Day Twenty One: Walking A Mile Without Shoes!

I love shoes! Looking in our mud room & in my closet is a reminder of how blessed I am to have multiple pairs of shoes. I also love a good deal.

I've recently discovered eco-shoes. All too often I've bought shoes that are a "great deal" only to bring them home and have them turn out to be uncomfortable or fall apart after merely a season of use. Shoes that can stand up to use, are made in an socially & environmentally responsible way and are comfortable & stylish to boot (pun intended) are my new holy grail!

(Today, I was looking at the mall for summer sandals for my girls & trying to find brands that fit the eco-criteria & my budget. No luck on the budget end. So I came home & started surfing the web. I came across TinySoles.com. They had lots of sustainable brands at a reasonable price, free shipping to Canada and amazing customer service! Kudos to you Tiny Soles!)

I've only recently heard of TOMS shoes. They take environmentally & socially responsible cobbling to a new level. Tomsshoes.ca has a "One for One" policy. For every pair of shoes sold they will donate a pair to a child in need. As of September 2010, TOMS has given away 1 million pairs of shoes! *My personal favs are the wedges & canvas, cord or glitter classics.

One pair of shoes can make a world of difference in the life of a needy child:

1) On the most basic level, they protect the feet from painful cuts and bruises & infection.

2) They prevent diseases from entering the body through bare feet . Shoes = health

3) Children often need shoes to attend school. Shoes = an education = a future

TOMS is hosting "One Day Without Shoes" on Tuesday, April 5th! onedaywithoutshoes.com The website has some great info about how TOMS does their shoe give aways & more details about the difference a pair of shoes can make. No shoes in BC in early April? But it's likely to be cold and wet? What if I step on something? What will people think? Then again, that's likely the point.

Day Twenty: (The Half-Way Point!) Chalk Another One In the Socialist Column!

So once again, I have not posted on a day I was supposed to. I've been down with a stomach bug for 4 days! It seems unfair since my girls both had it for 12 hours (kept me up at night then woke up raring to go the next morning!) The journey through lent inevitably leads us to Grace. We may work hard & have the best intentions but we always seem to come up short. Lately, I've been considering how fortunate my children are. They didn't do anything to deserve to be born into a family with a roof over their head in a wealthy country full of opportunities for them. When I was pregnant with my first daughter we traveled to Jamaica for a family holiday. This was actually my second trip to Jamaica, I had visited once before on a cross-cultural/Missions trip in high school. On my first trip, we were involved in a building project & interacting with the people in a small town tucked away in the hills. I was struck by how generous and lively the Jamaican people were and how lavish my life back home seemed. On my return trip to Jamaica I became one of the tourists, living lavishly, while people in the hills just a stone's throw away lived without power, working hard (if they could get a job) and living on simple provisions. As we drove through the hillsides on a minibus tour, I saw Jamaica through new eyes. The eyes of a soon-to-be mother. I noticed the women, especially those who were pregnant or with babes in arms. Young, malnourished, the burden of running a household and bringing in what money they could. I remember considering my unborn child & contrasting the life she would have with the destiny of those young children. They did not get a choice who their parents would be, where they would live, the health & nutritional challenges they would have, the many other opportunities they wouldn't get. There is such inequity in the world. Many anti-poverty groups have demonstrated that there is enough money and food globally that no one needs to live in poverty. (Do I hear echoes of socialism?) In September 2000, the 189 countries of the United Nations unanimously agreed to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty,” specifically hunger and the “major diseases that afflict humanity.” At Poverty.com it outlines how 22 of the world's most developed countries have pledged to give 0.7% of their national income in international aid (or $195 billion a year) to end poverty worldwide. So far, only 5 countries have achieved this goal. Canada is way down on the list, not even having a pledge to reach the 0.7% goal (or 70 cents for every $100). The 2009 stats show that Canada only contributes 0.3% (or a pathetic 30 cents for every $100). Given that it's election time, it is an opportunity for Canadians to make international aid an issue. Talk to your local candidates and find out who supports increased international aid. We didn't get to choose our fortunate circumstances, but we can choose to share what we have and have a say in who makes those decisions on a national level.

Day Nineteen: From Me to We

After yesterday's post/rant I think I've touched on something that really annoys me. The attitude that "it" is someone else's problem. We may not be responsible for causing the issues but we can definitely be part of the solution.

When I think of an organization that embodies passion, idealism, and compassion I think of Me to We. metowe.com This organization was started by Craig and Marc Kielburger (also of Free the Children) and seeks to make changes in the world (primarily by making smart choices with our consumer dollars). We to Me has definitely caught on with youth and inspires not only teens, but families and individuals to action.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -Ghandi
If we all embody this change, can you imagine the hope we can give to the world?

Day Eighteen: The Homeless & Organic Veggies

Today's post, like many others, has me ranting out loud. Fortunately, it's not just my kitchen appliances that are my sounding board. My husband is home on Spring Break and willingly gives me his ears. While in Victoria, we were watching the local Shaw News channel (nerdy yes, but informative) about an innovative idea which combines a century-old farm with a therapeutic centre for the homeless.

