The month of April was very busy as we prepared for the new “Sharing Our Stories to Help Each Other” program. We prepared the new space for the program and attended a fasting camp to prepare the new program volunteers. In addition, we met with the Mississauga of the Credit to speak on our partnership with the Indigenous Learning Centre.
As we prepare for the launching of the “Sharing our Stories to Help Each Other” program, we have been busy with securing the new space for the program which is located on Bloor Street West. The space will allow the men the ability to drum, smudge, and have sharing circles on a regular basis. The space will provide that welcoming and cultural component that will hopefully make the men feel they have a safe space to heal and support one another.
To ensure the volunteers feel supported, we took them to a fasting camp in support of their personal wellbeing. We want to ensure the volunteers are balanced themselves as they will be supporting other men in the program. Some of the volunteers fasted for 4 days while others fasted for 2-3 days. We will be bringing the participants to the next fasting camp and Summer Solstice in June.
This month, the Indigenous Knowledge Centre Committee went to Mississauga of the Credit to visit with Councilor Veronica King-Jamison to discuss our partnership. The meeting was very informative as we discussed the Indigenous Learning Centre and its potential to providing education and awareness to the governments and organizations within the Toronto area. There will be a follow-up meeting with the Chief and Council at the Centre so that they can tour the space and provide feedback on the space and the kinds of programming that will benefit the community.
We look forward to the upcoming year with the grand opening of the Indigenous Learning Centre the launch of the “Sharing Our Stories” program. These two initiatives are new to Aboriginal Legal Services, and we anticipate they will be a valuable resource to the community.