Giving Back Where It Counts
By: The Joco Foods Company
Tags: Startup, Women In Business, Culture, Business, Food

Written By: Najma Hashi

The JOCO Foods Company believes in giving back to the communities that

need it most. We are a Toronto-based food retail company co-founded by

Jhoan Molin (JO) and Chloe Man (CO). Our company specializes in the

creation and distribution of unique sauces and spreads. Being two female

entrepreneurs of minorities, we have chosen to donate the sales proceeds

of our Charity Spoons to Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre (RIWC), a non-profit community-based organization committed to the empowerment

of women actively facilitating policy and social change.

The RIWC was founded in 1982 and they operate from a holistic

service that is beneficial to the social and cultural realities of marginalized

communities. They are based in the Riverdale Hub and navigate

settlements, employment services, and anti-violence for women and

families in need in Toronto. In addition, they cooperate with various

community-based organizations, coalitions and research networks that

signify women’s equality barriers. Their main focus is to facilitate policy and

social change for communities that need it most and are committed to

supporting Asian, South Asian women and their families. Not just specific to

Asian women, RIWC has expanded their services to fit the needs of other minority groups in Toronto who are dealing with issues such as poverty,

ageism, sexual orientation, and many more.

The RIWC has phenomenal programs and services that are essential

to immigrant communities. They assist youth, seniors, refugees, queer, and

other unprotected women that are isolated and have limited resources. The

opportunities the RIWC provide are as followed: placement with settlement

and violence against women counselors, reception/administrative,

computer training, life-skills and hospitality training, research, interpreter

and translation opportunities.

With the COVID-19 pandemic devastating vulnerable communities, it

has not stopped the RIWC from fulfilling all their goals. They have created

a COVID-19 response team that continues to provide support for

marginalized women and communities through Ontario Works clients.

Although in-person services have been put on hold due to the pandemic,

their response team has implemented virtual support for housing, mental

health, isolation, addictions, and many more beneficial community

resources.

In turbulent times, it is extremely important now than ever before to give back to marginalized communities that need it most. Although there

are many community-based initiatives and non-profit organizations in the Greater Toronto Area that need charitable donations, we connected with

the RWIC because we are South Asian women. The RWIC supporting

Asian and South Asian women and their families, along with other minority

women, is why we have chosen to donate the sales proceeds of our

Charity Spoons to their organization. As the holiday season is upon us and

the pandemic is still lingering, giving back is crucial and we have a duty to

help the most vulnerable people during unprecedented times. Feel free to

check out the Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre (RIWC) website and give back whatever you can.