Samantha Kemp-Jackson

For many marginalized people living in the GTA, the struggle of everyday life became magnified when the pandemic hit in March 2020, making a difficult existence even more challenging. In year two of the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on certain communities continues, ranging from skyrocketing mental health issues to food insecurity.

Ensuring mental health supports are offered along with other resources to address poverty, unemployment and homelessness in the 2SLGBTQ+ community
When Eli Carmona arrived in Toronto, they weren’t sure where to turn. Carmona, a native of El Salvador who identifies as non-binary, had left their home country for Canada in 2014. As a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, they didn’t think that staying in El Salvador was an option.
“El Salvador doesn’t have gender-affirming laws,” Carmona said. “I kn...

Musician Esther Phua and filmmaker Serve Poblete met on a video shoot

When Serve Poblete first saw Esther Phua, he was immediately intrigued. It was during a media class at George Brown College in early 2019, and Phua was performing in a music video that was being shown as part of an assignment.

She remained in the back of Poblete’s mind until a few months later, when he was checking out a friend’s website that featured a music video … and there she was again. Since Poblete was working on a f...

Myrna Coco Paz found employment and stability following her training at Interpretation Services Toronto.
United Way Greater Toronto is uniquely positioned to empower marginalized community members to find career success.
It was no surprise to Nation Cheong that COVID-19 drastically impacted already marginalized communities in the Greater Toronto Area. After all, numbers don’t lie. Among those numbers: Black Canadians were more likely to report layoffs or reduced working hours due to COVID-19 ...

Sherry Stone and Neeraj Singh never could have guessed how famous their pup would become — all because of his unique fur.
Back in 2012, they decided to get a puli, a breed with long, corded hair. Mumford sported the trademark puli cords for years, turning heads and warming hearts in his Liberty Village neighbourhood and beyond.
“His fame got to the point that he got recognized on the streets of Toronto pretty regularly,” Stone says. “Not only has he literally stopped traffic, but he once caus...

Diverse, accessible and cosmopolitan – all of these adjectives describe Canada’s largest city. From distinctive culinary experiences to raucous sporting and cultural events, Toronto has something for everyone. Whatever time of year you decide to visit, there's certain to be something going on in Toronto.
Getting around is easy: Toronto is built on a grid, so both drivers and pedestrians find their destinations with ease. But with a reputation for chilly winters and steamy summers, when's the ...

“The Six,” “Hogtown” or “the Big Smoke” – whatever you call it, Toronto is the place to be for families and kids. Perhaps it’s the city’s welcoming nature, its diversity or its safety. Whatever the case, Canada’s largest city offers a variety of options for children of all ages.
Toronto’s multiculturalism is a key factor in its attractiveness for families, boasting neighborhoods, foods and cultural locales that reflect the city’s makeup. And of course, there’s the “fun factor,” and this city ...

The through line from 1970s Toronto to 2021 Canada.
When I heard the news, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. It had happened again. Last September, in an Ottawa university, the N-word—in full—was casually dropped in class by a white professor. (It was subsequently defended as “academic freedom.”) Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated occurrence. Earlier in 2020, media reports circulated about an Ontario high school teacher, also white, who had been recorded using the ugly slur in cl...

Experts on the pros and cons.
You see them everywhere: ads touting electric toothbrushes—and the promising results that they provide. For many of us who grew up with the conventional, manual toothbrush, it’s enticing to consider a next-level way of maintaining our dental health.
Electric toothbrushes have been around for a while, but it has really been in the past few decades that their popularity has risen with consumers. An increased focus on the importance of dental health, and the possibi...

You're not alone—all parents have been way more lenient about treats, screentime and exercise lately. Here's how to get back to a good place (whenever you're ready).
Before COVID, Felien Torres Lyn’s sons would be out the door first thing in the morning. The family once relied on a daily schedule of specialized school and therapy for Brandon, 10, and Jakob, 13, who both have autism, and the boys thrived on the comfort of that routine. Now, it’s after 9 a.m. and the boys are playing video game...

The message was stark. United Way’s 2004 report, “Poverty by Postal Code,” revealed what had been long suspected: Over the span of 20 years, the number of families living in poverty had doubled in specific neighbourhoods across the GTA.
And marginalized communities in the inner suburbs — specifically those that included visible minorities — were experiencing poverty rates that appeared to be increasing by the year. Communities particularly hard hit included Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke,...

Yes, I DO deserve that accessible parking spot.
I had just pulled into the accessible parking spot at the supermarket. You know: the one that’s right by the front door, so that those who have difficulty walking don’t have to venture too far afield. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.
Like me, she was middle-aged and visibly tired. Unlike me, she had parked further afield from the main door of the store. She eyed me suspiciously and I detected a flicker of anger in her gaze.
“She doesn’t l...

Making a sign, showing up and taking a stand for your beliefs is one way to show your kids and your community what anti-racism work looks like.
When George Floyd’s senseless murder was broadcast around the world, Tara Watts, a Toronto-area single mother of three, was watching. With a 10-year-old daughter and two sons, ages seven and four, Watts’s next course of action was clear. And that action would involve her children.
Within two days, they had attended two demonstrations against injustice...

Advice for parents on raising kids in an era of protest.

COVID-19 has presented additional challenges and stresses on parents who are raising children with special needs.