CHF Canada media release
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Bleecker Street Housing Co-operative wins national award
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June 14, 2008 – Toronto’s Bleecker Street Co-operative Homes has been awarded the 2008 Jim MacDonald Award for Social Change. The award will be presented today at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada’s annual general meeting in Toronto, at the Westin Harbour Castle Convention Centre.
The award is CHF Canada’s highest honour and recognizes housing co-ops for special work in health and social services, the environment, human rights and civil liberties, or housing and co-operation.
Bleecker Street , a 254-unit co-op in downtown Toronto, is receiving the award in recognition of their community Rwanda Project. This initiative aims to raise public awareness and donations for the Ineza Women’s Co-operative in Rwanda. The Ineza co-op supports HIV-positive women and children many of whom are survivors of genocidal rape and sexual violence. The co-op helps them with housing, healthcare, food, job-skills, therapy and social support. The Bleecker/Ineza partnership was spearheaded by Bleecker board member Brian Finch – a long-time HIV/AIDS activist.
Bleecker Street held workshops that included slide-show presentations with testimonials from the women themselves. They raised $5,100 through raffles, member and corporate donations, a bake sale and car wash. The goal is not only to raise money to support Ineza’s programs, but to form a meaningful and mutually beneficial partnership.
The co-op plans to follow up by producing a video to send to Ineza Co-op and implementing a youth exchange program with Ineza Co-op.
“Bleecker Street’s Rwanda Project demonstrates to the public and to the co-op sector itself what we are all about – social justice, diversity and community,” says CHF Canada President Ken Elliott.
For more information, visit www.bleecker-street.com or contact:
Brian Finch, Bleecker Street Co-operative Homes, 416-520-6248
Diane Frankling, Bleecker Street Co-operative Homes, 416 -920-7340 or dfrankling @ bleecker-street.com
Merrilee Robson, Program Manager, Communications, (778) 227-3864(cell), (416) 861-8755 (CHF Canada conference office, June 11 – 14) or mrobson @ chfcanada.coop
