Parkdale Food Center: Advocacy in Motion (AIM)
Posted on Monday, December 4th, 2023
The Parkdale Food Centre is a vital hub for our local community, offering healthy, culturally appropriate meals three times a week. Beyond nourishing our diverse community, the center extends its support through various resources and advocacy efforts, including one-on-one sessions, workshops, and events. Our project this year aimed to create a workshop that empowers individuals with the skills necessary for effective advocacy fostering positive change within the community. “Advocacy in Motion” (AIM), a 10-week workshop, was conceived to equip participants with advocacy strategies, promoting positive change through community mobilization. Each week of the AIM workshop delves into a distinct aspect of advocacy, encompassing themes like justice, equity, power dynamics, oppression, storytelling, community organization, and public advocacy. The ultimate goal is to amplify the voices of the Parkdale Food Centre community, endowing them with the tools and knowledge needed to be agents of change. This empowerment is achieved through collaborative efforts with community navigators, who tailor their guidance to address the unique needs of the participants. The AIM workshop seeks to inspire its participants to leverage their newfound skills to initiate change, ensuring they feel empowered and equipped to make a difference within their community.