Social Justice reporting

Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Association

2012-02-15T20:25:00.005-05:00

PHOTO: A group of us climb the height of Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks. (Corey Lablans Photo)

KERI SCULLAND

"The Algonquin to Adirondacks Program aims to ensure ecological connectivity and help restore biodiversity within a broad region of eastern Ontario and northern New York State stretching from Algonquin Park to the Adirondack Mountains."

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is a group of passionate people working to preserve the forests and watersheds from Algonquin Park in Eastern Ontario to the Adirondacks in New York State.
Having lived in a number of areas affected, it comes as a surprise to hear about the American Eel, a species at risk that resides between Algonquin and the Adirondacks.
CPAWS has a campaign, Algonquin-to-Adirondacks (A2A), to help bring awareness to species and animals like the American Eel between the two affected areas.
The American Eel is just a "small sample" CPAWS says on their website, regarding what is at risk within the wet and dry natural corridors.
The American Eel is so important because it is the only member of the genus Anguilla found in North America. One generation of this eel takes about 20 years, and CPAWS expects it will take many generations to complete the recovery efforts, making this a long-term project for Ontario.
Recently, CPAWS has worked to address conservation issues in Algonquin Park. It has also produced a science-based report on Conservation Potential of the Frontenac Axis: Linking Algonquin Park to the Adirondacks, and has played a key role in the protection zone for eastern wolves and coyotes in all townships surrounding Algonquin Park.
The list doesn't stop there. You can learn more about what CPAWS has to offer at www.cpaws-ov-vo.org, or attend A2A's annual general meeting and speaker's forum in Rockport, ON at the Rockport Community Hall, beginning at 9 a.m.
Reading more about the A2A program is a good first step in learning about the issues we face in our own back yard.
On the website, there is an entire draft recovery strategy for the American Eel, which is recommended advice to the Province of Ontario.
Under the Endangered Species Act from 2007 and the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada, Ontario must ensure steps are being taken to recover the American Eel.

Student speaks out against emotional abuse

2011-07-19T18:17:00.001-04:00

When Alberni District Secondary School student Kassah Wutke took a stand by creating a project against emotional abuse, she didn't realize it would lead her to receive the Social Justice Award in her graduating year.

Wutke created her interactive project and teamed up with outreach worker Marla Kjernisted at the Alberni Community and Women's Services Society.

Together, they taught students in middle schools and high school classes about how emotional abuse works. Wutke, with personal experience, guided the students through activities teaching them how to detect emotional abuse and how to deal with it properly.

From her project, Wutke learned that she would like to do some volunteering for advocacy groups, and thinks social justice may lead her to a career in the future.

Prior to her graduation from ADSS, Wutke learned that her efforts spreading awareness about issues like this earned her the Social Justice Award.

Throughout the year, Wutke wrote a "social action facilitation" journal, in which she wrote that her talents were working with people and public speaking, which she tied with her passion for stopping emotional abuse.

"I was able to successfully fulfill the equation of 'talent plus passion equals better world' through this project," she wrote.

Through the project, she learned that she is a better public speaker now, and also learned she would rather work with people one-on-one.

"I've been through an emotionally abuse relationship," she said. "I didn't notice at first. It starts innocent, then gets tougher."

Sometimes, she explained, it's just something young people accept as typical behaviour, when in actual fact, it can lead to mentally harmful emotional abuse and physical abuse.

Her project featured a two-minute video at the beginning, followed by brainstorming on what students thought emotional abuse was.

True or false questionnaire activities, acting and role playing followed.

This project has helped Wutke decide that she would like to go into clinical psychology in school to help teenagers and make a difference.

She presented the project seven times to different audiences, and at the end, she invited students to speak with Kjernisted if they had something they wanted to confide.

The response she received was better than she expected. She assumed students would learn, but keep quiet about their reactions. However, she has students coming up to her at the end giving praise.

