Parkdale Project Read has collaborated with the Laxman Family to launch the “Premal Laxman Love For All Fund” on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023. This project will honour Premal’s life and acknowledge his contributions to the adult literacy community
Premal Laxman was a treasured friend, colleague, and committed community literacy worker who gave wholeheartedly to the community at Parkdale Project Read. His many roles included Placement Student, Community Literacy Worker, Collective Member, and Academic Upgrading Instructor. After he transitioned from his employment at PPR, Premal volunteered as a Board Member and served as our Treasurer, and Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee until his passing on August 2, 2021.
Throughout the years, Premal supported many adult literacy learners to achieve personal growth and attain their learning goals. He was a patient and caring teacher, keenly aware that many students experienced difficulties within the educational system and were seeking a safer space to learn.
A former student shares their memory of Premal:
“Whenever I walked through the door for Academic Upgrading class, Premal was always there to greet me with a smile. He made me feel welcome. He believed in me. He helped me believe in myself.”
The PPR community holds many cherished memories of Premal. These are just a few things we learned from him:
“Food is Community Care”
Premal loved to nurture communities by sharing delicious and nutritious foods. He could stretch a small budget into an over-flowing feast. He used his communication skills to connect with local restaurants and businesses and invited them to sponsor community meals and workshops.
Premal nurtured our relationship with the owners of Bandit Brewery, Stephane and Shehzad. They kindly donated community dinners for our Annual Holiday and Summer gatherings. And Premal was right there, side-by-side, serving food to community members in the spirit of community care.
One summer, Premal met the chef at Kotta Japanese restaurant in Parkdale and shared a dream to host a sushi-making workshop for learners. His enthusiasm was contagious and the restaurant donated ingredients and accessories. And the chef gave Premal a quick lesson in his kitchen! When Premal facilitated the workshop, the room was packed with learners who each had their own sushi-making station. Premal introduced words like “nori” and “wasabi”. He invited us to feel the consistency of sticky rice and taste the nutty flavor of sesame seeds. Some learners were skeptical, having never tried sushi before, but Premal made it so fun and encouraged us to try new things. We soon lost ourselves in the spontaneous joy of learning together. And he was right - the sushi was delicious!
“Express Yourself”
Premal expressed his creativity whole-heartedly. We looked forward to the special outfits he created for community events. These included a giant Scrabble tile costume (the letter “P”, of course) for our board game night, full Matilda wig and outfit for a fundraising screening of the movie, and an adorable velvety bear costume for Halloween while teaching in our computer lab.
At our holiday parties, Premal hosted karaoke spotlights and encouraged cautious participants to give their all on the mic. He showed us how to belt out Mariah Carey songs accompanied with Beyonce dance moves. Parties would often end with our whole community – adults, children, youth, and elders – freely expressing ourselves on the dance floor with Premal right in the joyous middle of it all, living life in the present moment, and giving it his all.
“Relationships First”
Premal always put relationships first. As a teacher, he listened closely to his students and offered non-judgmental support when they were having hard days. He taught a workshop series on Emotional Literacy that provided us with new vocabulary and help develop more compassion for each other. He facilitated group meditation sessions at the end of his classes, and got staff to step away from their computer screens and participate in a few minutes of calm.
When working with staff and board members, he made time to really connect with people. He would ask how you were feeling and really listen. He would pay close attention to the mood in the room and offer support, a meaningful story, or a gentle laugh to break the tension. When Premal directed his warm, friendly smile our way it motivated us to re-group and move forward in a positive way.
These are just a few things we learned from Premal. We are grateful that he was in our lives and we will always remember him with love and appreciation.
Please consider making a contribution to the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund. All donations will directly benefit:
Healthy Food Programming
Healthy eating workshops - delicious and nutritious food on a budget, and the production of healthy recipe books and Youtube cooking videos created by learners.
An Annual Memorial Event and Award in Premal’s Memory
An opportunity to gather as a community to celebrate Premal’s memory the way Premal loved to celebrate - with food, music, fun, and the honouring of individual and collective achievement.
