CAYR Community Connections

06/05/2026

Did you know? Today, June 5th 2026, is HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD). It honors the resilience of those who have live and have lived with HIV. Visit https://bit.ly/4ui7TlA and https://www.hiv.gov/events/awareness-days/hiv-long-term-survivors-day to learn more.

06/03/2026

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month! This June, WHAI is joining the celebration as we uplift, honour, and spread love to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We celebrate the strength and resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities who continue to fight for their rights and visibility amidst increasing homophobic and transphobic policies and violence around the world. We also want to acknowledge the leadership of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in the HIV movement and the invaluable work they’ve done to fight for equity in access to HIV prevention, medication, care, and support. To join in this fight, we encourage allies to increase their awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, resources, and capacity to provide warm, inclusive, and gender-affirming care. To learn more, check out resources from organizations like the TWIRI , Rainbow Health , and Wisdom2Action

06/01/2026

CAYR attended the Accessibility fair with the Town of Aurora this past weekend as a kick off. Thank you for the support Bingo World and Gaming Newmarket. National accessibility week is now, May 31st - June 6th 2026. Learn more here: https://www.rickhansen.com/NAAW

05/28/2026

World Hunger Day is May 28th. According to Feed Ontario, from April 1, 2024 to March 31 2025, over one million people in Ontario accessed food banks. In WHAI’s Collective Action Community Change report, food insecurity has been identified by women and gender-diverse people living with / affected by HIV as a debilitating barrier when it comes to accessing HIV prevention, care and support. This World Hunger Day, WHAI wants to increase service providers’ awareness of the importance of food security to people living with and impacted by HIV, as well as expand and strengthen their referral pathways to include services that provide financial and employment support.

05/28/2026

On Saturday May 30th CAYR is tabling at an Accessibility fair at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex. This is a kick off event to Accessibility week May 31 to June 6.
Read more about Accessibility here:

Accessibility is the inclusive practice of designing environments, products, devices, or services so that they can be seamlessly used by people of all abilities. It removes physical, sensory, and cognitive […]

05/05/2026

True reconciliation can only be achieved when it exists in the hearts and minds of every Canadian. Why that matters is related to Canada's heart-wrenching history of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

335 likes, 54 comments. "Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls, a Canadian Responsibility | Sophie Kiwala | TEDxQueensU"

05/05/2026

May 5th is Red Dress Day, also known as National Day of Awareness and Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. The day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project, where she hung red dresses to represent the missing and murdered Indigenous women who have been lost due to violence. The red dress has been a symbol since then to represent the ongoing violence against and lack of justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, 2-Spirit and gender-diverse people.

In WHAI’s Landscape of Community Change resource, we’ve connected red poppies to the symbol of the red dress and to Call for Justice 15.1 from the Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which calls for all Canadians to support others and to commit to being active in condemning hate and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA people. We encourage others to utilize both of these resources to continue amplifying the voices of Indigenous communities and doing your part in advocating for the safety of and justice for Indigenous women, girls, 2-Spirit and gender-diverse people.

05/01/2026

May is Sexual Violence Prevention Month. Prevention begins with awareness about the institutional and social structures which enable sexual violence, about who is disproportionately impacted, and identifying the tools and resources available for those at risk. Sexual violence increases the risk for HIV and STBBIs for women and gender-diverse people.As well, women and gender-diverse people living with HIV experience disproportionate rates of violence. To support ending sexual and gender-based violence, we encourage you to learn more through resources from the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses () and the Ontario Coalition of R**e Crisis Centres (OCRCC).

04/28/2026

✨ Calling African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women in York Region ✨

We’re inviting women and femmes (cis, trans, and non-binary), aged 50+, to join our Women & Economic Empowerment Peer Advisory Committee.

This is a space rooted in community, connection, and shared experiences—where your voice and story can help shape programs that support women navigating financial and employment challenges.

We are especially seeking participants who are immigrants (including newcomers, refugees, or long-term residents).

Together, we will:
🤎 Share and uplift lived experiences
🤎 Build meaningful relationships and community
🤎 Grow leadership and advocacy skills
🤎 Support change that reflects our needs

Honorarium, training, and ongoing support are provided. Monthly participation (virtual and/or in-person) is required.

📩 For more information or questions, contact Shanice Harris at 289-383-2355 or [email protected]
🔗 Scan the QR code to register or apply here: https://forms.office.com/r/5fsihHPzGn

Join us and be part of meaningful change 💛