Woodwynn Farms is the vision of the group Creating HomeFulness lead by executive director, Richard LeBlanc. http://woodwynnfarms.org/ The group has purchased a 193 acre organic farm in Central Saannich [on Vancouver Island] and hopes to convert it from a former cattle farm and the present hay farm to an organic produce farm. They hope to start with 12 street persons and grow to 96 street persons (plus 24 staff) housed on site. This project is based on a similar project in San Patrignano, Italy which saw over 1,500 lives affected with a 70% success rate. Brilliant. Innovative. What could possibly stand in their way?

Well, a few minor details. NIMBY-ism (not in my backyard) and bureaucracy. Not so minor details. In order for the farm to have on-site housing, therapy rooms and a larger building to sell the produce it must undergo a variance to the zoning. Currently, it is zoned for agricultural use as part of the ALR (agricultural land reserve). It seems that the Woodwynn Farms project would fit all that criteria. They hope to offer locally grown and produced foods. The "dorms" and mess hall would be low impact (likely a trailer type) & energy efficient. Over the initial 5 years, the project would house 500 people and provide on-site therapeutic programs. Yet, on March 21st, as Richard LeBlanc was set to give an informational presentation to the Central Saanich council, a councillor made a preemptive motion to reject the group's application outright. Bound by rules of order, the council took a vote. Three voted to reject the application, 3 voted against the motion (and 1 abstention due to a conflict of interest). Since it was a tie, the project will go to the planning department for consideration. All this could take months, perhaps years. All because of fear.

In the meantime, Woodwynn Farms plows ahead. In the fall of 2010 volunteers planted 350 fruit and nut trees. They have been growing, baling and selling hay for the past three years and currently have 4 street persons working on the property. For all the support for the farm there is certainly a battle ahead. In reading the "comments" under a few recent newspaper articles it seems that the NIMBY attitude prevails. The comments fall under a few categories, here are my responses to their concerns:

1) Keep the homeless in Victoria! Many people feel that homelessness is not their problem, they live in Saanich for a reason. Don't they know that the "homeless" are likely their neighbour's child or grandchild. It's not likely that their new neighbours are going to be folks with a violent criminal past... not like the half-way house I'm sure is located somewhere in the Saanich vicinity (since the Victoria area has the largest number of parolees per population in BC).

2) Cost. Many people are saying that the financial burden of supporting this project will cost the taxpayers too much. They may not realize that a 2008 study by UBC estimated that homelessness costs $55,000 per homeless person per year. It is estimated that Canada spends $4.5 to 6 billion a year on services for the homeless. All. Taypayer. Money. Would you invest your hard earned dollars into an innovative program that could have a 70% success rate or go with the status quo? Besides, this project will give its neighbours the bonus of organic veggies.

3) Zoning- you knew it when you bought it! Many folks criticize the HomeFulness group of being naive that they could just change the zoning. "They should have bought a place that had the zoning they needed," writes one commenter. I would guess that this type of zoning just doesn't exist. Anywhere. I am sure that the good people who developed the ALR in the mid-70's did not forsee this type of development. The OCP (official community plan) for Central Saanich makes maintaining agricultural lands a priority, especially those which are economically and environmentally feasible. The OCP also supports diverse housing (including social services and transitional housing) as well as "responding to changing social needs". So it would be surprising if the planning department can find a way around their own OCP.

4) Redundant! One naysayer also pointed out that, in his opinion, Woodwynn Farms is redundant since a similar facility exists in Hope Farm near Duncan. mustardseed.ca/ministries/hopefarmhealingcentre/ Hope Farm is definitely a similar project. It is housed on 36 acres and offers facilities and treatment for 10 men at a time. Can the island not provide this type of experience for more than 10 people? Perhaps, the island needs 2,3,5,even 10 more Hope Farm/ Woodwynn Farms? *an interesting note: my mom and Hope Farm's Manager, Mike Burdge, went to high school together! Who knew?

No matter how loud I rant, my appliances just don't care or take action. Woodwynn Farms has a letter writing campaign, under "write a letter" located in left column of their home page, to help gain support for the re-zoning. I offer my kudos to Richard LeBlanc and volunteers, as well as the visionaries behind Hope Farm and the Mustard Seed who are part of the solution to homelessness. Whether we like it or not, homelessness affects us all & all of us can be part of the solution. So, I need to wrap up what's become a lengthy post and get writing... it's definitely more productive than yelling at a fridge and stove!

3 in 1: Back from a Hiatus!

