Community emergency COVID-19 fund helps black families
WHEN JAMAICAN single mother Marisa Rosa Grant got word that she would receive help from the COVID-19 GTA Black Community Emergency Support Fund launched by Black Lives Matter – Toronto (BLMTO) in March, she cried.
Created to offer a Band-Aid to anyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the community-driven fund offers one-time stipends of $125 or $250 to individuals through an online application.
Grant received $250 and is among the 243 applicants that have benefited from over $60,583 donated by 549 people to the support fund.
“Having funds like this one is a beautiful testament to community. As single black mothers, we are constantly made to look tough. But it’s important to reach out for help. Community exists, and I’m so happy and proud of how quick the community worked to create and share this fund,” says Grant.
Just before COVID-19 struck, her car broke down, and it cost her $2,500 to fix it, and she was unemployed with rent and bills to pay.
“Every bit of my savings went towards paying for that car, and just when I was about to have a breakdown, I got that funding from Black Community Emergency Support Fund and couldn’t help but cry.”
Grant says this gave her a lot of hope, and while she does not usually ask for help, she was really in need of support.
In February, she left her full-time job to pursue a career as an event producer in February and was doing great during the first few weeks.
She applied for employment insurance to supplement her income during this time, but because she had left her job by choice, it was not an option for her.
ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME
“My only source of income was the events I created. Then March came along, and all my events were not able to proceed. The coronavirus has affected my life because finding time to work on my own projects now and to work is next to impossible because I have to teach my son his school lesson plans during the day.”
Despite this, Grant says she is coping all right. She is now staying with family to help her support her son’s learning and to also have some breaks for herself.
She is looking forward to the end of the pandemic to continue her event producing and to get her son into some sports programmes.
“He’s five and very active. It’s hard to keep his attention while cooped up at home,” she said.
In a notice to the community, Black Lives Matter – Toronto said the state of emergency in Ontario has shut down the cultural, service, and hospitality sectors, and thousands of jobs have been eliminated.
Acknowledging that these closures are important to the management of COVID-19, it said they do, however, have an impact on those working within the gig economy.
“One in five workers in this country work in these jobs – freelancers, independent contractors, hospitality workers. In addition, we are seeing layoffs in the airline, manufacturing, and transportation industries. Many in our communities have lost their income sources for the foreseeable future with little notice.”
The group notes that “many people we all know and love are without work”.
“One in five Canadians work in precarious work, be it part time, contract, or freelance work. Given the breadth of sectors the gig economy crosses and how many of those jobs lost are occupied by black folks, we know the impacts on this crisis will be felt beyond this moment.”
BLMTO said the stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for everyday Canadians does not go far enough to cover the full financial vacuum created by this crisis on everyday people in Canada.
It cited the importance of turning to community support structures to bridge the immediate gaps faced by some in the community.