community ministry was asked by Toronto Community Housing to facilitate a learning center animation project. The purpose of the project was to explore how to transform the existing Firgrove recreation center in Firgrove into a learning center for all ages and groups in the community. Three young people were hired to conduct surveys and focus groups in the community and the results were shared in the fall. Community and agency commitment was established to make the learning center a reality in 2008.
With Presbytery involvement I have been on the Social Justice Committee. As a General Council commissioner I had to brief the Presbytery on the cuts that happened at the national church at the end of June and in conjunction with others drafted a response to these actions. I had been the chair of the Justice, Peace and Creation advisory committee of the National Church's Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations unit but in light of the cuts I tendered my resignation in the fall. I have, though, been appointed to a Congregational Renewal and Community Development advisory committee with the National Church. In May I presented a workshop on the Black Creek Community Capacity Project at the €œFaith in the City € conference in Montreal. A dry run of this was presented to St. James United as part of the presbytery pulpit exchange. The VIII community ministry consultation event €œEnergy from the Edges € took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba and focused on walking with the first nations people in North End Winnipeg. It was a rich event with many teachings and the opportunity to participate in a sweat lodge. At the event I was appointed to the Community Ministries National Reference committee.
This fall, as a fundraiser for the Jane Finch Community Ministry and for North End Stella Community Ministry in Winnipeg, I cut my hair and shaved my moustache. For those who knew me with long hair for the last twenty years, this was a big feat and $4,000 was raised through the endevaour. I thank everybody who contributed to the cause. Thanks to all the congregations who provided financial support through the Community Ministries Sunday and a special thanks goes out to Beverley Hills, Fairbank and Humber Valley for their continued support. In addition to the support these congregations provided to the operating budget, in conjunction with the Xmas Wish Fund, they were able to ensure that the community was able to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Eid in special ways. Some of the proceeds from the sale of Thistletown United and Century United were used to support street outreach and flowers for memorials, healing circles, a local ecumenical coalition, assistance for a resident to attend a national steering committee meeting of Urban Rural Mission, the Jane and Finch's Finest basketball program, a summer basketball tournament, a Somali Soccer Tournament, Kiddy Caribana, a girl's group in Firgrove, the Women's group in Firgrove, the International Women's day event in Jane and Finch, the Five Oaks Tenant Association family retreat, a local Eid celebration, a Black History event in Firgrove, a logo competition, supplies for the Firgrove Recreation center and back to school supplies. Thanks to all those who contributed to the back to school supplies drive including the International Service Union, the Painters Union, Toronto Community Housing, JVS, and several individuals. A special thanks to the Comart Foundation for support to send two youth to attend the peace conference in Ottawa, the Community Loan Fund survey and focus group process, covering child care costs for a three week employment training program for women, the Youth Connections project and the Leadership Circle.
Thanks to all the individuals, organizations, congregations and funding bodies who have contributed to the ministry with either time or financial gifts. It is with your support that this ministry can take place.
Respectfully submitted by Barry Rieder
