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After two years of adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roots Community Services is looking toward the future of community recovery.
For more than three decades, Roots Community Services Inc. (RootsCS) has provided culturally sensitive and culturally enriching programs to the Black, African, and Caribbean communities in the Region of Peel. In everything they do, RootsCS works to offer programs and services that reduce, if not eliminate, social inequities that create significant barriers to the successful growth of strong families and individuals within Black, African, and Caribbean (BAC) communities.
Among the many lessons RootsCS has learned throughout the pandemic, one of the most important is that we can’t recover alone; we have to do it together. With this in mind, the RootsCS actively collaborates with partners to chart a road to recovery that ensures no one is left behind. The RootsCS team is dedicated to forging pathways to wellness to help communities heal.
At the heart of this recovery plan, is a commitment to moving toward social justice and addressing the vast disparities highlighted and exposed during the pandemic. Their goal and vision is to do more than go “back to normal.”
It’s not back to normal for Black, African, and Caribbean communities. We don’t want to face the racism and discrimination like we did before; we are seeking equity and a more just society.
RootsCS has taken a collaborative approach to improve health equity for BAC communities, working alongside partners from all levels of government, other community service agencies and businesses to deliver programs and services that contribute to building stronger, safer communities.
RootsCS has seen success through collaboration and co-design of initiatives, with partners learning from each other and a lot of community listening. It has included going out into the community to meet persons they ordinarily wouldn’t reach and listening to them one-on-one in supportive spaces.
Stretching Young Minds
RootsCS programs serve persons of various ages from children through to seniors. During their formative years, children depend on the care and support of parents, family members and other adults within their communities. Combined with a sense of belonging in their communities, this support creates the base for positive growth.
RootsCS offers after-school programs, summer camps, and advocacy support for Black children, youth, and their families. Working from anti-Black racism, anti-oppression and cultural-safety lenses, RootsCS promotes responsive education systems, positive student outcomes and increased student belonging.
Fresh Start for Men and Women
The RootsCS team also provides supportive programming for men and women, inspiring individuals to lead healthy and well-balanced lives, encouraging them to find their voice and speak about their trauma so they can begin the healing process.
I’d like to extend my gratitude for [the] remarkable job counselling me and my son. I have tried various counselors in the past with no results. However, as a result of our counselling sessions, I’ve seen tremendous changes in my son’s confidence, speech, negotiation skills, and behavior. Since the beginning of the school year, I have not received any negative comments from the school or teachers pertaining to his behavior. I would recommend these services to anyone in a similar position. The results have been magnificent.
The team of highly trained professionals stands ready to support through the dedicated support line for Black, African, and Caribbean Communities, providing culturally sensitive services and programs.
Find programs for everyone, from children to seniors, at rootscs.org
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At RootsCS we strive to help build a vibrant region by inspiring individuals and families to lead healthy and well-balanced lives and become strong contributors within their various communities.