ksculland@avtimes.net

Kama Money takes second trip to Africa, focusing on schools

2011-07-19T18:14:00.001-04:00

Kama Money is all over the map, and has been granted a second trip to Africa, this time visiting Rwanda for the grand opening of a girls's school.
The Port Alberni resident found an essay contest on Plan Canada's Because I Am a Girl Facebook page, and applied, thinking that she was qualified for the trip. A number of weeks later, she received the news, learning that she was one of the three individuals chosen for the trip.
This news comes a year after her last trip to Africa, where Money was building schools and learning the hardships women in the country face each day.
The trip is from Aug. 2 to 11.
"When I went to Africa last summer, I made a promise to myself that I would definitely go back," Money said. "It's extremely surreal that I get to go back almost exactly a year later."
After a nationwide search from February until April, three inspiring Canadians were named the winners of the smartgirls challenge, a contest developed by glac?au smartwater and Plan Canada's Because I am a Girl initiative in partnership with two-time Olympic champion Jennifer Heil.
The contest was launched in an effort to raise awareness of the Because I am a Girl initiative, a global movement for social change that invests in girls to help eliminate global poverty and claim a safe future for girls.
While in Rwanda, Money will attend the grand opening of the girls' school and work with girls and women in the community. She will also have the chance to go gorilla-watching with the group to observe the animals in their natural habitat and see their interactions with other species and their environment.
She will also visit the genocide museum, which highlights the deaths of 800,000 people during the genocide in Africa many years ago.
"Fun" is not how she would describe that part of the trip, but she is looking forward to the intense visit, and expects to bring back a lot of material for her social justice class at the high school to see and learn more about.

E.J. Dunn students with "shameless idealist" shirt

2011-06-06T14:14:00.001-04:00

E.J. Dunn Middle School students were excited to hear that they sold the most Me to We shirts and canvas bags across the country.

Dunn students learn valuable lessons

2011-06-06T14:12:00.001-04:00

The $5,000 win from the Me To We T-shirt selling contest will go towards building a school for less fortunate children

Alberni Valley Times
Mon May 16 2011
Page: A3
Section: Local
Byline: Keri Sculland
Source: Alberni Valley Times

A number of weeks ago, E.J. Dunn Middle School students received news that they had won a Me To We T-shirt selling contest, out of many schools across Canada.

As they sat waiting for a call that was supposed to come at 9 a.m., some students doubted they had won until the phone rang a half hour later.

An illusionist visited the students to present them with a larger-than-life cheque, but it was no trick, the students received $5,000 from Me To We for selling the most T-shirts.

Scott Hammell, the illusionist, did more than just tricks for the students. He spoke to them about making positive changes in their lives.

"How you can make changes at any age," student Eric Gill said about Hammell's message to them.

The students are very near to their $8,500 fundraising goal. That money is going toward building a school for children who are less off than the E.J. Dunn students.

"It makes me proud and motivated to do more," student Shelby Clydesdale said. "I knew we sold enough T-shirts."

Gill said, although the students were sure their shirt sales skyrocketed above all other schools, that is was pretty crazy to hear that they had actually won and that Me To We would give them money for their project of choice.

"I didn't think we won because the phone call was late," student Ashton Locke remembered.

E.J. Dunn was up against schools with hundreds of students in metropolitan areas like Vancouver and Toronto.

"It was pretty amazing for a smaller school to raise that much," student Sebastien Yan said. "I think it's because we're so motivated."

The students have been adding to their T-shirt sale money by raising funds at bake sales, through building and selling picnic tables, and a number of other fundraisers.

"That is extremely unique that the whole school got involved," teacher Krista Dillon said. "I know what you've done, children are going to have a safe place to learn."

Students at the school crafted picnic tables of different sizes in one of their woodworking classes. They were able to raise approximately $1,000 from the sales.

Throughout their competition, students learned many valuable lessons, they said.

Student Gareth Baird said he learned not to feel sorry for himself because there are many people in the world a lot less off.

"Think of other people, not just yourself," student Lindsey Taylor said.

E.J. Dunn is a hot topic at Free The Children, the organization that hosts Me To We, said Dillon, because they are a small school that put their hearts out enough to raise money and accomplish their goal.

"The world isn't treated equally," student Braiden Cutforth said. "We're trying to help others who have so little."

KSculland@avtimes.net

Dunn focuses on Me to We

2011-05-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

Dunn focuses on Me to We

Alberni Valley Times
Mon Dec 20 2010
Page: A1 / Front
Section: News
Byline: Keri Sculland
Source: Alberni Valley Times

Students at E.J. Dunn Middle School have been working hard to raise funds and awareness for Me to We, an organization committed to helping people around the world.

They took a trip to Vancouver for We Day on Oct. 15, and have been raising funds for the organization ever since.

Upon their return to Port Alberni, the students were already talking about ways they could help other students around the world. Three major campaigns came out of their discussions.

Now, E.J. Dunn is the top school in Canada for sales of Me to We T-shirts and tote bags.

They are up against schools across Canada, including metropolitan schools in Vancouver and Toronto.

But, teacher Krista Dillon said they are only ahead by approximately five T-shirt sales.

On Thursday, students counted thousands of coins from a penny drive they hosted.

After it was all counted and sorted, the students raised 36,571 pennies, plus some cash donations, totalling $589.27.

We Day had such an impact on the students, they're group of go-getters grew and grew. They have come together with one goal in mind: education for everyone.

