13th Round, Fight for Life
The CODEC Committee (Community Outreach Development and Engagement) at Runnymede United is mandated to identify a 3-year plan to help focus and expand Runnymede’s Outreach efforts. We use an approach called Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), which is all about recognizing that those in need of support are talented and capable people who just need a helping hand rather than a charitable handout. We also look to form partnerships with other support groups rather than trying to do everything ourselves. It’s a more sustainable model, draws on expertise outside of our own, and ensures that more than one need at a time can be met. The approach essentially augments what any one organization can do alone. Simply put, one plus one equals three.
Doug Blackburn and Brenda McLaughlin co-chair CODEC. Committee members are Erin Tshuma, Runnymede’s Community Outreach Lead, Judy Hauserman, Judy Whitfield, Rev Laura Gallagher-Doucette and Rev Ted Grady.
With a focus on action as much as our role in planning, CODEC recently visited a West Toronto organization called 13th Round, Fight for Life. This group focuses on at-risk youth in our community and offers non-contact boxing and life skills development programs for young people between the ages of 13 & 19. There are as many girls as boys who join the program. The youth attend after school, 3 days a week for 10 weeks at no cost. Some of them are referred by social service agencies or schools. They generally come from underserved communities and confront complex challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, a lack of social support and limited access to educational and sports opportunities.
At the gym, youth work with the boxing trainer and improve their physical strength and knowledge of boxing. Afterward, they attend wellness workshops, talk privately with a youth social worker (on staff), have quiet homework time and spend time with their peers as they develop mutually respectful friendships.
We met with the Executive Director, Kerry Emmonds, a passionate, dynamic believer in the program, a believer in the ABCD approach, and a strong advocate for the kids themselves. The immediate need that brought our committee for a visit is to explore assisting with the nutritious meals served in the program. Food is one of 13th Round’s highest-budget items, and Kerry spends an enormous amount of time preparing healthy meals for the kids. During our visit, we talked of possible collaborations and it was encouraging to see how our two organizations could spark ideas.
We returned energized by what we learned and are now considering with others how we might be able to help. There is nothing more heartening than experiencing firsthand the people who can be recipients of our outreach. Stay tuned, Runnymede, as we explore possibilities for 13th Round and others in our community with whom we might partner.
