What the Jane and Finch Community Bureau means to me

When I hear the words Jane and Finch, I think of home. A place full of love from family and friends who mentored and raised me to become the woman I am today. I am grateful to be part of a community that refuses to let me fail, despite systemic barriers.

Unfortunately, many people who are not from the community have a different understanding of what Jane and Finch is about. For years, the community has been negatively stereotyped, in part because of the role the media has played.

I realized just how poorly people viewed my community after I left to attend university in Ottawa. It was then that I made a commitment to myself I would play a role in helping to reshape the community's negative image.

While it may be important to inform residents when a crime occurs in the neighbourhood, it is equally important to showcase the positive stories. Although the system was designed for us to fail, many of us rise above and continue to thrive. I graduated from the School of Journalism at Carleton University and now work for CBC Toronto. If it had not been for my community I would not have made it this far.

It was only fittingthat I joined CBC Toronto's Jane and Finch Community Bureau. Our team consists of reporter Dale Manucdoc, Community producerRignam Wangkhang and myself. Together, we are committed to sharing stories that come from the community, with our main focus being on, but not limited to, affordable housing and opportunities for young people. These are the issues that community members themselves raised with us. We want to tell stories that residents can relate to and alsohighlight local organizations and leaders working on solutions.

Jane and Finch is changing rapidly. One look at the Finch West LRT and the new condo developments proves that. But not all residents are aware of the magnitude of change in the community. We created a guide to show locations of current and future developments.

Our goal is to create and build trust between the Jane and Finch community and CBC Toronto.We have an open call policy so residents can reach out to us with any issues or events that are happening in the community. We also want to facilitate conversations between decision-makers and community members. That is why we hosted a municipal election listening session. Residents were invited to come out and speak directly with the candidates who are running to represent Ward 7 at Toronto city council.

I am not saying things will change overnight. However, we are committed to addressing the issues residents care about and highlighting positive stories.

Our first story featured students who are excelling in academics and becoming community leaders. From academics to athletics, we also highlighted two local sports organizations,the Asante Soccer Academy and the Ballers Union Training Centre. Both are playing a large part in ensuring students have the opportunity to play sports without any financial barriers. In October, I covered the Firgrove "Connections" Community Tribute. Many former and current residents reunited to celebrate their communitywhile reconnecting with old friends and family.

I am proud to be from Jane and Finch and even more proud to be able to spotlight the stories that show what the community is really about.

Jane and Finch is filled with scholars, talented artists, athletesand entrepreneurs. There are also tons of mentors who work around the clock and often without any compensation to ensure that they are helping those around them.

Even though the bureau will be wrapping up at the end of October, CBC Toronto's connection to the neighbourhood will remain and continue to grow. We look forward to continuing to spotlight stories from Jane and Finch that matter to residents. Please reach out and connect with the team about any story ideas, we are here to listen.