Make Your Voice Heard
Make your voice heard– it’s the only way!
Everyday around us we hear the voices of our neighbours grumbling: “The bus service in this area is terrible.” “This community needs a cleaner park”. “There aren’t enough jobs available in Malvern.” “Housing services are difficult to find.” Apart from regularly hearing these statements in the community, many of us likely identify with at least one of these issues. So what can we do to make things better?
Most often, residents passionately discuss issues in our community that need improvement, not knowing how they themselves can make a difference. Thankfully, we have many spectacular opportunities and groups actively working to make positive changes in Malvern. For instance, the Malvern Food Security Workgroup is a resourceful team of residents focused on tackling issues like food security and environmental sustainability in Malvern. They organize festivals, gardening workshops, and community garden events to help educate residents. Their work with Neilson Park Community Garden, Blackwell Children’s Garden, and Littles Road Community Garden has helped residents learn how to grow fresh, affordable organic produce right in their own backyard. Then there’s the Malvern Transportation Working Group—a team of passionate residents dedicated to supporting better transit options in Malvern and northeast Scarborough. Through their popular <ahref=”https://www.facebook.com/ConnectSheppardEast/”>Connect Sheppard East campaign, the group has organized community events, canvassing, and collaborated with other groups and agencies to educate residents and advocate for the construction of Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Malvern. And of course there’s <ahref=”https://www.facebook.com/42Voices/”>42 Voices, of which I am a member.
We are a group of skilled residents operating in the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River who work to engage, mentor, and enable residents to enact local change. We plan skill-building and educational workshops for residents, community consultations, and other fun events to support resident leadership on critical neighbourhood issues like housing, safety, education, and more. No matter what issue we choose to tackle next, we ensure that residents are equipped to connect and share their opinions with local officials who can make a difference.
In this blog series, I will highlight several shining examples that show how change is possible when you get involved, and that absolutely everyone, regardless of age, skill, ability, or experience, can have a lasting impact in Malvern. I invite you to join me for my next blog, and hope you’re ready to be inspired to make your voice heard!
Written By: Srot Kadakia (42 Voices)
Copy Edited By: Jennifer Gawor (Malvern Action for Neighbourhood Change)