They're first goal, through fundraising, is to build a school in India, Dillon explained.

So far, the students have raised approximately $700, and don't show any signs of stopping.

"It's the kids," Dillon said about fundraising efforts. "They just come to [teachers], it's all their ideas."

Derek Smith has been actively involved with most of the school's fundraising for the project.

"It's fun, and we can help different kids in other countries that don't have schools," he said. "Without Me to We, some kids wouldn't be able to go to school."

Education is very important to Smith, his fellow students and teachers at the school.

However, the students aren't only focusing on worldwide issues. They see the need at home, in Port Alberni as well.

They have worked to co-ordinate food hampers to send out to the Bread of Life for local families during the Christmas season.

Teacher Felicia Haider also came up with an idea to help people during the winter season. She and her students began collecting mittens. They set a goal for 100 pairs, and surpassed it.

"The kids brought them in," Haider said.

They also gathered 75 toys to donate, loads of nonperishable food items and sponsored families through the Bread of Life.

"It was great for all the kids," she said. "I think we're going to be connecting with people who don't have anybody this holiday season."

KSculland@avtimes.net

Province funds shelter beds

2010-11-28T23:47:00.001-05:00

Province funds shelter beds

Keri Sculland, Alberni Valley Times

Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010

With winter on the way, more homeless people will be looking for a warm place to stay.

This is why the provincial government has allocated it's yearly funds to shelters around the province.

The extra money is intended to help fund shelters and ensure food and bedding is provided for homeless people.

The Port Alberni Shelter submitted a budget to the province before the funding was granted, it was assessed, and then the provincial government provided funding for an additional 10 beds, administrator Wes Hewitt explained.

"During the year, we are only funded for a portion of what we have, so in the winter time, they fund more, because they expect higher use," Hewitt added.

Yesterday was not a day someone would want to be stuck outside, Hewitt pointed out. The front entrance of the shelter was filled with people finding cover from the snow storm yesterday and there were some new entries.

The Port Alberni Shelter has 40 permanent beds, approximately 10 cots and a lot of room to lay mats down if need be, explained volunteer Rob Harrison.

"Worst case scenario, if we did have to house 30 extra, we'd have them on some mats," Hewitt said.

When there is an extreme weather events, like yesterday, an alert is issued in the community, and at that point, the emergency beds become available.

"That alert is based on a series of guidelines that are written," Hewitt said. "This is the first one of the season, and it started on Friday."

When weather conditions are deemed severe enough to threaten the wellbeing and life of a homeless person, the alert is posted, Hewitt said.

"Factors we take into account are low temperatures with rainfall, sleet, freezing rain, snow accumulation, high winds and temperatures below 0 C," He explained.

With high volumes of people going into the shelter, Hewitt said they are always looking for boots, coats, hats and gloves this time of year. Items can be dropped off at 3978 Eighth Avenue.

Phoenix rising

2010-11-26T01:38:00.002-05:00

This is the Phoenix rising: Fraser

After months of renovations, the Phoenix House shows off fresh paint and safety features for housing at-risk citizens

Keri Sculland, Alberni Valley Times

Published: Monday, November 15, 2010

"It's a blessing to have this place for the people that need it," Ronny Robinson, a tenant of the Phoenix House said on Friday.

Friends, family and supporters of the Phoenix House gathered on Friday for the grand reopening.

After a blessing from the Tseshaht First Nation, Myron Jespersen from the Phoenix House introduced the ceremony. General manager for the B.C. Region of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Charles MacArthur took the mic.

Fire exits, windows, doors, plumbing, electrical and exterior work has been done on the building since it opened its doors in 2009, MacArthur explained.The Phoenix House has been the brainchild of Sarina Jansson and Wayne Salter for a number of years.

"This is great news for those in need and Port Alberni as a whole," he said.

Funding for the project came from a $1.6-million federal government budget, he added, through the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program.

"Today's event marks an important step forward for Port Alberni," MacArthur said.

The government provided $288,000 toward the renovation of 12 units at the Phoenix House.

"We worked together, and put a proposal in to get some funding," Jespersen said. "Part of the miracle is they've been able to do it while some of the residents were housed in the building."

Next, Mayor Ken McRae said he'd like to see Jansson and Salter get provincial funding to help with operations costs.

"Here's hoping you can expand again," McRae said.

There is a building next to the newly renovated one on Fifth Avenue that Jansson and Salter also own. They plan to upgrade and renovate it similarly.

"We need to find a way for this to get some stable funding so this can continue," Jespersen said.

McRae has been lobbying for support for the Phoenix House, and hopes to get some provincial funding circulating soon.

