THE LAND THAT ENABLES OUR WORK

Carizon Family and Community Services acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our offices are situated on the Haldimand Tract which includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. We recognize that 950,000 acres of this land was promised by Treaty in 1784 to Six Nations, and we acknowledge that only 48,000 acres is in the rightful care of Six Nations. We endeavour to be accountable to this reality in ways that go beyond an apology or acknowledgement. We strive to continue to learn the truth, support calls to action, and aim to be aware of the intricate and complicated ways that we are connected to all living beings as well as to the land. We promise to do our part to protect this land and learn the impacts on our Indigenous community members as we continue to walk the path of reconciliation.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

Read about our Equity Journey by clicking on this image!

As we continue to be responsive to the changing needs of our communities, we acknowledge the historical and present-day violence and systemic barriers that continue to harm members of our Region and that we must ask ourselves not if we are complicit, but how. Carizon is committed to developing anti-oppressive practices and equitable outcomes for the families we serve while ensuring that our programs reflect and meet their needs. We recognize that we must work in collaboration with others to dismantle systems of oppression, discrimination and violence that people face as a result of their diversity, beliefs and identities.

Building equity takes time, resources, intentional commitment and behavioural change. It is an ongoing process, and we start by recognizing the racism and discrimination faced by Indigenous people, Black people, Asian communities, racialized people, ethnic or linguistic groups, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, unhoused people, people with mental illness and people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

To help us create change and ensure that we can continue helping families thrive, Carizon has invested in antiracism and anti-oppression training for all our employees. In addition, we have engaged in an organizational assessment to identify and address gaps. We have also created an Equity Leader position to help ensure our policies, processes, and practices eliminate any existence or influence of systemic racism across our organization. We have a lot of work to do and we are committed to keep moving forward on this learning journey. We will continue to listen, learn, and take action to ensure that everyone at Carizon experiences true equity, empowerment, and inclusion.