Rwanda Project
“The Rwanda Project” sought to foster a North/ South collaborative partnership for education and community mobilization between two housing co-ops of disparate regions:
Bleecker Street Co-op in Toronto, Canada, and The Ineza Co-op in Kigali, Rwanda. Our aim was and is community mobilization: to raise awareness within our local co-op
communities about HIV/ AIDS issues in an endemic country, in order to establish a mutually-beneficial relationship which encompasses education, youth mentoring and adult
member involvement.
Brian Finch, a long-standing member and Board Director of Bleecker Street Co-op is also a Board Member of a national NGO (Canadian Treatment Action Council or CTAC)
which works to break down systemic barriers to HIV treatment.
To kick-start this initiative within his own community of Bleecker, Brian delivered a short series of evening presentations to Bleecker Co-op members (to which surrounding
co-ops were also invited), detailing his own experience of visiting Ineza first-hand and witnessing the daunting challenges and amazing fortitude of these women, as they seek
to improve their own lives and the lives of their children. The workshop included a slide-show presentation and testimonials from the women themselves about being survivors
– both of the genocide period, and of HIV/ AIDS itself, and of the hope for change and working for a better future that keeps them going.
As a result of “The Rwanda Project” presentations, individual co-op members, staff and co-op youth took up the cause and brainstormed ideas to raise community awareness and
dollars towards supporting the Ineza cause. Fundraising activities planned occurred over the next 6-month period, with a goal of $5000.00.
During this period, co-op members, and youth in particular, passed out literature, held raffles, solicited donations in the lobby and also held a volunteer bake sale and car wash
for the surrounding community. The idea was not only to collect money, but to heighten awareness of what it is to be HIV positive in Rwanda and what is needed to sustain an
individual’s life in an endemic country. Members who were only able to donate a few dollars were heartened to hear what good their donations would do, and how far even a small
amount would go: the average per capita income in Rwanda is $230.00 per annum, so every little bit means a lot.
The Pillowcase Project
Bleecker Street Co-operative was the first co-op in Canada to specifically give priority housing to persons living with HIV. Our community is particularly interested in and affected by public policy related to these issues, and therefore felt a strong connection to the 2006 International World AIDS Conference held in Toronto last year.
When it was revealed that Prime Minister Harper would not attend the conference's opening ceremony in his own host country, organizations working with and for HIV and AIDS health-promotion (as well as the general public) were outraged.
In response, our Co-op Board Director Brian Finch spear-headed the "pillowcase project", a grass-roots, "bed-linen" protest designed to shame the government and make a clear statement that Canadians are NOT aligned with their leaders in their lack of caring.
Together with about 75 co-op and community volunteers, Brian worked in assembly-line fashion to stencil 1000 pillowcases with the phrase, "Sleep in, Steve? HIV Never Sleeps". The plan of attack? 1000 conference delegates would sneak the cases into the opening ceremonies and stand and unfold them as Health Minister Tony Clement spoke. The result was a media frenzy and world-wide coverage for this effective action.
For the full story, please check out the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada's Newsbriefs article (March 2007 issue) entitled "Miracle at Bleecker Street" at: www.chfc.ca
The Ladybug Foundation
Bleecker's youth have raised over $1,000 for The Ladybug Foundation, a charitable organization that helps homeless people in Canada.
Pete's Pet Fund
Did you know that the co-op has fund for member's who experience unexpected, in memory of co-op staff person and member Pete Kingdon.
The fund depends on donations solicited by staff and generosity of member contributions. Priority is given to members with limited income;
the amount given is determined on a case by case review.
Pete's Pet Fund - Guideline & Application
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