Hello everyone!
I know you’re probably wondering… hey where did Fizza go? Is she still visiting groups virtually? the answer is YES!
Last week I got to visit our TNM group at Strides Toronto and let me start off by saying that this has been one of the most anticipated virtual group visits thus far, as we had scheduled this back in early January!
I can’t even put into words how truly amazing these youth and adult allies are! They do such great work in their community, and are always looking for ways to uplift the message and mission of The New Mentality.
I got the privilege to attend their Virtual Talent Not Required Show, which is a staple of The New Mentality and our annual Disable the Label (DTL) retreat! I got to meet the youth just before the event, and it was so much fun just laughing and gave me complete DTL vibes that we all love and enjoy so much.
What I noticed instantly was how supportive the youth were of one another. Youth who have been a part of TNM for many years were encouraging and uplifting youth who have recently joined as they emceed their first event!
As the event began, we heard poetry, singing, saw beautiful artwork, a dance performance, watched beautiful instruments be played, and even witnessed one youth complete a Zelda game in under 5 minutes… I don’t think this was truly a Talent Not Required Show because everyone was SO incredibly talented! We even played such fun games during intermission and youth won prizes throughout the event.
It was so heartwarming to see how supportive everyone was of another, from the messages continuously coming through the chat box, zoom reactions filling the screens with hearts, to all the claps and snaps – it was the best way to spend my Thursday evening!
Thank you to all the youth and adult allies at Strides Toronto for all the uncontrollable laughs! I am so proud of all of you, as you continue to change the world and inspire all those around you and can’t wait to be cheering you all on as you do.
See you all soon on Zoom,
Fizza Abbas, Network Coordinator
