Raising funds to support and organize with Chinatown migrant workers!

Friends of Chinatown Toronto (FOCT) is raising funds to support and organize with migrant workers!

Over the past year, FOCT’s migrant workers committee has been supporting migrant workers in Chinatown with various mutual aid fundraisers, community events, and resources. We are running short on funds and need your help to continue our work. We are hoping folks will donate generously, and looking to raise $20,000 by the end of the year. Our hope is that these funds can sustain our migrant worker organizing efforts throughout the next year.

We are grateful to have been able to help support our community members like Mr. Zheng and Ms. L, undocumented community members who were forced to pay out of pocket for healthcare costs.

Undocumented migrant workers are vulnerable to exploitative employers and landlords, and are the ones who kept society going during the pandemic; working in factories, grocery stores, construction sites, farms, and more. They contribute to all aspects of our society without reaping any of the benefits.

Migrant workers in Chinatown often work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, sometimes for less than minimum wage. They work in all industries including restaurants, factories, farms and construction. They often commute upwards of 3 hours everyday to get to their worksites from Scarborough, Jane and Finch, and Mississauga.

Where will donations go?

We would like to be a regular source of support for our community members! All money that is raised goes directly to helping aid migrant workers through direct money transfers, or our monthly worker drop-ins, where we discuss issues at the workplace, tenancy, or immigration. Many of our members could use small amounts of funds here and there to cover medical costs, immigration legal fees, and basic necessities. We will update supporters periodically on how funds have been spent.

Mutual aid is an essential part of helping workers be able to participate in community organizing and empowering activities. Working class organizing helps us all move towards a better future. We at FOCT would like to be able to support workers who sacrifice what little free time they have to fight for rights that would help us all and make sure their necessities are met!