*Usually Sunday is a day of rest. However, this Sunday I am back from a bit of a hiatus. We had a great family Spring Break vacation to Victoria & we were traveling light (no car, no laptop, so no blog posting kind of light!) So today you will get 3 posts in 1! Day Fifteen: Knit Wit We've been thoroughly enjoying Spring Break. Last week we were exploring the new River Market at the New West Quay. It's a great looking space with only a few fun "stores" (ie. Vancouver Circus School, Pedagogy Toys & Bloom Art Studio) by summer it should be lively and hopping with excitement. The art studio specializes in classes for kids, but the owner also has a social conscience. (http://bloomartstudio.ca/a) Kimberly Chiem has decided to start an Occasional Knitter's Circle on Friday nights. She hopes to create a communal quilt that will be donated to a local women's shelter. What a great way to combine a handicraft hobby with concern for the community. Day Sixteen: Government Spending at its Worst! (and millions of goats) So the election has been called. I can think of many things that Canadians would rather be doing on May 2nd than voting in yet another election. When checking out the Elections Canada website I was annoyed to see that their tagline is, "Shape Your World". I doubt that this election will be shaping our world. It will be costing the taxpayers a ridiculous amount of money. In 2008, Elections Canada spent $325 million (this included reimbursable expenses to candidates, producing election material and public awareness campaigns, and paying for the training and salary of election workers). Did I mention this expense is ridiculous? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a democratic society but I think federal elections in 2004, 2006, 2008, and now 2011 is pushing those limits. I can't help but think what that $325 million might be better spent on. A great way to put the electoral spending in perspective is to look at World Vision's "gift" catalogue. (worldvision.ca - sorry no direct link to the gift catalogue) It's amazing to see how far our dollars can go to impact lives. $325 Million could buy: 3,250,000 goats or 6,500,000 hens with 3,250,000 roosters or provide health and nutrition for 197,000,000 children in Ghana or sponsor 9.2 million children for a year! Just something to think about. Day Seventeen: World on Fire
One of my favourite videos of all times had been produced by Sarah Mclachlan. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0O2LMqnHGg) World on Fire points out the excessive amount the the music industry spends and how that money might be better spent. Just another take on spending our $ responsibly. Totally inspiring!

Day Fourteen: Let's Talk About Sex...

A week ago at the dinner table, my older daughter was talking about a little boy in her preschool class. I have noticed that they are often waiting at the same table at pick-up time. She was thinking aloud and said, "**** always wants to be with me, and I always want to be with him. (a thoughtful pause) So, I guess that makes us friends." My husband and I had to stifle our grins. It was adorable. And so it begins.

While looking at the statistics for spousal abuse I came across statistics for dating violence. The Department of Justice has a very informative article about dating violence. www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/fv-vf/facts-info/dati-freq.html

- 54% of high school students report dating abuse among their peers (In a 2000 study of Canadian Males aged 13-17 67% report being abusive to their partner. A 1995 study in Quebec reports that 54% of females & 13% of males report sexual coercion in a dating relationship. And if those stats weren't distressing enough, a Canadian Campus Study of 7,800 university aged students reports 28% of women admit to being sexually abused in the past year [prior to the study], and 11% of men admit to abusing a dating partner in the prior year!)

- Most dating abuse occurs in the home of one of the partners & most sexual abuse occured while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

- 80% of girls who are abused in a dating relationship continue to date their abuser

- An abuser doesn't just become an abuser when they turn 19, it begins in adolescence. Half of sex offenders admit to committing sex offenses before they were 18

- Teens (& young persons) facing dating violence are at an increased risk for substance abuse, negative weight control behaviours, sexually risky behaviours, pregnancy, and suicide. *National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2001)

It seems that there is a fundamental flaw in our "sex" education (both at the school level and at home). Most people would be shocked if sex education did not include the hows (mechanics) and whats (what can lead to pregnancy or STDs). Teens might learn all about condoms and birth control, but how many are given guidance about creating emotional, physical and sexual boundaries in relationship and how to discuss these with their dating partner? I have always thought that sex education should be explicit. Not in the graphic sense, but in developing communication and emotional management skills and frank discussions about what a healthy relationship looks like (or doesn't look like).

Fifty-four percent of parents admit that they haven't talked to their children about dating abuse. Eighty-one percent said that they didn't know if it was an issue or didn't think it was an issue. As a parent, I'm going to be conscious of discussing relationship issues, including dating violence, with my children. In the meantime, Jason will be doing a couple of preschool pick-ups just to check out our daughter's new boy-friend.

Day Thirteen: A Chrysalis of Hope Amid Abuse (Monarch Place)

The winding road of Lent is taking me in a new direction. "Poverty Street" is a long road, and I may come back to an intersection later in my journey. After yesterday's post about the women of the DTES I have been thinking about their histories and what circumstances landed them on the DTES. When I look at my own daughters I pray for wisdom and grace to keep them from such a tragic place. The women of the DTES are not necessarily part of the cycle of poverty, many come from "nice middle class families" yet, somewhere in the past their lives took a turn; involvement in drugs, abuse, self esteem issues. So I am expanding my focus to women who face abusive situations outside of the DTES, situations that could be right outside (or even inside) our front doors.

Spousal Abuse (also Dating Abuse) includes:

• physical violence (hitting, shoving, restraining, slapping)


• stalking or threatening


• sexual abuse


• controlling or intimidation (hurting or threatening to hurt a pet, threatening to hurt someone else, threatening to commit suicide, destroying property or stealing money, neglect, exploitation or withholding finances)


• mental abuse (put downs, name-calling, insults, rejection, belittling, isolation

The site http://domesticviolencebc.ca/ has many good resources for those facing abuse, or know someone who is. *site focuses on women in abusive situations, yet offers very little for men.

Here are some statistics that paint the picture of spousal abuse (in Canada):

- There were 40,200 reported incidents making up 12% of all reported violent incidents. (As we can imagine, there are so many more incidents that go un-reported & when they are reported it is not the first incident of abuse in the relationship).

