Last week the
Community One Foundation—a Toronto-based LGBTTIQQ2S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, queer, questioning, 2-spirited) grant foundation—announced the results of its annual
Rainbow Grants competition.
In an event at the Flying Beaver Pubaret, 18 grants totaling more than $50,000 were awarded to organizations and individuals that provide resources and visibility to LGBTTIQQ2S communities across the GTA.
While Community One (originally founded as the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal) has been supporting Toronto's LGBTQ+ community for more than 22 years, this year's awards were particularly notable as the foundation gave out the largest grant to date. At $10,000, the
RBC Community Rainbow Grant is double the amount charitable organizations are normally eligible to receive through the granting agency.
Community One board co-chair Craig Daniel says choosing the recipient for the major grant was tough. "There are so many fantastic organizations and to have to choose one is always a difficult process," says Daniel.
The RBC Community Rainbow Grant went to the Toronto nonprofit
Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services to fund its New TQs Project. Daniels says the initiative, which aims to increase newcomers' access to health and settlement services and provide them with meaningful opportunities to contribute to community development, "perfectly matched the RBC wish list as far as what they wanted to see in an application."
After the completion of a new Victoria Park and Danforth hub, Access Alliance was looking for a new way to reach out the LGBTQ+ community, says Aamer Esmail, manager of youth programs and services. After looking at evaluations, Esmail says, the staff noticed that there was a lot of talk "about a LGBTQ newcomers wanting to have spaces to meet, wanting an opportunity to sort of give back to the community, to socialize, make connections etc."
The RBC Rainbow Grant will be used to roll out several initiatives, including monthly meetings, Toronto outings and community-wide social events throughout the next 10 month. In order to build membership and get the program going, Access Alliance plans to hire two new peer outreach workers.
While still in its nascent stages, The New TQs Project is a pioneer on two fronts: it's located outside the downtown core and has no limits on age, newcomer status or background.
"There's no space in Toronto that's for LGBTQ newcomers of all ages," says Esmail. "They are either youth-focused, with an age requirement, or are focused on newcomer status, that is, for refugees only. But from working with our volunteers, we know that people above 30 are very isolated. They're new to the country and it's very hard for them to make friends. That's why this is geared for all ages and all status."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Craig Daniel, Volunteer Board Member, Community One Foundation; Aamer Esmail, Manager, Youth Programs and Services, Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services