Remembering Premal
August 5, 2021
We share with heavy hearts that our dear friend and colleague, Premal Laxman passed away on August 2nd. This is a tragic loss for his family, friends, and the many communities touched by his kind and caring presence. During his time as a Community Literacy Worker at Parkdale Project Read (PPR), Premal supported and encouraged many adult literacy learners to achieve their personal and educational goals. He was a patient listener and calm presence. He created meaningful and trusting relationships with students who often had difficult experiences in school. A former student of Premal’s said, “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.” Premal had several roles during his 7+ years at PPR including Placement Student, Summer Student, Program Relief Worker, Collective Member and Academic Upgrading Program Instructor. And he excelled at all of them. In 2018, Premal transitioned to become a volunteer Board member. He took on leadership positions including our Board Secretary, and Chair of our Fundraising Committee. Premal brought such positive energy, joy and humor to all aspects of his work - whether it was creating fantastic outfits for special events, serving community meals, facilitating karaoke spotlights at our parties, belting out Mariah Carey songs with Beyonce dance moves, or expressing joyous freedom on the dance floor with everyone in our community - children, youth, adult learners, and our elders - we all loved Premal dearly and we benefited immensely from his love. Thank you, Premal. You are gone too soon. We honour your life well-lived, until we meet again. ♡ from the Parkdale Project Read Community
MEMORIAL FUND:
Parkdale Project Read collaborated with the Laxman Family to launch the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023. This project honours Premal’s life and acknowledges his contributions to the adult literacy community. All donations will directly benefit: Healthy Food Programming Healthy Communities workshops - we will learn how to make delicious and nutritious food on a budget, and develop cook books featuring recipes by adult literacy learners. An Annual Memorial Event and Award in Premal’s Memory An opportunity to gather as a community to celebrate Premal’s memory with food, music, fun, and the honouring of individual and collective achievements. How to donate: To make a donation towards the Premal Laxman Love For All Fund, please visit our Canada Helps page, or contact us for more information. |
