Support Giwaabamin's Free Clinic Headquarters

Call for community support- let’s get Giwaabamin a new home!

 

For the past ten years, Cathy Tsong Deh Kwe (Strong Hearted Woman) has been operating Giwaabamin herbal street clinic out of her apartment. The patrol has grown to the point that she can no longer work out of her living space. Luckily, Cathy has secured a commercial space for Giwaabamin. We are coming to the community for support to make this headquarters a reality!

 

The workspace is in Toronto on Bloor Street West, under a vintage clothing store. It’s big enough to hold the dispensary and all of Giwaabamin's clinic supplies; there’s even some space to hold small workshops and healing pop-ups, dry herbs and provide tattoos. Giwaabamin can move in on February 1st, 2022. The funds generated through this campaign will go to one year’s worth of rent, as well as shelving, furniture, and minor repairs to make this a great place to work out of. That way, all Cathy has to worry about is serving the people. We are starting the fundraiser at $20,000, possibly raising the goal to put towards a vehicle for street patrol. 

 

Cathy is a 53-year-old Ojibwe single mother of three autistic boys. She founded Giwaabamin to bring Indigenous representation to community-based health care. Though Giwabaamin is still focused on supporting Indigenous community members, the program has expanded to include all street-involved folks. Throughout the pandemic, Cathy has been visiting encampments, COVID hotels, and people's homes to drop off care packages and medicines. Giwaabamin is run out of pocket by Cathy, with additional support from community donations like clothing, food, apothecary supplies. Through Giwaabamin, Cathy offers free medicine, hot food, hospital aftercare, immune support, covid and wound care, and soon also suturing. She also provides herbs for people who use drugs and those who are detoxing from substances. The clinic provides clients with the healthcare they want and need, free from racism, judgment or classist biases, with values rooted in harm reduction.

 

If you are able, please donate. Please share this campaign with your networks if you want to support it but don’t have the funds. If you can help with the physical move, please reach out.

 

Miigwetch <3

 

 

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Recent Press

"Meet the community organizer and herbalist offering free care across the city" (Toronto Star)

"URBAN HERO: Cathy Tsong Deh Kwe 'a great ally to all kinds of people'" (Peterborough Examiner)