With a surge in new cases surpassing daily highs across the US, it is clear that the battle against COVID-19 will continue for the foreseeable future. While much of the world tries to go back to “normal”, healthcare workers on the frontlines continue to work tirelessly and put themselves at risk every day to the save lives of those in their communities. For that reason it is imperative that we all continue do our part to maintain habits we’ve adapted to prevent further spread, even if these measures seem uncomfortable in the short term. These lifestyle changes – wearing masks in public, maintaining 6 feet distance, carrying and using disinfectants regularly, washing hands regularly – are nothing compared to what our frontline workers will have to deal with if we fail to do our part.
As numbers continue to grow, sadly the number of people impacted grows right along with it. It is those most at risk and those most impacted by COVID-19 – african american communities, indigenous communities, the elderly, the homeless, single mothers and their children, those that have lost their jobs, minorities, and immigrants – who will continue to need support. In spite of the increasing need and challenging task ahead, we continue to be inspired by the dedication of the individuals and organizations working to improve these challenging situations. We are proud to support five new initiatives in our local communities as part of the Double Bottom Line Challenge:
BlackFoodToronto by Afri-Can FoodBasket: blackfoodtoronto.com. The Afri-Can FoodBasket is a community based non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of championing Food Justice and Food Sovereignty for Toronto’s African, Caribbean, Black (ACB) community. The BlackFoodToronto initiative was launched to provide members of the Afri-Can FoodBasket community access to fresh and culturally appropriate foods during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre: dewc.ca. DEWC in Vancouver is one of the few safe spaces within the Downtown Eastside exclusively for self-identified women and their children to receive shelter, food and other essentials. DEWC has launched the Assistance From A Distance program to support women and their children during COVID-19.
Hamilton Food Share: hamiltonfoodshare.org. Hamilton Food Share is the hub of the Emergency Food Network within Hamilton, raising food and funds for emergency food programs including food banks and hot meal programs in neighbourhoods across the city. Hamilton Food Share has seen a significant surge in demand since the start of COVID-19.
Foodstash: foodstash.ca. This Vancouver-based organization was formed with the goal of rescuing surplus food directly from suppliers and redirecting it to households in our community that experience food insecurity, while reducing the environmental impact of food waste.
My Friend’s House: myfriendshouse.ca. My Friend’s House is an organization in Collingwood, ON that provides support and shelter to women and children suffering from domestic abuse. My Friend’s House has continued to operate and provide this important support through the lockdown.
We continue to call upon our colleagues in the venture capital and private equity community to join us in this mission. Please feel free reach out to a member of our team if you would like to work with us or suggest any high value initiatives achieving Double Bottom Line Impact that you think we should consider supporting.
Sincerely,
The Lumira Ventures Team