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abedola adefioye shows off some of the clothing and other items that have been donated to help black newcomers settle in sudbury.
a new clothing and food bank program will help fill the needs of black newcomers in sudbury.
adebola adefioye launched the program through her non-profit organization, afro women and youth foundation (awyf), which seeks to provide leadership, empowerment and mentorship programs to black women and youth.
the organization operates as a community centre, which opened in august 2023 on lansing avenue, offering wellness programs and acting as a drop-in centre for both youth and women, helping women acquire vocational and financial literacy skills while providing a sense of community and support.
while mental wellness programs are available in sudbury, the needs of some black newcomers are not being met, said adefioye.
“there is also stigma around mental health in the black community, so our approach is to get people to have a space where they are comfortable to share their experiences or challenges and also provide support to them,” she said. “we design our programs in a way that enhances wellness.”
feedback from programming identified a need for a food and clothing program, said adefioye.
“people started telling us they were new, didn’t have jobs, had gone to the food bank and sometimes when they got there, the items they needed were gone,” she said. “we heard those concerns and thought we would provide wrap-around support.”
friends and families who have used the community centre generously donated food and clothing, however, the need is greater, said adefioye.
with the support of the sudbury credit union, the organization also offered about 20 holiday food baskets to black newcomer women in the community. to provide an indication of the need for food during the holidays, 70 people had registered to receive a basket.
originally from nigeria, adefioye was studying early childhood education at seneca college when the seeds for the foundation were planted. she felt compelled to start an organization that empowered youth and women after her daughter’s own mental wellness took a turn for the worse when she experienced racism by fellow students. frustrated with a teacher’s passive response to her daughter’s mistreatment, the mother focused on empowering her daughter to become more vocal and self-advocate.
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“gradually she started using her words to let the girls know that it’s not acceptable to say nasty things to her,” she said. “after a while, they kind of gave her space and she was doing her thing. by the time she got to grade 5, we moved to another school where learned strategies from the first school. she moved forward, feeling good about herself … and she won the award for most confident child.”
adefioye was inspired to do more in her community and so connected with other immigrant mothers to learn about their needs. after, she collaborated with local shelters and organizations to provide programming. when the family relocated to sudbury, she continued her work, this time partnering with sudbury-based groups.
“we started by collaborating with other organizations to use their space, including the sudbury public library, and then i started to reach out to funding organizations,” said adefioye, a registered early childhood educator, who also provides crisis counselling and delivers gender-based violence prevention programming. the afro women and youth foundation also provides anti-black racism training and consulting to promote inclusivity, diversity and a sense of belonging.
the afro women and youth foundation is currently accepting donations of non-perishable food items, new or gently used clothing, winter jackets, shoes, winter boots and hygiene products.
drop off is tuesday to friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 1191 lansing ave.
to learn more about the organization, or to donate online, visit www.afrowyf.org.
the local journalism initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
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