Black History Month

February is Black History Month and provides all of us the opportunity to celebrate the many contributions, influence and achievements of Black and African Canadians in our communities and cultural landscape of Canada. But it is also a time to highlight the continued inequality, oppression and racism endured by the Black community and our shared responsibilities to address anti-Black racism in all its forms along with systemic racism.

Isa Mundo is committed to support Black non-profit and charitable groups providing services and aid to various organizations and tackling continued racism and inequalities that are facing the Black community. Isa Mundo has supported and donated this month to the Support Black Charities organization (SBC). SBC is an "online portal that connects Black-led and Black focused charitable organizations to supporters and allies in the community. Our mission is to inspire compassion and generosity while increasing visibility of organizations serving the Black community worldwide."

Isa Mundo provided support to upgrade SBC's website to improve user experience and increase its marketing to raise brand awareness and visibility. We hope that our contribution will allow SBC to continue its work in serving the Black community in Canada and worldwide through the dedicated work of Black non-profit and charitable organizations it partners with.

To learn more about SBC and it's work, visit the Support Black Charities website.

 

Image is part of the Hope Through Ashes: A Requiem for Hogan’s Alley by Anthony Joseph. 2020 Vancouver Mural Festival. Georgia Viaduct, Main and Union St.

The DREAM Project

We wanted to highlight a charity in Dominican Republic that has been doing work since 1995. The DREAM Project supports various youth initiatives that have transformed lives of thousands of youth through education, leadership training and socio-economic opportunities. 

DREAM's vision is that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.

We are inviting members and volunteers who might be traveling to Dominican Republic in 2022 to visit DREAM and meet its staff, students and community members. This is one organization that we have been waiting to collaborate with but we will need to do a site visit to assess the best way to support the organization based on our capacity and resources. We look forward to the day Isa Mundo visits DREAM and forms a partnership to help the youth of the Dominican Republic.

To learn more about the DREAM Project: www.dominicandream.org

TAO Education Fund @ Boca de Tomatlan

Happy New Year -  Feliz Año Nuevo - Bonne année! We wish all our members, supporters, partners, volunteers and everyone the very best for a peaceful, healthy and prosperous 2022!

We want to start the year by highlighting the first official funded event for TAO Education Fund  (TEF) in Boca de Tomatlan. The end of the calendar school year (2021) was held at the rooftop of La Posada Pacifica and coordinated by owner Cynthia Leigh who is also the lead and founder of the Boca de Tomatlan Community Education Program. The event was to acknowledge and provide awards to deserving students and to celebrate their achievements. Isa Mundo will continue to provide financial support to communities and education projects and we are grateful for those who contributed to the TEF. 

Highlights from the TEF event can be seen at the Boca de Tomatlan Community Education Program page.

Happy Holidays / Joyeuses Fêtes!

Dear friends of the Isa Mundo Foundation, This past year, with your support and contributions, we were able to help children, families, and communities in Mexico and the Philippines. On behalf of all those who have benefited from your generosity, we at the Isa Mundo Foundation thank you wholeheartedly for your ongoing support and commitment to improving the present and future of so many. We look forward to the upcoming year as we continue, together, to make a difference in the lives of those in need. Happy Holidays! 

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Chers amis de la fondation Isa Mundo, Grâce à votre appui et vos contributions, nous avons pu faire une différence dans la vie de plusieurs enfants, familles et communautés du Mexique et des Philippines. Tous les gens qui ont profité de votre générosité, ainsi que la Fondation Isa Mundo, vous sont reconnaissants et vous remercient d’avoir contribué à leur bien-être d’aujourd’hui et de demain. Nous vous souhaitons tous de Joyeuses Fêtes!

Making A Difference: Casa Connor / Pasitos de Luz Fundraising

We want to remind all our members and supporters that the second annual Making A Difference on-line auction is now underway. All proceeds from this important event is to ensure the continuation and improvement of all the necessary services offered by Pasitos de Luz at Casa Connor. 

As most of you know, we have been visiting Casa Connor for years and have contributed resources, funding and brought groups to Mexico to see and meet the amazing staff and of course, the wonderful kids and their families.

This year is an important one as we slowly recover economically and socially from the pandemic. As much as individuals, families, communities and businesses have suffered, non profit organizations worldwide have either closed or doing minimal service to those in needs. Casa Connor provides service and support that are unlike anything else in the Jalisco/Nayarit region. It is not just a safe and nurturing place for children and youth with disabilities but it is also a medical centre. It provides physical, medical, speech therapy, nutrition and even respite relief for families. And all services are free of charge!

We encourage you all to visit the on-line site and contribute what you can. The auction can be accessed at Making A Difference 2.

 Thank you / Gracias / Merci

Isa Mundo - Supporter Spotlight

Isa Mundo Foundation was one of KidSafe Project Society's "Supporter Spotlight" this month. We are proud to collaborate with KidSafe and will find other ways to partner in the coming year. Our highlight can be seen here: Isa Mundo - Supporter Spotlight.

Isa Mundo partnered with Translink to secure much needed Compass tickets to allow children, youth and families to attend an important youth event and end of summer gathering. We are thankful for Translink's continued support to help local organizations who are providing services to support community members.

To support KidSafe, please visit its website at www.kidsafe.ca

To learn more about Translink's programs, visit its Community Sponsorships and Partnerships page.

 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

 

Isa Mundo Foundation acknowledges and supports Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTC) that occurred on September 30th. The NDTC was announced in June 2021 as part of the Government of Canada's commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action #80: We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.  

September 30th is also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a time to recognize, raise awareness and create meaningful discussions on the effects of residential schools on survivors, their families and communities. It is also a time to reflect, remember and continue to learn about Indigenous cultures, languages, heritage, traditions and most importantly, the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Isa Mundo Foundation members and volunteers - from Ottawa to Toronto to Edmonton and Vancouver - donated to the Orange Shirt Society, volunteered at Indigenous led organizations, attended gatherings to support survivors and community members and committed to develop various resources and tools in their workplaces to educate colleagues on the history of residential schools. We are aware that these actions will not be enough to heal deep wounds from 100+ years of marginalization and oppression against Indigenous peoples but we all need to take steps to accept and recognize the truth and to listen to oral stories and teachings of Indigenous Elders and survivors. We have a shared history and Canada's narrative is not all positive. And for non-Indigenous peoples, we need to understand and accept that we all have a responsibility as individuals and as a collective to progress reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island.

To learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

To learn more about and contribute to the annual Orange Shirt Day, visit the Orange Shirt Society.