- men and women experience equal rates of physical and emotional abuse (6% and 7% respectively) however, women experience more extreme, repeated violence (83% of reported incidents of violence are women)

- homicide rates: 3x more women are killed by men, than men that are killed by a female spouse

- 1-2 women/ week are killed by a spousal partner (most often within 2 months of deciding to leave the relationship)

- same-sex couples report similar rates of spousal abuse


*Canadian Statistics 2007, Department of Justice

The effects of this form of abuse are far reaching (especially for children who witness these incidents). The Canadian Department of Justice has estimated the shocking financial cost to Canadian Society at $4.2 billion a year (2001). This number accounts for social services, education, the justice system, labour, health and medical expenses. (Nearly $800 million is spent in the justice system alone). And just remember, these account for only the reported incidents of abuse. BC will spend $46.7 million on services specifically for women fleeing abuse. I can only imagine the cost of spousal abuse in the United States.

So the stats paint a grim picture. And you ask, once again, where is the hope for the victims?

It is the front line staff of the transition houses and other social service agencies that offer shelter, food, basic necessities and, above all else, comfort and safety. When I worked as the Program Director for the Boys' and Girls' Club in Delta I had many eye-opening (& heart opening) experiences with the children, youth and families. One of my most poigniant experiences was getting a phone call from a teenage girl, a regular, who said they had to leave the home of her mom's common-law partner & flee to a transition home. A few days later, when it was deemed safe enough for her, her younger siblings and mom to return to the area, she expressed such gratitude for the people at Monarch Place (the transition house) for caring for them. The sense of relief and safety she expressed stuck with me. Now, as a mother myself, I can only imagine how it must have felt, for her mother, fleeing in the night with her 4 children & the courage that it must have taken. For women in critically abusive situations, Monarch Place is a chrysalis of hope. The hope of emerging into a new life free from abuse, fear and pain. http://www.monarchplace.org/

*I contacted Monarch Place to get a "wish list" of most needed items, they need to call me back. I'll re-post this information when I receive it.

Day Eleven: The Tragedy of the Women of the DTES

A notorious association with the DTES is the case of serial killer, Willie Pickton. He was convicted of killing 6 women (who were last seen on the DTES) & had another 20 charges (of which there was DNA evidence) & there are another 14 missing women are suspected to have fallen victim to Pickton.

It is not just the number of victims that is shocking, it is the lack of action by police that incites public outrage. Starting in 1995 there were women, most known prostitutes & drug addicts, suddenly missing from the DTES. The police did not take the missing persons reports seriously since many DTES residents are transient and often these "missing persons" would turn up in other cities or under a different name. Yet, during the years that Pickton was preying on women in the DTES, the residents knew that something much more sinister was at work, and still their cries (and the pleas of family members) fell on deaf ears.

Throughout the trial of Pickton many people made a lot of noise and raised awareness of the outright prejudice that exists towards prostitutes and drug addicts on the DTES. These women deserve safety and protection as much as any female lawyer who lives in an upscale condo in Yaletown.

Fast-forward to September 2010. A young woman fell to her death from a window on Hastings Street. Ashley's death is suspicious and once again, incited the outrage of her family, friends and the DTES community regarding violence towards women. It was the mobilization of the community that inspired the Vancouver Police to launch "Sister Watch". (www.vancouver.ca/police/organization/investigation/investigative-services/major-crime/sister-watch.html )
Sister Watch is a phone line staffed by specially trained civilian women. Sister Watch also has a speaker's bureau and conducts Town Hall meetings on the DTES. Sister Watch cleverly marketed themselves to the women on the DTES by having their hotline number printed on lighters. Lighters on the DTES are a hot commodity and so commonplace that having one (even with the Sister Watch contact information on it) does not rouse suspicion, unlike a business card. To date the Sister Watch hotline has been the source of many tips that led to the arrest of violent and vindictive drug dealers who specifically targeted women on the DTES. Kudos to the VPD for putting resources of time, energy and finances towards the DTES. And for the many officers who act with compassion for society's most vulnerable.

Sister Watch- hope from voices lost, and for voices who may only be able to whisper.

* It is worth noting that the home page of the VPD has very visible links to missing persons' files and information about their homeless outreach on the DTES. www.vpd.ca

Day Ten: Wealth That Goes Beyond A Bank Account

Tonight I'm putting in another late night post. As I sit here amid gift ribbons, balloons and tulle (it was a princess party) in the aftermath of my 4 year old's birthday party I am filled, once again, with immense gratitude.

We definitely don't live an extravagant life but we are wealthy. Our car is not new, our house desperately needs re-painting & our home is simple, none of the outward signs of being rich. However, we were blessed this evening to have a house full of aunts, uncles, little cousins running amok, Grandparents, even Great-Grandparents to celebrate the full-of-life child that entered our lives 4 years ago. My totally extroverted daughter was thrilled to have so many people around her & to whack at a pinata, laugh at a puppet show & run around on a dragon egg hunt. For her, this was the best day of her life! For me, it was a reminder of the riches we have in family, delicious food (thanks to my husband, the gourmand) & fun times shared.

With respect to Poverty, "poor" can go well beyond the borders of food, shelter and access to health, education and security. Poverty can affect every one of us no matter our financial position. It is the moments in life that fill us with joy and gratitude that make us truly rich!

