Community Engagement Coordinator
Working Women Community Centre
Nominator Comments:
In over a decade of service with Working Women Community Centre, Diana has taken on a variety of leadership roles. But it was her role managing Working Women Community Centre’s flagship multicultural community garden during a critical period of change that prompted her colleagues to nominate her.
Diana’s challenge was to restructure the garden, located in a North York inner suburb, to reallocate plots of lands to better achieve food security and community-building for low-income newcomer groups. Diana navigated complicated power dynamics between established and grassroots community organizations, internal staff dynamics, landlord relationships and local residents who were marginalized and feeling disempowered.
She built relationships, listened to needs and dreams, and developed a shared strategy to move the garden forward to better meets its purpose and ambition.
“Diana’s ability to facilitate a diverse group, probe people’s motivations, celebrate shared successes, challenge the process and find consensus was amazing,” said one of her colleagues.
2019 Greater Toronto Bhayana Family Foundation Awards
Recognizing the extraordinary staff of United Way-funded agencies who make a difference every day.
Date: Monday, November 18, 2019
Venue: The Old Mill
Keynote: Deb Matthews, Former Deputy Premier of Ontario
Attendees: MP Julie Dzerowicz, MP Majid Jowhari, MP James Maloney, MP Maninder Sidhu, MP Arif Virani, MPP Daisy Wai, former Senator Dr. Asha Seth, former MP Harinder Malhi, former Councillor David Cohen
Local Change Makers Celebrated
It’s a sector that reinforces crucial community safety net, but the people working the front-lines of the GTA’s community agencies don’t often get the public appreciation they so deserve. The Bhayana Family Foundation Awards recognize extraordinary contributions made by frontline staff and middle managers who are tackling #UNIGNORABLE local issues at United Way Greater Toronto-supported agencies.
On November 18, winners were awarded for helping and people and their communities thrive through their dedication, innovation and creativity, leadership, teamwork and partnership.
