CLIENT NEWS: PICK UP YOUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE AND SUBSCRIBE TO GOOD NEWS TORONTO NEWSPAPERS.

Contact Information
Kemi Olunloyo (Publicist)
Keminications PR
www.fanada.ca
647-344-5390
mediakemi@rogers.com
Tuesday September 8th 2009

For Immediate Release

BACK TO SCHOOL AND BACK TO GOOD NEWS IN TORONTO

While most parents are now gearing up for the first day of school, there is even more good news! It's the September issue of Good News Toronto newspaper. It's on news stands now at subway stations and city locations now. "Good News Toronto" is a free not-for-profit newspaper available to all Torontonians and celebrates the inspiration of people in the city of Toronto.

This paper features diverse everyday heroes and contributes to the idea that Toronto is a vibrant community. Read this month's stories about the beauty of Toronto, the power of words, a father and son charity bike fundraiser, the courage behind the voice of Cindy Ashton and more inspiring stories.

The need and responsibility of the media to report negative stories is very important to make the public aware. Every now and then people just want to hear all the good news and there you have it all in Good News Toronto newspaper. The paper has received a lot of positive feedback from members of the Toronto community who have been looking to hear some good news stories.

The paper has also attracted several professional writers who want to be involved in this fresh perspective on news. Any member of the community can submit a brief description of their good news story in Toronto and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to info@goodnewstoronto.ca

Eva Karpati, the Founder and Editor of this paper is available for interviews on her dynamic monthly stories and the current story heroes. Please contact Keminications PR for a booking.

GOOD NEWS TORONTO needs the public support. Anyone can advertise at an affordable rate, donate and also subscribe to this wonderful paper. This publication can be found at TTC subway station newsstands and other stand alone newsstands. IT GOES QUITE FAST and it's strongly encourage for everyone to get a subscription of 12 issues for only $18 per year.

On the Net: http://goodnewstoronto.ca

CLIENT NEWS: POETIC FASHION FEATURED ON TORONTO POLICE WEBSITE.

The Poetic Fashion event, hosted by Literature for Life, saw artists come together to show off their talents and promote positive lifestyles. The non-profit Literature for Life encourages literacy and increases the self-esteem of young women by introducing novels, literature appreciation, writing and group facilitation into their lives.A creative collision of poetry and fashion merged to deliver a sonic and visually splendid anti-violence message.

The Aug. 27 event, at the Capitol Event Theatre, was designed to break down barriers and stereotypes. Hip-hop and spoken-word artists filled the gaps between runway models sporting home-grown couture. The talented musicians and designers hailed from the city’s priority neighbourhoods.

“I am a firm believer that literacy is the key to a better life and if a mom is interested in literacy and learning, then her kids will, too,” said Jo Altilia, Literature for Life’s founder and executive director.

Through two magazines the women at the shelter publish, Yo’ Momma (Young Mother), containing their original stories, and Solace, dedicated to violence in relationships, the shelter helps to build self-esteem and teach the women to be community leaders.

Altilia said the program furthers the bond between mother and child as the mothers quickly see their own lives in other people’s stories. They realize they are the authors of their own lives and don’t have to be victims.

“Stories are valuable because they teach us about the wider world. Without guidance and intervention, Altilia said pregnant teens often drop out of school and can go down the wrong path.

Sgt. Jeff Pearson was invited to tell the audience more about TAVIS (Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy) but was impressed by the creative anti-violence messages being sounded out.

“All these rappers had an anti-gun message that had the crowd cheering,” Pearson said.

“I was there to show people the whole picture of TAVIS,” he said, of introducing people of the ways police mobilize the community.

“Often they only see the enforcement side of TAVIS, but we’re out there to work the community.”

He said TAVIS officers move into a community to make it safe and then engage the residents to make their neighbourhood better.

“We get community and city resources to make the community stronger so when officers leave the area, the community prevents violence from reoccurring,” Pearson said.