Day Nine: Trading An ipod For a Soup Ladle

Today has been a busy day. I've been looking after 4 little girls under 4, preparing for a 4th birthday party for 25-ish family members at our house- cleaning, making princess tiaras, hiding dragon eggs, baking a "castle" cake & finally writing a blog post. I have to admit that right now, I feel more like crashing into my cozy bed than sitting at the laptop writing today's post. However, I am reminded that this is what Lent is about- persevering when it would be easier to give up. So with the help of some chocolate pomegranate candies, I'll get on with my promised story about teens on the Downtown Eastside.

In March of 2009 a group of 15 nervous and excited teens (along with 3 adults) left behind their ipods, internet and arrived on the DTES for a five-day missions trip. The teens, Grade 10 students from Lions Gate Christian Academy, had been preparing for their DTES experience for months; fundraising to cover their costs, attending information evenings & hearing from guest speakers. They were ready, but nothing could prepare them for the range of emotions and vivid images they were about to be confronted with.

Working with "Youth With A Mission" the five days unfolded like this:
DAY ONE: DTES Scavenger Hunt to familiarize the students with the area. For many students it was their first time actually walking around the Main and Hastings neighbourhood. In the evening, the students attended a presentation about human trafficking and prostitution in Vancouver. "This was a very eye-opening and emotional experience." says my former teaching partner and amazing friend, Amy Wilson, the teacher who coordinated the trip. "Emotions ran high from anger to frustration. The students learned about the various organizations working to put an end to trafficking and discovered that, as long as there is breath, there is hope." This phrase would be a theme running through their experiences over the next few days.

DAY TWO: Chili Wagon Day! The students got to roll up their sleeves and help on the front-line. They chopped veggies, stirred chili and baked banana bread along-side former DTES residents & Gordie who started the "Chili Wagon". www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV-_1XH_int4 After 9 hours of kitchen work, the students took the hot meal to Britannia Park to share with 50+ people. They were able to chat with many Chili Wagon "regulars" & heard their life stories.

DAY THREE: The students toured some of the temples and worship sites of various religions to see how they care for the community & learn more about the diversity of the city.

DAY FOUR: The students were asked to pose as a homeless teen at various locations around Vancouver (Gastown, Granville Street, Robson Street). So they just sat, and sat, on the sidewalk and experienced what it might be like to be homeless. That evening's debriefing session went late. The teens had so much to say, "People didn't want to look me in the eye when they walked by!" "Someone even crossed the street and then crossed back, once they had passed by me." "Someone gave me a lunch- sushi!"

DAY FIVE: Students volunteered at the Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster. "What impressed me the most about my students was their respect for every individual and their desire to help out- serving food, handing out clothing, sweeping floors, even cleaning toilets," said Amy.

When the students returned to school they spoke about their experiences at an assembly. "So many parents told me that their teen would not stop talking about their experiences," Amy remarked. "They were constantly reminded that; wherever there is breath, there is hope." Not just for the people of the DTES, but for this generation of teens. This particular group is forever changed by their time on the DTES & will forever be conscious of their actions in offering hope in seemingly hopeless circumstances.

Thanks Amy (and the students) who shared this story.

Day Eight: Knitting for the Downtown Eastside

Today my post is short and sweet- while surfing some sites I came across this great story about a group of knitting Grannies who used their hobby to benefit women and children on the Downtown Eastside! http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Afternoon_Gathering_Turns_into_Act_of_Giving/202

Coming Up Tomorrow:
Teens giving up ipods, hangin' with friends & the comforts of home to experience the Downtown Eastside!

Day Seven: Is Access to Technology a Luxury or a Necessity?

Is access to technology a luxury or a necessity? That's the question Community Voice Mail (a free voicemail service) poses.

How many of us would feel out of sorts if we didn't have a phone? Our daily facebook updates? The internet to look-up the answer to a random musing? Now imagine what it is like for those who are homeless. How would a potential employer contact you for an interview? How would the doctor let you know the results of your tests? How could family members let you know they were thinking of you? Life without a phone line can be a a life sentence keeping you imprisoned on the street.

Community Voice Mail was started in Seattle in 1992. A company donated 145 voicemail lines to homeless job-seekers and a mere 2 months later, 70% of them had jobs! (cvm.org )CVM started in Vancouver in February 2010 and is managed by Vancouver Lu'ma Native Housing Society. Within 5 minutes (and the help a staff person and a script to help with a professional message) anyone can have their own voicemail.

A benefit of CVM is that it allows the system manager to issue broadcast messages. These messages can alert users of local events, weather alerts, shelter information or even "bad john" warnings. Prior to CVM folks relied on a message board at Carnegie Hall to get replies from job interviews, messages from family or calls from their doctor's office. The Downtown Eastside Residents community website (dtes.ca) offers a personal story from Chrystal, under the "Recent News Postings".


Sometimes it's the simplest ideas that have the greatest impact!

Day Six: Homeless In My Backyard!

No, I'm not getting out the tent and sleeping bags to camp out in the yard, but I am thinking about how NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) and poverty are related. I've been writing about poverty, specifically in Canada and poverty affecting children. But it seems like the topic would be incomplete if I didn't take a look at the notorious face of poverty- Vancouver's downtown eastside.