How to donate:
To make a donation towards the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund, please click the button below, or visit our Canada Helps page, or contact us at (416) 531-6308 for more information.
Premal Laxman was a treasured friend, colleague, and committed community literacy worker who gave wholeheartedly to the community at Parkdale Project Read. His many roles included Placement Student, Community Literacy Worker, Collective Member, and Academic Upgrading Instructor. After he transitioned from his employment at PPR, Premal volunteered as a Board Member and served as our Treasurer, and Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee until his passing on August 2, 2021.
Throughout the years, Premal supported many adult literacy learners to achieve personal growth and attain their learning goals. He was a patient and caring teacher, keenly aware that many students experienced difficulties within the educational system and were seeking a safer space to learn.
A former student shares their memory of Premal:
“Whenever I walked through the door for Academic Upgrading class, Premal was always there to greet me with a smile. He made me feel welcome. He believed in me. He helped me believe in myself.”
The PPR community holds many cherished memories of Premal. These are just a few things we learned from him:
“Food is Community Care”
Premal loved to nurture communities by sharing delicious and nutritious foods. He could stretch a small budget into an over-flowing feast. He used his communication skills to connect with local restaurants and businesses and invited them to sponsor community meals and workshops.
Premal nurtured our relationship with the owners of Bandit Brewery, Stephane and Shehzad. They kindly donated community dinners for our Annual Holiday and Summer gatherings. And Premal was right there, side-by-side, serving food to community members in the spirit of community care.
One summer, Premal met the chef at Kotta Japanese restaurant in Parkdale and shared a dream to host a sushi-making workshop for learners. His enthusiasm was contagious and the restaurant donated ingredients and accessories. And the chef gave Premal a quick lesson in his kitchen! When Premal facilitated the workshop, the room was packed with learners who each had their own sushi-making station. Premal introduced words like “nori” and “wasabi”. He invited us to feel the consistency of sticky rice and taste the nutty flavor of sesame seeds. Some learners were skeptical, having never tried sushi before, but Premal made it so fun and encouraged us to try new things. We soon lost ourselves in the spontaneous joy of learning together. And he was right - the sushi was delicious!
“Express Yourself”
Premal expressed his creativity whole-heartedly. We looked forward to the special outfits he created for community events. These included a giant Scrabble tile costume (the letter “P”, of course) for our board game night, full Matilda wig and outfit for a fundraising screening of the movie, and an adorable velvety bear costume for Halloween while teaching in our computer lab.
At our holiday parties, Premal hosted karaoke spotlights and encouraged cautious participants to give their all on the mic. He showed us how to belt out Mariah Carey songs accompanied with Beyonce dance moves. Parties would often end with our whole community – adults, children, youth, and elders – freely expressing ourselves on the dance floor with Premal right in the joyous middle of it all, living life in the present moment, and giving it his all.
“Relationships First”
Premal always put relationships first. As a teacher, he listened closely to his students and offered non-judgmental support when they were having hard days. He taught a workshop series on Emotional Literacy that provided us with new vocabulary and help develop more compassion for each other. He facilitated group meditation sessions at the end of his classes, and got staff to step away from their computer screens and participate in a few minutes of calm.
When working with staff and board members, he made time to really connect with people. He would ask how you were feeling and really listen. He would pay close attention to the mood in the room and offer support, a meaningful story, or a gentle laugh to break the tension. When Premal directed his warm, friendly smile our way it motivated us to re-group and move forward in a positive way.
These are just a few things we learned from Premal. We are grateful that he was in our lives and we will always remember him with love and appreciation.
Please consider making a contribution to the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund. All donations will directly benefit:
Healthy Food Programming
Healthy eating workshops - delicious and nutritious food on a budget, and the production of healthy recipe books and Youtube cooking videos created by learners.
An Annual Memorial Event and Award in Premal’s Memory
An opportunity to gather as a community to celebrate Premal’s memory the way Premal loved to celebrate - with food, music, fun, and the honouring of individual and collective achievement.
How to donate:
To make a donation towards the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund, please click the button below, or visit our Canada Helps page, or contact us at (416) 531-6308 for more information.
