community
Nowadays, people are so focused on what sets people apart that they forget what is unique about people. Storytelling is a good way to relate to one other and to also know more about each other. Sharing is being able to connect with cultures and traditions that are different from yours. We are so diverse. I want to know how to cook food from different cultures and interact with people from different countries.
- Famo
The metropolitan community of City Heights is home to 95,000 residents from 70 countries living within approximately 6.5 square miles. Within this complex landscape, nonprofits, ethnic- and community-based organizations, and highly engaged residents dedicate their expertise, experience, and passion to the community.
During COVID-19, the importance of this community work has been magnified. This project thus aims toward identifying the challenges that this pandemic presents to City Heights residents on the one hand, and highlighting the resilience, joy, and leadership of refugee communities in City Heights on the other.
In collaboration with the Parent-Student-Resident Organization (PSRO), a parents’ and community coalition comprising twelve language groups advocating for healthy students, supportive schools, and educational equity in City Heights, this project takes a creative and family-centred approach in order to explore how food, education, and daily life are experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Above all, this project aims to cultivate knowledge and community through sharing family stories and centring refugee perspectives and leadership.