We are all aware of the issue of poverty however, too often, it remains hidden (i.e. the "working poor" who live around us) or it is swept into a corner of the city and we hope it won't come creeping out so we have to face it. The downtown eastside has been called "Canada's poorest postal code" and is littered with (pun intended) homelessness, drug-use, alcoholism, the sex-trade, violence and crime- the very things we don't want in our proverbial backyards. Yet anyone who has lived in or visited Metro-Vancouver in the past 5 years has seen these "things" creeping into other areas of the city. Living in New Westminster for 10 years certainly gave me a glimpse into this side of poverty. When my youngest daughter was a baby we would go for long walks in the Columbia Street neighbourhood. This area, adjacent to the skytrain, was a gathering place for transient people. Ironically, pushing a stroller with a cute infant made me more approachable and the "locals" often initiated a conversation with me (or more often than not, the baby). They would then tell me about their children who they hadn't seen in years, a family member that had died and they didn't get to see them, or a story about travelling across the country looking for a job. I was usually at a loss for words, I often could only listen and mumble a "have a nice day." A father. A sister. A brother. A son. People. Not just a an alcoholic or a homeless person. Real people who deserve compassion and not judgement or ignored.

Addictions related poverty issues are complex. But extending compassion to people who find themselves dealing with those situations shouldn't be. When I think of hope for the downtown eastside I think of Union Gospel Mission & First United.

Union Gospel Mission has been on the downtown eastside since 1940! (Sadly, it's been needed for 70 years!) I usually think of the meal programs & emergency shelter but UGM offers a drug and alcohol recovery program, sending kids to camp program, back to school event (which gives kids school supplies), a mobile mission van which takes food, blankets, basic medical supplies out to the alleys, and more. Check the website: ugm.ca An innovative event organized by UGM is the November Eastside Cultural Crawl with artwork created by professionals and UGM clients.

First United Church has been on the site since 1889 and has a strong history of helping the community. They offer meal programs, shelter and strive to be an inclusive community. "A community at the margins- a community without margins". firstunited.ca

Day Five: Full Day Kindergarten? A Step Towards Ending the Cycle of Poverty or a Step Towards Fully Subsidized Daycare?

Most days with a (nearly) 4 year-old girl can be a struggle. Add in a 2 year-old sister & I have to admit that I look forward to full-day kindergarten. I know that once that moment arrives I will look back fondly on the days of going a daytrip on a whim, sleeping in, playing outside without being bound to a school schedule. I may be opening a can of worms by entering into the full-day kindergarten "debate", but a sidebar link on a website got me thinking about the connection full-day kindergarten plays in reducing poverty.

In doing some further reading and looking at some statistics, Canada is missing the mark in providing (er, forking out the $ for) quality early childhood programs. Specifically, the Unicef Innocenti Report Card 8 looks at early childhood and childcare in 25 of the richest countries (unicef.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=2250 *look at the summary chart 1/2 way down the page & check out Report Card 7 which looks specifically at child well-being including poverty & education) and examines Canada's shameful ranking in detail. Canada is one of the most affluent countries (based on GDP), yet spends only 0.2% of the GDP on programs for 0-6 years. The countries who rank higher on the report card offer much more progressive childcare and education programs and have spending rates closer to 2% [of their GDP]. So what do all these numbers mean with regards to full-day kindergarten (FDK)?

Study after study conclude that a developmentally appropriate FDK offers many benefits for all students. Some of these benefits include; higher academic scores (primarily between K and Gr.3), improved social skills and early intervention for students with behavioural challenges and learning disabilities. Without a doubt, FDK provides the most benefit for children from low-income families. Some direct benefits that fight poverty include:
- allowing parents to work full-time, reducing the amount paid for childcare (reducing on average ~$500/month based on quality childcare) = more money for necessities
- allowing parents to attend school (upgrade their education & skills)= potentially higher family income
- higher levels of academic and social success = reduced drop out rates = more high school graduates
- more children in safe, supervised spaces with developmentally appropriate, educationally enriching activities and potential access to meal programs and social service connections

If those benefits aren't compelling enough, then the simple financial facts may say it all. In Canada's Chief Public Health Officer's report (2008) he states that, for every $1 spent on a child's well-being now it saves the equivalent of $3-$9 in health, criminal and social assistance costs later on. How can our government not fund full-day kindergarten?

In our house the perspective on FDK is a little skewed, since my husband is a kindergarten teacher (as well as my mother-in-law & sister-in-law) & I worked for 8 years as an elementary school teacher. I don't want to come across as anti-family. I can hardly be accused of that position since I've been fortunate to choose to be a stay-at-home parent for the majority of the last 4 years. I also currently run a LNR childcare "business" (I have 2 girls I provide daycare for on a part-time basis) registered with the local Childcare Resource and Referral (CCRR) agency. So I'm aware of the desperate need for quality childcare spaces.

Jason's front-line experience in FDK speaks volumes. This year, he feels that he is able to create a developmentally appropriate program that gives the time to allow the students to get fully engaged in the activities and learn at their own pace. He doesn't feel like he needs to rush through the curriculum and take "shortcuts" that may not be child-centered. The students are able to interact with their peers and have a positive school experience.


