Community Connex with True Daley: From Statistic to Success

2 May 2011 No Comments

True Daley

By: True Daley

La Toya Rodney is determined to break the cycle of generational poverty, violence and illiteracy. As a self-titled ‘Empowermentor’, she has chosen to use her personal challenges with substance abuse, anorexia, and gang activity to motivate youth and inspire change.

Like her mentees, Rodney’s early experiences living in Toronto’s high-priority neighbourhoods of Jamestown and Jane & Finch, left little opportunity for personal success. As a teen she struggled with low self-esteem, which spiraled into criminal activities eventually leading to her incarceration at the age of 21. Ironically, it was while she was serving time, that she discovered her true calling.

Inmates grew to trust her advice and often sought her out for one-on-one counseling. She also developed her talents in songwriting and rapping (AKA Jane fr Finch) , and was urged by the guards to pursue her talents upon her release. The almost fatal shootings of her two brothers and a spiritual awakening caused her to turn her life around. She’s been a community worker since 2006 is currently a Reintegration Worker for Redemption Reintegration Services. She says her unique experiences make her relatable to black youth in particular.

“ I think it goes back to the Afrocentric principles. One of them is knowing your purpose. Helping people is my purpose, and it isn’t only designed for myself. I don’t really think it was a matter of choice. I believe I was put here to do the work that was put in my path to do. I was designed to execute it. I’m true to myself before others. I believe that everyone deserves a second chance and I don’t believe in failures.”

When community organizations want a fresh perspective from a female’s point of view, they call on Rodney for public speaking engagements, workshops, and presentations. She has addressed youth served by Tropicana Community Services, B.L.O.C.K.Headz (Building Links on Community Korners), CAS, Woodgreen Community Services, churches, schools, and girls groups. Encouraging at-risk youth to make the right choices when they have no reference point can be an almost impossible task. Rodney says she uses simple mathematics to motivate youth to pursue their educational goals.

“I tell them education is the key, and without it, they cannot go anywhere. It’s a big barrier that you cannot get around. I show them that you can’t just work in a job for minimum wage or up to 15 dollars an hour when you could be making up to 40 dollars an hour. You could be hearing words like ‘salary’ and ‘benefits’. When I heard those words, I’m being honest with you – I was 27 and I didn’t even know what packages and benefits were. I went to college, so I should have known what those terms meant, but I didn’t.”

One thing Rodney knows for certain, is the responsibility for safe and healthy communities should not rest squarely on the shoulders of youth alone. As the mother of a teenage son, she says the embarrassing behaviour of the young women she works with is directly related to neglect and poor parenting.

“There are so many routes that white people take to hold onto their families. There needs to be programming for adults because adults are guiding us and a lot of them are failing us. Some mothers aren’t role models for these youth. So many people in this sector believe they should keep their private life separate. Honestly, if you’re in this field, that’s not going to really work out. You need to be able to relate so that they can look up to you. My girls know almost everything about me, of course I keep it professional, but I’m real with them.”