PARKDALE PROJECT READ
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The Premal Laxman Love For All Fund

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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.

DONATE

"Love was my brother Premal.  His name was aptly picked by my mom to mean Love for All.  His actions and presence through life would prove his name accurate to anyone who came in contact with him.  It is with this we honour his memory with the launch by Parkdale Project Read of the Premal Laxman Love for All Fund.  

Love has many faces, and the stories that we heard after his passing painted a vivid picture of the impact of Premal’s love.  Love is family in how he brought people together with food and laughter.  Love is protection in stories shared of how he championed those who couldn’t fend for themselves.  Love is passion in the work he did in mentoring the learners at Parkdale Project Read.  Love is the grief you accept because of how deeply we loved him.


​Our brother’s loss left a chasm in our heart; but the world also lost an ardent ally, our Passionate Prince, a sincere soul dedicated to helping others through acts of love and respect.  Our hope for this fund is to bring awareness to healthy eating, especially heart health, as well as serve as an opportunity to memorialize my brother who was the epitome of love.  Bringing people together for food, fun and music (especially Beyonce and Mariah Carey which were his favourite) would bring back some of the joy lost from the passing of our baby bro.  I would like to thank Parkdale Project Read for coordinating this fund and for keeping his memory alive."


Jitesh Laxman and Family

Hours

Open Monday to Thursday, hours vary, please call for information

Phone

416-531-6308

Fax

416-531-5710

Email

info [at] parkdaleprojectread.org

Address

180 Sudbury Street, Unit C7, Toronto, ON M6J 0A8
Canada


Charitable number 11908 0299 RR0001
Social Media links:
© 2022 Parkdale Project Read. All Rights Reserved
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Remembering Premal
  • Programs
    • Literacy and Basic Skills
    • Academic Upgrading Program
    • Creating Health with Our Hands and Voices
  • Events
  • Ways To Support
    • Learners First Fund
    • Wendy Tanner Memorial Fund
    • David Michael Eminess Memorial Scholarship
    • Premal Laxman Love For All Fund
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer Tutor Program
    • Volunteer Board Members
    • Opportunities
  • Resources
  • Contact