So where's the hope and inspiration in today's post? Kudos to the BC government for taking the risk on FDK and thank you to Mr.Hodgins (aka The Shape Sheriff) who had a posse of 19 five and six year old kindergarten deputies creating "Wanted" posters for 3-D objects and hunting them down all over their classroom. Thank you to all teachers for working so hard to create positive school experiences for your students. You may never know what an impact you have on their lives!

Sunday: A Day of Rest!

Today I won't have an "official post" and will enjoy a day of rest. Traditionally, Lent is 40 days but the Sundays are excluded. It is a long explanation, so I have a link (of course) to a site that explains it in more detail. www.catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/f/Counting_Lent.htm

I'll be back tomorrow with more about Poverty!

Day Four: So Call Me a Socialist!

I'm digging out my Birkenstocks and heading for the local commune... well, not exactly. Not yet.

This issue of poverty has got my head spinning & my mind racing with ideas. I came across the idea of a Robin Hood Tax in the UK. This would be a 0.05% tax on financial transactions (big banks, investors). robinhoodtax.org Taking from the rich to help the poor. Sounds reasonable to me. Another idea that intrigues me is the: 25 in 5 Campaign. 25in5.ca (this website focuses on the efforts in Ontario but is based on similar campaigns in Europe). Like the names says, it aims to reduce the rate of poverty by 25% in 5 years (and by 50% in 10 years!). The provincial government is targeted as the method to make it happen- hence, making a social agenda a priority & encouraging a strong social safety net (i.e. affordable housing, childcare- think Quebec, raising the minimum wage, ensuring access to medical and dental services). So, do I need to sign up as a member of a socialist party to get on board?

Not necessarily, here are some ideas from John Madeley (a UK writer associated with "Make Poverty History") to fight poverty locally and worldwide:
1) Write to your leaders. By writing to MPs, MLAs, mayors, etc. it helps raise the profile of poverty. On a national level, he advocates writing about extending debt relief to developing nations & giving more aid to developing nations.
2) Tackle climate change: the UN Food and Agriculture Committee is concerned about food output and the affect recent floods and severe weather have had on global food production (spelling it out- less food= higher food costs= less "nourishing" food for those in poverty). Madeley suggests many eco-friendly actions that fight climate change and ultimately, poverty.
3) Use your purchasing power: make the choice to purchase fair trade items ( & look beyond coffee!)
4) Spread the word: Madeley even encourages the reader to become a "media guerrilla" by writing to local newspapers, organizing events that attract media attention, and generally raising awareness of poverty locally & worldwide.

So maybe I'm not a socialist, just a social-media guerrilla.

Day Three

PART ONE: HOPE IN THE QUAKE
I had written most of the post for today (see part two below) & early this afternoon I found out about the catastrophic earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost loved ones, have missing loved ones, those living in the aftermath & for those mobilizing to offer hope in the chaos (may I also include the field journalists who are forming a crucial information network). During these times, we also are reminded of those affected by other recent disasters & violence & for all the efforts to offer hope in those situations.

It seems only fitting to post some links to the Red Cross and to an Emergency Preparedness Site:
Canadian Red Cross: www.redcross.ca (information on today's quake, Christchurch relief efforts, Libya)

Emergency Preparedness- Are you prepared for 72 hours? Do you know what to do before, during & after a quake? This site offers some reminders. Getprepared.ca
BTW: I'm off to buy new batteries, a windup radio & flashlight to add to our kit, with the masses of anxious west-coasters, at Canadian Tire tomorrow AM!


PART TWO: SPRING CLEANING FOR A CAUSE!
(this is the original Day Three post)
If you are a family which includes babies, preschoolers, school-age children (or a man with a large disposable income) you no doubt have toys, toys, toys! All too soon, this stuff comes to the end of its usefulness & it needs a new home. (I can think of a specific "popper" toy that is often confiscated & frequently resides on the top shelf of my closet!) The solution to the clutter is to reduce what we buy, but that is a post of a different matter so I'll steer away from that enviro-preachy sermon for today. So how can all this stuff be a benefit to anyone?

Almost immediately after posting the information about the Clothes Closet, I began to worry that I might have offended you generous folks who donate clothing & goods to other places. There are so many remarkable organizations that do amazing work and offer donation programs so that the proceeds of the low-cost items for sale go to support their work in the community. So all those exersaucers, ride-on toys, even blender #3, can find a cause to support!

Here are a few charities that offer thrift stores & pick-up of goods:

- Salvation Army thriftstore.ca (their website has donation site locator, list of acceptable items and other interesting info.)

- MCC Thrift Shops thrift.mcc.org (Their slogan is: "Where every purchase is a gift to the world!" (take that capitalism!)

- Canadian Diabetes http://www.diabetes.ca/get-involved/supporting-us/clothesline/

- Aunt Leah's http://auntleahs.org/thriftstore.html (their programs support Moms and babies!)

- Hospital Auxiliaries

- Hospice Societies

Pick-Up:

- Big Brothers bigbrothersvancouver.com/clothingpickup/ (despite what their URL says, they take more than just clothing!)

- Developmental Disabilities http://develop.bc.ca/contribute/donate-clothes/pickups.html

(They are the ones who supply items to Value Village, they also have donation bins & bottle donation bins as well!)

