ST. JAMES TOWN TV (Audio): The Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC)

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ST. JAMES TOWN TV (Audio): The Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC)

In today’s episode journalist Nea Maaty reports on theToronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, a city-wide coalition supporting indigenous peoples.

St. James town is one of the most populated, diverse and multicultural neighbourhoods in Toronto. It has a population density of 44,321 many of whom are from immigrant and newcomer communities.  However not many people know that St. James Town is also home to approximately 1000 indigenous residents.  Who are the indigenous communities that live in the area and what are their needs?  To help answer these questions we turned to the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC).

TASSC is an organization made up of 18 different native organizations that are serving communities across the city in different areas. It offers many services like housing and shelter, employment, education, in addition to cultural and many other support services.

According to Lindsay (Swooping Hawk) Ketschmer - The Executive Director of TASSC, the
needs of indigenous communities could vary from an area to another. However, it’s clear that housing has been an increasing issue in addition to the increased isolation and need of mental support. That of course doesn’t exclude the support of prominent issues like food security. TASSC dd a great job reaching out to people from the beginning of the pandemic, getting them familiar with the online portal. Supporting supplemental wages for people have been brought on for delivery, food packs, in addition to supporting transportation, winter clothes, and addiction. The organization also helps with Child care, medicine, and employment for elders and youth. The hotline and online reach tries to get into the largest number of people to know that TASSC member agencies are offering support in these different ways.

Ketschmer believes that as much as the pandemic disrupted our lives, it also showed us how beautifully we can work together. TASSC and its member agencies work well together to keep providing services and supporting the community. “When talking about indigenous communities, we need to think of each other as one community,” said Ketschmer.

 

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Video Upload Date: May 28, 2021

FOCUS Media Arts Centre (FOCUS) is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1990 to counter negative media stereotypes of low income communities and provide relevant information to residents living in the Regent Park area and surrounding communities.

We seek to empower marginalized individuals and under represented communities to have a voice, through the  use of professional training, mentorships and participatory based media practices that enable the sharing of stories, experiences and perspectives on relevant matters and issues. In brief our mandate is to empower marginalized individuals and under-serviced communities to have a voice and tell their own stories.

 

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