*UPDATE* Paypal fixed!
Our friend Lyn Black received a diagnosis of stage 2B breast
cancer in March 2022. This news was followed by a double mastectomy
in April, and now she is starting 6 rounds of chemotherapy and then
radiation. This course of treatment will last at least until October.
The purpose of this fundraiser is to provide Lyn with medical
leave and whatever she needs while she undergoes treatment and recovery.
Lyn is an Anishinaabe artist, activist, advocate, parent, and community organizer. She is Lead Coordinator for Le Projet de Travailleurs de Soutien aux Autochtones (PTSA) / Indigenous Support Workers Project (ISWP), a community building empowerment project for Indigenous people experiencing homelessness in Tio:take/Mooniyaang (Montreal).
Lyn relocated fromxʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories (aka Vancouver BC) to Tio:take/Mooniyaang in 2019 to provide outreach for the critically underserved urban Indigenous homeless population.
This program, initially a 6 month pilot project, happened to encompass the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, creating even more barriers for marginalized communities and service delivery. Lyn persevered, at that time the sole outreach worker for the program, despite the uncertainty and turmoil of the unprecedented times.
Since then, Lyn has grown the project exponentially in response to the self-determined needs of the community. Under her direction, PTSA / ISWP delivers innovative, rights-based, peer-led, harm reduction outreach after hours on the streets of Montreal, and addresses service gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. Its manifestations have included an outdoor gathering and warming community space, a temporary subsidized housing program, and multiple peer outreach teams on the streets.
Check out this documentary of Lyn’s work by her daughter Fern Marmont, and Esteban Cuevas https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BKxT7-2o84Q (also in the slideshow above).
Lyn’s skillset and experience make her uniquely positioned to
lead this work, along with her many other initiatives over the
years. She has often been looked to in her communities as a leader
and innovator. In both her professional and personal capacities she
has championed the needs of the people,
from initiating a playgroup for the neighbourhood kids, to the
many causes she has brought her voice and passion to at the front
lines. Lyn has shown up time and time again for others
in ways few people do. From friends to strangers, she's often been
the first (and sometimes only) person to have someone's back when
they need it.
Lyn is also a loving parent and brilliant artist, with a sharp wit and unique sense of humour. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work degree at McGill University.
By donating you are supporting Lyn’s treatment and recovery. Through this support, she can take the time she needs to heal, and get back to her impactful and meaningful work.
Let's be there now for Lyn and show her she is loved and cared for by her communities too.
Any amount you feel moved to donate will be deeply appreciated. And please share this fundraiser!
To reduce processing fees, e-transfers can be sent to Lyn directly at lynette.tblack@gmail.com
Thank you!
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