Nominator Comments:
Team Members: Courtney Ayukawa, Tereza Coutinho, Annique Farrell, Ronni Gorman, Julia Harbinson, Jasmin Kay, Janine Manning, Iris Mushiti, Michelle Smith, Chris Thompson, Sandi Trillo, Julie Warrington.
This team was recognized for their dedication, resilience and seamless coordination of the COVID-19 response to vulnerable residents. They focused on community organization needs and addressed gaps and issues in the region on the fly. This included leveraging employment social enterprises to refurbish old laptops so that isolated seniors could gain access to remote counseling and support services; supporting the needs of Indigenous-led organizations in a climate where Indigenous populations are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus; developing tools to help community organizations think through considerations for reopening and supporting the growing needs of populations experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.