Identify 'N Impact Investment Fund
About the Fund | INI Panel | Panel members | INI Awards
We thought that you might want to know a little more about the members of the Identity 'N Impact Panel, so we asked the members to interview each other and here's what they found...
Mustafa Hashi - Malvern
Why did he get involved in the panel?
- To discuss youth issues facing his own community
- To play an important role in the process of selecting and accepting applicants
What's his background?
- Completing his last year of high school
- Active in school and within his community
- Involved in African Pavilion Art
- Board member of Grace Harmony and former Vice President
- Member of Malvern Men - a group consisting of educated black men focused on intending to empower and involve young men in various city activities
- Volunteer at the Rexdale Community Center
Stefany Hanson - Jane/Finch
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To help groups of youth develop their ideas and passions
- To distribute funds meaningfully across the 13 priority neighbourhoods
- To bring an anti-oppressive perspective to the table
- To create legacy pieces and collaborative granting experiences
What's her background?
- Specialized Honours Degree in Public Policy and Administration
- Harry Jerome Award 2004
- University of the West Indies (Mona) - Quality Leadership Programme 2006
- Working for the Involve Youth Program in Jane-Finch
- Girls Unlimited - Elements Project
- Past member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet
- Rated Inc. Board Member
- Wants to obtain a law degree
Deneeck Hibbert - Eglinton East/Kennedy Park
Why did he get involved in the panel?
- To be more involved in community funding that creates significant support for youth-led programs
- To prove to the community that youth can effectively be a part of the panel no matter what their background
- To learn everything about the grant process
What's his background?
- Currently attending school and looking for a job or a volunteering opportunity
- Completed leadership program at Malvern Family Resource Centre
- Volunteer experience at the Malvern Family Resource Centre
- Took part in the summer program called Serve
- Volunteers for environmental issues
- Helps seniors
- Assists youth in the fight against violence and police brutality
Fatima Hassan Hussein - Jamestown/Rexdale
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To help with the building and sustainability of youth led initiatives
- To impact positive change within her community
- To learn more about leadership and communication so she can apply them to her daily life
What's her background?
- Completing her third year at the University of Toronto
- Has an integral role in U of T culture specific youth group
- Was accepted into the summer mentorship program with the Faculty of Medicine at U of T in her last year at high school
- Peer tutor for three years
- Secretary for African Pulse youth organization aimed at empowering Somalian youth
- Wants to attain a Master of Education degree for scientific research in order to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Polio in Kenya and Somalia
Candace Lue - Jamestown/Rexdale
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To learn more about the grants process in all aspects
- To have the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful youth initiative
- To develop a better understanding of how the selection process works for grant proposals
What's her background?
- Founder and facilitator of the young and/or single mother's group called "Mother-to-Mother" (provided by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation)
- Involved in helping women learn about sexual health, life skills, civic engagement and job preparation
- Completed her Social Work degree at Ryerson University
- Member of Urban Noise
- Community Resource Team member at Oolagen Community Services
- Board member of WOMYNATION
- Writer for Yo' Mama Magazine
- A proud mother
- Wants to establish an agency to help young and/or single parents to mobilize themselves with their strengths in order to empower their community
Grace Arku - Jamestown/Rexdale
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To gain experience and to provide input from a priority neighbourhood perspective
- To learn everything about the grants process from workshops to grant reviews
What's her background?
- Attending university in the Masters Program for Social Work
- Mediation work for the non-profit agency Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview
- Involved in the Miss Africanada Pageant
- Wants to establish a Ghanaian youth association and to help engage underserved youth in priority neighbourhoods
Husayn Dharshi - Flemingdon Park
Why did he get involved in the panel?
- Former member of the Identify N' Impact Review Panel
- To learn more about the grants process
- To improve his grants review/writing skills
What's his background?
- Second-year student at UOIT (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) working towards a software engineering degree
- Member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet
- Former member of the Youth Union Movement
- Completed a ICNAYM leadership program
Jennifer A. A Addei - Jane/Finch
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To support more programs and engagement activities for youth
- To see more funds directly delivered to the youth in the community
- To give her suggestions on how to improve the project
What's her background?
- Newcomer to Toronto
- Wants to make a meaningful contribution to the community
- Operates an after-school program hosted by the Salvation Army
- Holds a Red Cross certificate and an Honour Roll certificate
- Previous community involvement experience
Natricia Drummond - Steeles L'Amoureaux
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To learn about the granting process
- To eventually become an effective grant writer
- To help youth-led initiatives learn how to write grant applications
What's her background?
- Active member of her community group that works towards engaging and mobilizing youth
- Participates in Glendower Demanding Change (GDC), Toronto Youth Cabinet and Project Peace
- Works with "Involved Youth" at Tropicana Community Services
- Bachelor of Science degree from University of Toronto
- Wants to continue her studies in post-graduate social work and law, in addition to, participating in international development work and turning Glendower Demanding Change into a non-profit organization
Dayna Browne - Eglinton East/Kennedy Park
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To learn about reviewing applications in particular and to make sure that those youth that need the funding are reached
- To provide her perspective on the grants process
What's her background?
- Developing an anti-violence youth arts program "Say Word" within the Kingston and Galloway area
- Program Coordinator for youth and recreation programs at the City of Toronto
- Volunteers at Project Random, an arts drop-in program for youth
- Third-year university student studying social work
- A survivor of youth violence
- Taking a summer course at Ryerson for non-profit management
- Wants to become a social worker and to have her own organization
- Wishes to create more programs for TCHC (Toronto Community Housing Corporation) buildings such as her own and a bridge program to help residents own homes
Patricia Yeboah - Kingston/Galloway
Why did she get involved in the panel?
- To be able to gain insight of the grants process
- To critique and review proposals
- To help others
What's her background?
- Former president of Scarborough Village Black Youth alliance in Galloway
- Volunteers for many programs within her high school
- Works with an HIV centre and the Youth Strategy Panel
- Attends Ryerson University where she is in her second year studying social work
- Working during the summer to create a small group of youth (12-15) to explore Toronto
- Leadership Award winner
- Creates programs for high schools, e.g., HIV/AIDS information sessions, Afro-fest, etc...
- Wants to obtain her Masters Degree, attend law school, and to help South Africans living with HIV/AIDS
Rezvan Dharshi - Flemingdon Park
Why did he get involved in the panel?
- Flemingdon Park neighbourhood needs encouragement as far as youth activities and initiatives
- To learn what it takes to create a decent proposal in order to represent the youth of Flemingdon Park
- To learn about what makes projects succeed or fail
What's his background?
- Completed High School and is pursuing post secondary education
- Wants to work for a multinational corporation and to foster World Peace
