Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are on the treaty lands and territories of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee and now home to many diverse Inuit and Metis peoples. By acknowledging the land we stand on, we are all reminding ourselves of our human connection and responsibility to care for the land and its people. We reflect on the history of colonialism and its impact in our community and firmly commit ourselves to listen, learn and speak the truth on a path to reconciliation.
Constitution
Our constitution has been revised for the 2022 year. You can read it here:
Meetings
Board Members
Your 2022 board (l-r): Raktim Mitra, Andrea Nichols Egan, Rebecca Green, Betty Zou, Fahreen Ladak, Jenn MacDonald, Jade Woodruffe
- Co-chairs: Fahreen Ladak and Audrey Kvedaras
- Treasurer: Andrea Nichols Egan
- Members at large: Jordan D’Souza, Raktim Mitra, Jennifer MacDonald, Betty Zou, Jade Woodruffe, Rebecca Green
DECA’s board meets monthly to plan events and initiatives that celebrate and support our community. Board members are elected and appointed in accordance with DECA’s Board Member Nomination and Election policies.
Interested in joining our board? Email info@deca.to to find out more.
DECA Committees
DECA committees lead and support different DECA events and initiatives, with each committee being responsible for work and projects in their respective areas. Each committee has at least one DECA Board Member and the committees meet separately from the DECA Board. DECA’s activities depend on both the needs in our community, as well as the skills and interests of our members.
DECA’s goals in 2022 are to continue to:
- Promote an inclusive, diverse and vibrant community in which all of our members feel safe;
- Support environmental initiatives, including the Farmers’ Market; and
- Ensure that our neighbourhood’s voice is considered by elected officials in relation to important social and government issues.
Currently, there are five DECA subcommittees that support DECA’s work:
DECA Visioning is city planning at a grassroots level, responsible for meeting with developers, city staff and other stakeholders in our community. Find out more from Audrey at visioning@deca.to
DECA Green is the home of the East Lynn Farmers’ Market committee, as well as other initiatives check out our Couch-side Climate Action campaign and workshops from April 2021! Find out more from Rebecca at green@deca.to
DECA Connects organizes and runs community events focused on social issues and advocacy. Some of the key events and initiatives of this subcommittee include DECA Discussions (started in 2020), the DECA Young Leaders Scholarship and DECA Pride. DECA Connects is currently on hiatus and looking for our next leader.
DECA Events organizes some of DECA’s most popular events, including the Danforth East Arts Fair, Pumpkin Parade, Festival of Lights and DECA Dance Party. We hope to bring back more of these events in 2021 after a pause in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more from Fahreen at volunteer@deca.to
DECA Social helps ensure that DECA members and the community generally are informed of DECA events and projects. The work of this subcommittee includes monitoring and updating the DECA website and social media accounts, as well as leading initiatives to attract new DECA members. Find out more from Rebecca or Andrea at info@deca.to
We encourage DECA members and other individuals in our community to reach out with ideas and feedback. We also welcome anyone who is interested in volunteering with the committees to express their interest. You can connect with the committee lead as set out above or email us at info@deca.to.