GTAA pledges CA$150,000 to Black and Indigenous-led groups

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has announced it is committing CA$150,000 to six Black and Indigenous-led groups that are supporting communities around Toronto Pearson (YYZ).

This announcement continues the work the GTAA has been doing to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including a commitment to the BlackNorth Initiative, which the GTAA signed in July 2020. Providing funding to these community groups is a measurable step toward fulfilling a promise to help build better futures for those impacted by systemic racism.

The organisations sharing in the support have previously been recipients of funding through the 2020 Nest Fund. They include:

• The Black Youth School Success Initiative is a prevention and intervention school support program that supports Black children and youth from grade six through high school
• Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig, Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying (ENAGB) provides mental, emotional, physical and spiritual programming and services to Indigenous youth aged 12 to 29 years
• Help a Girl Out works to ensure all women have access to sanitary products regardless of circumstance and initiates year-round anti-stigma campaigns and educational workshops to end menstrual shame among women and girls in Canada
• Helping Hands Platform is a grassroots organisation led by Black youth that matches Black, newcomer and low socioeconomic status youth with volunteer, educational, entrepreneurial, and employment opportunities
• Trust 15 Youth Community Support Organization provides youth in the Rexdale/North Etobicoke area with programmes that promote and facilitate positive behaviour, creative expression, and co-operative working skills
• Weston Frontlines Centre is a dynamic youth charity in York-South Weston that provides culturally relevant and inclusive programming, from homework/tutoring programmes and camps to pop-up events and employment programmes, to children and youth ages six to 29.

“We’re very proud to be able to take an active role and continue our support of these organisations, as they each have their own unique area of concentration and activities,” said Molara Awosedo, Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the GTAA. “We look forward to continuing to work together with these organisations to support the diverse communities around Toronto Pearson.”

The previous funding provided to these groups benefitted 1,629 Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour community members. The organisations were also able to increase their fundraising capacities, which resulted in more than CA$2 million being raised separately.