All these organizations do such amazing work- perhaps I'll have to revisit some of them later on.

Please feel free to add links to other organizations that offer donation programs in the comment section!

Day Two: Oak Avenue Clothes Closet

Day Two: As I'm on a journey, of sorts, I'll just follow where this inevitably winding & bumpy road might lead. Today the road seems to be leading me to the intersection of Poverty & Children.

In 1994 the Canadian Government pledged to end child poverty by 2000. Today, 12% of Canadian children still live in poverty- that's 1 in 9- more than 1,000,000 Canadian kids! (source: Canadian Children's Rights Council) That fact astounds me! When I think of how I live (a family of 4, making sacrifices to get by on one income) we still have "enough". When I look at our average-sized closets packed to the brim, our mudroom overflowing with multiple shoes & jackets, hats & mitts for each member of the family, I know we live comfortably.

Although my children are smaller than average (we got 3 years out of one winter jacket between the two girls), we still have piles of children's clothing that is in really good condition. I was really happy to find out about the Oak Avenue Clothes Closet. The Clothes Closet offers FREE clothes for children from infancy to age 12! Did I mention that the clothes are given to children for FREE? What an amazing gift to those families! The Clothes Closet is located in North Surrey. www.oanh.ca/clothescloset.html

If you know of other free "clothes closet" programs please leave your comments!

Day 1: Tiny Bundles @ the Surrey Food Bank

Day One...where do I start? For novelists the advice is always, 'write about what you know'. At this point in my life my little girls are my biggest inspiration. This morning, as I observed my younger daughter tip up her bright yellow cereal bowl enveloping her nose, mouth and half her face to lick up what remained of her "goaty-meal" (our nickname for oatmeal), I was struck with a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the means to provide healthy food, even the occasional stop for fast food or a "special treat". Not only are we able to feed our children, we are fortunate enough to have diapers, new clothes (thanks grandparents & family!), books galore, toys, the opportunity to go to preschool, Parks and Rec programs... and the list goes on spelling out how "rich" we are when I consider that children around the world and right here, in my community, go hungry on a regular basis.

Today I would like to focus on the amazing work of local Food Banks. A search of "Food Banks" brings up a whopping 11,000,000 hits! The stats across the board say that 51% of their users are families with children. Food Banks go above and beyond supplying food, some have a preschool storytime, a literacy program, and most provide special programs to ensure that families with kids get a supplemental supply of nutrious food each week.

This past summer, as the outreach coordinator for our VBS, we focused on the "Tiny Bundles" program at the Surrey Food Bank. http://surreyfoodbank.org/ A few of us took a tour to see first hand how it works. Each week, approximately 120 families with babies come to the Tiny Bundles program. Families are given extra fruit and veggies, dairy products (nursing moms are given extra eggs & milk), formula, and a freebie (extra diapers, a bib, sippy cup, toddler toothbrush/toothpaste, whatever they can get through donations). The staff are incredible at trying to help the families- they've even organized a gift layette for new babies (an outfit, jammies, bottle, blanket, often items lovingly knit by folks in the community). When the babies have their 1st birthday the families are given a "graduation gift"- new outfit, toothbrush/toothpaste, etc. Many families don't have a car which makes it difficult to get their food home. So, the Food Bank, offers a "handy cart". Amazing as it is, the Food Bank- like the people it helps- struggles to make ends meet. Their warehouse appears well-stocked but they say it would only last about 20 days if item and monetary donations ceased.

What kindess and dignity the staff and volunteers show. We can only imagine the difference they make in the lives of children and how that will impact those children in the longterm!

(*the pictures are a few of my own that I took on my tour last spring)

It's that time of year again... Pancake Day! Inevitably, those buttery, syrup dripping morsels give way to the less indulgent days of Lent. As a Christian tradition, Lent has been a time of reflection during the forty days prior to Easter. In the past I've tried to do the conventional "give-up-something-for-Lent" by forgoing chocolate, caffeine, sugar even TV. In contemplating an idea for Lent a couple of things got me thinking:
1) "The Uninformed Masses"- a criticism in a local paper claimed that despite the widespread use of social media, news apps & the availability of information on the internet people still choose to be uninformed. I was initially dismissive of the letter writer's accusations until I realized that I was one of those people! Not because I don't care about the issues; I just don't hunt down world issues in my daily routine of preschool drop off & pick up, story reading, grocery shopping, toilet training, email replying, making food, cleaning up food, laundry, etc. I rarely watch the news and don't even listen to the radio- Raffi has top billing in our vehicle. An excuse? Perhaps.
2) Groupon- not just Groupon, but the multitude of websites dedicated to daily money-saving deals. These sites have the amazing power to reach hundreds of thousands of subscribers to build up the clientele of a previously unknown business. I began wondering if it was possible to have a more altruistic "Groupon"-type site?

My thinking gave way to the idea of using Lent as a time to dig deeper into some of these difficult issues while finding people or organizations that offer hope. I thought that by documenting my journey through Facebook or a blog I'd be compelled to post something each day and be a kind of humanitarian "Groupon". So today I launch, Forty my Lenten "project".

You can expect a daily website link and a brief blurb about why that someone, or organization, has inspired me. By focusing on hope amidst tragedy I hope to glimpse a little bit of Easter each day!