Community Leaders

“We Make The Road By Walking” [PDF] — This beautiful booklet was created to honour a unique partnership between MABELLEarts and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation’s Adult Education program. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Catherine Donnelly Foundation for their support.

Mona Roy

Mona Roy is a tenant at 5005 Dundas West. She has been involved with MABELLEarts since the very beginning when Jumblies was in residence at Mabelle. She has this to say:

“My role has grown over the years and my friends at MABELLEarts have become a extension of my family. A place where I feel very appreciated by participants and staff alike.”

Sayruq Farah

Sayruq Farah is a tenant representative for 49 Mabelle Avenue. She is an active member of Madbakh Women’s Initiatives and runs her own catering company. Here’s what she has to say:

“I am proud to consider myself a bridge within the community and am very happy in the role, as I am also proud of MABELLEarts.  I am very proud of what I’ve contributed in this community and I look forward to a long happy relationship.”

Qadar Aden

Qadar Aden is a founding youth intern with Lantern Garden, our summer art project for kids and families at Mabelle.

Ralph Cruz

Ralph Cruz is a Health Promotion Officer with Toronto Community Housing. Here’s what he has to say about MABELLEarts:

“It has been my pleasure to support the invaluable work MABELLEarts is doing in the Mabelle community since its inception over three years ago. In that time, I have been continually struck by this organization’s level of commitment to tenant engagement, as well as their innovative vision for the future of the Mabelle neighbourhood. MABELLEarts has an uncanny ability to bring diverse groups together to work toward a common goal. They have secured the trust and long-term commitment of a large number of tenants, and for this they should be commended.”

Raffaela Palazzo

Raffaela Palazzo is one of MABELLEarts’ most active and involved volunteers.

“I first started working with Lantern Garden four years ago.   I love children and have helped with the kids.  I help them cross the street and help them to paint.  Last winter I joined in with the ladies in the sewing project.  I love being with ladies and actually learned to knit!

I’m very friendly, and I feel very involved here at MABELLEarts.  These people are like my family.   I love helping people.  I’ve made friends here and it’s so great that I have a place where I can help.”

Pat Austin

Pat Austin is one of our newest community leaders.  This past year she assisted natural builder James Davis with a variety of tasks related to A Park of Many Paths, as well as helping with child-care during Lantern Garden.  Pat is becoming a familiar face at our various workshops and events.

“  I’ve met a lot of new people that I am happy to call friends.  I developed the ability to make cob, a skill I carried into my church community.  MABELLEarts is a great place for kids, for people to become involved.  It is not something that you would see in many communities.  I am grateful that it is in mine.  I’m looking forward to the next project!”

Dahab Adawe

Dahab Adawe has been working with MABELLEarts since the very beginning and worked on costumes for Bridge of One Hair.

“I found MABELLEarts through Sayruq Farah.   I wanted to learn how to make clothes.  I didn’t know how to sew.  I thought I was just coming to sew but I learned so much more!  I love how different cultures could come together with different ideas and work together to create one thing. I improved my English and realized that not only did I learn to sew but learnt of different cultures and built a community where I belong.

I’m looking forward to coming back to help in the sewing room.  I’m excited to work with the kids in the both the sewing room and with the kids in the program in the park.  My new baby will be one next summer in time for Lantern Garden.”

Fadwa Ghanem

Fadwa Ghanem has been an active participant (along with her family) in many MABELLEarts projects.  This summer, she joined the artistic team at Lantern Garden, by working as a snack planner and preparer and general assistant.

“I began volunteering in 2008 and learned how to run a sewing machine and began to learn English.  I was taught how to embroider and I made many new friends and expanded my vocabulary.

I am university educated and became a librarian, later to become a stay-at-home mom of three children.  I love working with my hands.  I make baskets and accessories from straw.  It was great to find a community where I could do more of my art.  I have formed a community with people here at MABELLEarts.  Everyone is so nice.  I have ambitions and I have learned how to be more patient.  I watched Leah with the children.  I watched her give love.  I watched her confidence.

In my homeland, the mother did everything for the children, but here I have learned that the children need to contribute to the process and build a relationship together regardless of the job.  I think this gives my children a better future here.  They will be independent and self-reliant.”