Source: Toronto Police website

Congrats to all that participated. Good work. Keminications PR was glad to help with this media campaign. Need a campaign, contact me on your event.

CLIENT NEWS: LITERATURE FOR LIFE'S POETIC FASHION FEATURED IN THE TORONTO SUN SUNDAY AUG 30TH 2009.

The ladies from Tiltrock PR guru Tamara Shelly and the first lady of Tiltrock singer Shylove along with Tamara's son who we call L'il Faboulous.

Dance group Dem Diva did background dancing for Toshawna Stewart

Dynamic singer Toshawna Stewart

Hip-Hop artist Jaydahman

Acting for change

By JENNY YUEN, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 30th August 2009, 3:48am

The crowd of nearly 500 inside the Capitol Theatre shushes as Amiga Taylor performs a spoken word piece on an impromptu runway.

"Increase the peace in our streets and set us free from the anarchy," she repeatedly says.

Taylor is one of the roughly 50 performers at the Poetic Fashion event -- a community initiative that builds bridges between youth living in Toronto's 13 priority neighbourhoods.

Watching nearby, "Foots," a 26-year-old hip-hop artist from the east end of the city, says initiatives like these give youth hope for the future.

"In the 'hood, there's only basketball or becoming an entertainer to get me out of the hell," he said. "Within urban neighbourhoods, that's all they think about.

"The first thing they pick up is a basketball, the second is a mic," he said. "If they don't invest in them, they're going to become future criminals."

Events similar to Poetic Fashion are happening across the city. And they are indirectly helping to bring down violence in these 13 priority neighbourhoods.

However, Foots said pinpointing the 13 neighbourhoods is doing more harm than good. It doesn't address the "many more" areas that are going through the struggle, he said.

The stats, he said, can be deceiving because crime can shift from gun violence to petty crime.

"Crime is not down, it's a cycle, it continues (and with naming neighbourhoods), you're labelling people and people don't want to be labelled," he said.

To create a more "tangible" connection between youth and the cops, the Toronto Police created the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI), an eight-week program that puts youth aged 14 to 17 living in these priority neighbourhoods to work with police, mainly doing clerical work.

But the program also enhances the link between police and the neighbourhoods by getting youth involved, said YIPI program co-ordinator Danielle Francis.

"The police isn't this bizarre entity that nobody understands and is faceless," she said. "It's making a huge impact. We hear from parents and how their kids have matured and they talk to other parents and say, 'You've got to get your kids in this program.' "

This year, the numbers of youth participants in the program grew by 50 to 150 and two other areas -- Regent Park and South Parkdale -- were added to the list.

While Francis said she can't cite a direct correlation between YIPI and crime stats decreasing, she feels it's having a strong impact.

"They said the student unemployment rate was 29%. Young people just need an opportunity to have meaningful work so they can start to build up their skills and be ready to hit the ground running," she said.

The Mixed Theatre Company is also trying to break the cycle of violence by getting youth gangs off the street and onto the stage. The company is working with Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) to help recruit students and former gang members to create a theatrical production on gang issues.

Youth perform raps based on their experiences with violence while a DJ spins live beats throughout the show. The play presents the worst-case scenarios of gang involvement, catalysing audience members to express their voices, making our communities safer.

"For real change to happen, there has to be a buy-in from the community and to show that these types of (violent) behaviours aren't accepted," said Duncan McCallum, associate director of DISS, the interactive play that ran at York Memorial Collegiate earlier this month.

"As soon as a dialogue begins between police and the community and the youth, everyone becomes empathetic to where each other stands and action plans can be created."

Jane-Finch On the Move, a grassroots committee made up of various community residents as well as non-residents, is dedicated towards improving the living standards within the Jane-Finch community.

"You have to inspire hope in communities and we're trying innovative ways to change the perception of the area," said JFOM chairman Angelo Furlan.

"It's pretty grim that there are 13 communities that are suffering from the same thing."

jenny.yuen@sunmedia.ca

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