| | Moving into the New Year With Intention: In Anishinaabe teachings, the Grandmother Moon guides us, offering seasonal teachings rooted in care, balance, and relationships. These teachings will guide us throughout the year. February’s Bear Moon (Mkwa-Giizis) marks a time of deep winter, when the bear rests and new life begins unseen. It reminds us to conserve our energy, tend to healing, and to trust the quiet work happening beneath the surface; a rhythm that mirrors the care and dedication within our community. As we step into February, we carry the momentum of the past year with us, shaped by the shared commitment of our donors, partners, community members, and foundation staff to sustain the critical work of Anishnawbe Health Toronto. This care shows up in quiet and deeply meaningful ways: AHT’s Traditional Team, together with community members, travelled to Manitoba to gather medicines, including sage, for the year ahead. Medicine picking is at the heart of AHT’s work, it is an act of respect, reciprocity, and deep connection to the land. Because of this collective care, programs like the Traditional Healer and the Two Spirit Transgender Program continue to thrive, and we enter the new year grounded and are ready to move forward with intention. The impact we create together is not only felt in urgent moments, but in the steady, behind-the-scenes work that sustain long-term change. Your presence on this journey allows us to centre relationships, care for one another and move forward with intention. We invite you to continue reading to learn more about the work underway and the impact we are sustaining together. Chi Miigwech! Brooke Harrison Senior Marketing, Communications and Donor Relations Manager |
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| Impact at a Glance None of this would be possible without your generosity, Chi Miigwetch for standing with our community. -
175 families shared holiday feasts with loved ones this December; made possible through your support. -
425 clients accessed traditional services in 2025 totaling 755 visits, bringing Sweats, Drumming, Dancing, and other ceremonies back to AHT. With growing support from individual donors and corporate partners, 2026 is starting strong, expanding our collective capacity to respond to emerging community needs at AHT. |
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| | How Your Support Is Being Directed Guided by priorities identified by Anishnawbe Health Toronto, current fundraising efforts focus on expanding access to mental health services, culturally grounded care, and comprehensive wraparound supports for community members. Our role is to mobilize resources where they are most needed, in alignment with AHT’s leadership and the voices of the community |
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| | Did You Know... AHT’s program Kitchiniigaan Noongom (“The Future Today”) supports families from pregnancy through baby’s first year, grounding early wellness in Indigenous values. Last year the program hosted 13 workshops for 53 Indigenous parents and newborns, offering language activities, nutrition education, physiotherapy for pregnancy/postpartum wellness, and mental health supports. |
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| Upcoming Dates Mark these special times in your calendar as you honour and support Indigenous voices and our community. February 14: Have a Heart Day A national movement raising awareness of discrimination against Indigenous children. Participate by learning, sharing resources, and supporting calls for equity and reconciliation. February 17: Louis Riel Day
Honour Métis leader Louis Riel and his role in Métis rights and Manitoba’s creation. Take part by learning about Métis history, attending events, or sharing his legacy. February 21: International Mother Language Day
Celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity worldwide. Participate by uplifting Indigenous languages, learning a new language, or sharing stories in your mother tongue. |
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| | Your Support is Vital: For over 35 years, Anishnawbe Health Toronto has been a place of healing, connection, and belonging – offering Indigenous-led programs rooted in culture, identity and community. Your generosity sustains our Traditional Healers and the culturally grounded services that allow Indigenous people to heal, reconnect and thrive in urban spaces like Toronto. This work is about more than services, it is about preserving culture, restoring balance, and strengthening community for generations to come. We cannot do this without you. Please consider making a gift today. Your support helps advance reconciliation and builds a stronger, healthier Indigenous community – one person, one family, one ceremony at a time. |
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| | Donor Learning Corner: Honouring Indigenous knowledge, voices and experiences. Book of the month: From the Ashes, by Jesse Thistle This multi-award-winning book is a story of remarkable resilience and hope that cultivates empathy for those facing some of life’s most difficult challenges. Podcast Pick: Red Man Laughing Hosted by Indigenous creator Ryan McMahon, this podcast blends humour, storytelling, and cultural commentary to explore Indigenous art, history, identity, and contemporary issues. Watch This: Bimibatoo-Win: Where I Ran This film follows residential school survivor Charlie Bittern as he retraces the 80 km journey forced on him decades ago, seeking healing and honoring those who never returned home. |
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