Where to Re-distribute Your Paychecks:
Black Community-Led Organizations Based in Scarborough & Tkaronto
Below is a working resource list consisting of Black community-led organizations, businesses and collectives that are based in Scarborough and Tkaronto. This resource list has been compiled in solidarity with Black communities across Scarborough, Tkaronto and internationally. Our efforts are grounded in the abolition and liberation from entire systems & structures that are inherently colonial, racist, white supremist, capitalist, ableist and violent.
Not only do mutual aid practices inherently reject the state as a fair and equal distributor of welfare, finances, resources and opportunities, mutual aid practices further rely on communities to divest from state-supported infrastructure and invest in community-led organizing, collectives and businesses. We encourage all white and non-Black folks to take the time to read through this resource list and consider sustaining the redistribution of your paycheques toward supporting Black community-led organizations and businesses. If you would like to add your collective, organization or business to this list, please email scarboroughmutualaid@gmail.com.
Scarborough:
African Canadian Heritage Association: “Has provided African Caribbean heritage programming since 1969. The program features African history lessons, arts and crafts, and special events for students who range in age from 5-18 years of age. They are in the process of transitioning to an online platform to serve the community during this time.” (Information provided by Lauren Kirk, Secretary of ACHA, acha.secretary@gmail.com)
Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough: “Provides services/programming for all racialized communities and predominantly serves Black youth, children and families within the Kingston-Guildwood-Orton Park area.” (Information provided by Masooma Aftab, Manager of Stewardship and Sustainability)
Carribean African Canadian Social Services: “In partnership with the Toronto District School Board, CAFCAN is providing mental health support to children, youth and their families.”
Heritage Skills Development Centre addresses the structural gap in integration services available to minority groups in the Greater Toronto Area. Our mission is to promote the health, social, cultural and economic sufficiency of marginalized groups.
Scarborough Child and Family Life Centre: “Offered by the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, this centre is one of the newest community integration leaders, co-located with a continuum of multi-generational support services such as After-School Programs, Youth and Community Programs.”
Scarborough Women's Centre: "Delivers programs and services to promote positive change for women in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment."
The Blackstone Foundation Library: “A non-profit organization whose mission is to create multiple Afrocentric focused libraries that will make cultural reading and learning materials more accessible to communities across the G.T.A. We seek to promote knowledge of self, cultural education, literacy, and independent learning.”
Taibu Community Health Centre: “A non-for-profit, community led organization established to serve the Black Community across Scarborough and the Greater Toronto Area.”
Tropicana: “A Scarborough and Toronto-based multi-service organization. Provides all youth, newcomers, people of Black and Caribbean heritage and others in need with opportunities and alternatives that lead to positive health and well-being.”
Tkaronto:
Across Boundaries: “Provide equitable, inclusive and holistic mental health and addiction services for racialized communities within an anti-racism, anti-Black racism and anti-oppression frameworks.
A Different Booklist: “An independent, multicultural bookstore specializing in books from the African Caribbean Diaspora and the Global South.”
Afri-Can FoodBasket: “Provides leadership in urban agriculture, and foster collaboration to advance food justice, health and social enterprise in the African Canadian Community.”
Black Artists’ Network Dialogue: “Dedicated to supporting, documenting and showcasing the artistic and cultural contributions of Black artists and cultural workers in Canada and internationally.”
Black Creek Community Farm: “Increases access to healthy food in the Jane and Finch community through a myriad of programming and food distribution projects.”
Black Health Alliance: “A community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada.”
Black Legal Action Centre: “We are a non-profit community legal clinic that provides free legal services for low or no income Black residents of Ontario.”
Black Lives Matter (Toronto): “A platform upon which Black communities across Toronto can actively dismantle all forms of anti-black racism, liberate Blackness, support Black healing, affirm Black existence, and create freedom to love and self-determine.”
Black Women in Motion: “Consent and Mental Health Education, Advocacy and Support for Black Womxn, Femmes and Non-Binary folx”
Community Race Relations of Peterborough: “A non-profit community-based organization committed to encouraging and promoting anti-racism and equitable race and community relations throughout Peterborough/Nogojiwanong.”
Durham Black Educators Network: “Supporting our well-being and pursuit of excellence, while interrupting damaging narratives about black youth and black culture.”
Domino Project: “A Black queer youth-led drop-in for Black LGBTTQ+ youth in Toronto that aims to provide a safe space for youth to learn and build positive interpersonal/intrapersonal skills.”
Eritrean-Ethiopian Solidarity: “A COVID fund to Eritrean and Ethiopian individuals and families who are hit hardest by the pandemic in the GTA.
Jamaican Canadian Association: “To deliver programs and services, provides a physical hub, and to advocate to improve the well‐being and equity of Jamaican, Caribbean & African‐Canadian communities within the Greater Toronto Area.”
Latinx, Afro-Latin-America, Abya Yala Education Network: “A grassroots, community organization which centers the voices, experiences and needs of historically and present-day marginalized populations such as Afro/Black Latinxs, Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala and Latinx LGBTQQIA+ peoples, while simultaneously being committed to all forms of liberation.”
National Black Coalition of Canada Society - Edmonton Chapter: “The National Black Coalition of Canada-Edmonton will work towards fostering communication and solidarity among Blacks in Canada. The Organization will strive to create positive impacts on the lives of everyone in our community and encourage our youth to realize their full potential.”
Nia Centre for the Arts: “Strive to build the creative capacities and support the development of a healthy identity in Black youth. We are committed to connecting community members to artistic and cultural experiences, year-round.”
Nile Valley Books: “is a Black Canadian owned Bookstore located in Toronto Ontario, that provides diverse and inclusive resources for Black Canadians.
Notability Bookstore: “A mobile bookstore, whose focus is to service the need for books of diversity. Notability strongly believes in our three core values, representation matters, diversity matters and equality matters. Thus in doing so we can encourage greatness, foster inclusion, and explore the beauty of the diaspora.”
Ocama Collective: “A community-directed group of birth workers of colour, living and working in Tkaronto (Toronto), who are dedicated to the reclamation of traditional and holistic childbearing and birthing practices amongst queer and trans IBPOC folx.”
Senegalese Association of Ontario: “A non-profit, apolitical and non-religious group that promotes solidarity among Senegalese individuals residing in Ontario.”
Sisterhood Media: “We produce and distribute for & by marginalized folks
never forget to #raisewhileyourise.”
Somali Immigrant Aid Organization: “A non-profit community based organization that is committed to addressing the integration, education, health, housing, social services, culture, and economic development needs of Somali Canadians” based in Toronto.
Sundance Harvest: “A grassroots urban farming organization to mobilize, liberate and grow with Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.”
The Walnut Foundation: “A non-profit promoting health knowledge for Black men while encouraging the practice of good proactive health. We work with the Black community in identifying the needs of Black men in the areas of health and related issues to provide a forum for discussion in a safe and comfortable environment.”
United Achievers’ Club of Brampton: “A non-profit that aims to provide resources for adaptation and integration of the Black and Caribbean cultures into the wider community.”
Vaughan African Canadian Association: “Serves the African-Caribbean community in the city of Vaughan.”