This Way Up

We want to find ways to amplify other groups in the city doing beautiful things. Earlier this month, Lorraine spoke with Steph from This Way Up—a small group of QTBIPOC youth doing transformative work in the community. Read on to get to know them!  

Can you tell us about your team and how you started This Way UP?

It was the summer of 2020 when COVID had just shut everything down. The four of us  were homeless at the time, living at a youth queer transitional shelter. were living at a youth queer transitional shelter, and idea of starting THIS WAY UP was dreamt up in our bedroom.  Our shelter was getting an incredible amount of food donations at the time; more than what we had need for - how much Mac and Cheese can we eat?! We didn’t want to throw out the food, and asked the staff if we could take extras and make meals out of them. Staff agreed and we walked up and down our street to hand out meals.

Why did you call yourselves This Way Up? 

Honestly, we saw a box while moving things and it said “this way up.” It just sounded right! Besides, in our various life contexts at the time, there was nowhere to go but up. We want to see each other succeed—to move upwards. We want to help people in the community to the best of our ability. 

What kind of work do you do and why specifically do you support BIPOC communities? 

Our team is 90% black, and the others are BIPOC individuals. We realize from our own lived experiences that it is most often queer and black folks experiencing the struggles that we want to care for. 

Currently we are providing meals to various shelter-hotels, supporting the community fridges across the city, and making snack packs for BIPOC families. We [personally] know what it’s like to be hungry after school but have parents who might not have had money to get snacks. 

What are some of your highlights so far? 

There have been so many! It has been such a highlight being able to organize with others in the larger community, including ESN and Not Another Black Life. Gaining confidence from the community and finally being able to rent a kitchen regularly has been huge! 

Lowlights?

There was this one day - when we already had a day of things not working out - where someone outside was having a bad day and threw all the soup off the table. That was disheartening. 

Death is also really hard. We get to know people in the community and care for them. Losing them is just so sad. 

What keeps you going?

If we aren’t there for each other in the hard times, then who else is going to be?

As a group of youth doing such transformative things, what would you say to other youth? 

Maturity is not measured by the number of years you have been alive; but it is the experiences you have been through that count. Society dismisses youth’s experiences, but youth are more hopeful, more creativity; we envision solutions that others just give up on.

How can people support your work? 

People can help us delivering meals, donating or following us on Instagram @thiswayupcollective