"It is a great day for Port Alberni," Alberni-Qualicum MLA Scott Fraser said.

"Hats off to Sarina and Wayne, against all odds, on completing this project. It's top-notch," Fraser added. "This is the Phoenix rising."

Inside, the walls are freshly painted, and each unit has a complete kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.

"It's a wonderful facility," Fraser added. "It has a good, warm feeling to it. It feels like home."

Jansson and Salter were all smiles as they gave tours through the house.

"It's a memorable moment for me," Salter said. "It was all worth it."

The house already has some tenants, but there is room for more. Some of the units feature wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, complete with accessible showers and walk-in bathtubs.

Renovations at the Phoenix House have been in the works since the building caught fire over a year ago. Fire destroyed the fire escape stairs and caused extensive smoke damage to parts of the building.

Interesting article: One in nine Canadians have faced homelessness

2010-05-03T20:21:00.001-04:00

Shannon Proudfoot
Canwest News Service
One in nine Canadians has been homeless or on the brink of homelessness, and in some provinces that figure is as high as one in five, as the effects of the recession linger.
Across the country, nearly three million people have landed on the street or come close to it — 12 per cent of all Canadians — according to a report expected to be released Monday by the Salvation Army.
“It certainly is sobering, it certainly is eye-opening,” says Andrew Burditt, public relations director for the Salvation Army in Canada.
“What scares me a little are how many people are out there that are potentially one paycheque away from being on the street.”
Regionally, Manitoba and Saskatchewan look most vulnerable, with 20 per cent of people there surveyed saying they’ve been homeless or at risk, followed by the Maritimes, at 17 per cent, and British Columbia, at 16 per cent. Quebec seems to be less precarious, with just five per cent saying they’ve been homeless or vulnerable.
Rates were higher among people ages 45 to 55 and, not surprisingly, among those making less than $40,000 a year.
“People have the misconception sometimes that the homeless population are people who are self-made in their position, but the majority of them are those that have come though a disaster of some sort, whether it be marriage (problems), job or economic times,” says Perry Rowe, executive director of the Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre.
“I’ve got guys who have been through the shelter who were professionals. High-tech professionals have been through here, PhDs, highly educated folks who through personal disaster ended up in a situation and ended up homeless.”
Demand for the Salvation Army’s services jumped by 26 per cent across the country from 2008 to 2009 — an unusually high year-over-year increase — and Burditt says in some places, need grew by 50 per cent. The agency says it served more than 2.8 million meals last year — 120,000 more than the previous year — and helped 6,000 new clients with alcohol and drug treatment.
People started requesting help with Christmas meals and gifts as early as September, Burditt says.
The world is breathing a collective sigh of relief now that small signs of growth are replacing the dark days of the recession, but Rowe says many of the most vulnerable Canadians work in the service and tourism sectors that are often last to recover from downturns.
“The economic recession that we’re really still coming out of, I think it’s exacerbated problems that have existed for a long time,” Burditt says. “We’ve seen a lot of people come to use our services that have never used them before, over the last 18 months. We’ve seen in a few cases that people who used to contribute to the Salvation Army suddenly find themselves in a position where they need to use our services.”
Asked about the most important social problem in Canada, 16 per cent of respondents chose poverty, behind only child abuse (18 per cent) and unemployment (17 per cent), which the agency points out is closely linked to poverty and homelessness.
The report was released to kick off the Salvation Army’s May fundraising and awareness campaign and is based on a public opinion survey conducted by the Strategic Council late last year. With 1,000 Canadians ages 18 and over surveyed, the results are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

This is what came of the last article...

2010-04-22T21:27:00.005-04:00

KERI SCULLAND
ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Alberni-Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser fought tooth and nail to reinstate funding for families with high needs children.
Fraser informed Cheryl Magnussen and Wendy Sawyer the funding for their children, Angel Magnussen and Niles Brick, had been fully restored by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Earlier this month, the ministry implemented a strict cut-off age: children over 12 would lose funding. The families will soon receive written notice that their funding has been reinstated for a minimum of one year, said Fraser. It took five Question Periods and many months, but Fraser got the funding local families rely on.
Fighting an uphill battle, Sawyer and Magnussen worried what might happen to their children if funding was cut. Without the money they use for caregivers, medical costs and special equipment, both feared they might have had to quit their jobs to care for their children full-time, leaving them penniless in the end. The funding, provided by the ministry, won’t come from the Supported Child Development Program as it once did. Now it is time for the families and the MLA to fight an even bigger battle, helping other families in British Columbia who have been cut from the funding.
“There are other families that have not received funding,” said Fraser. “These are not isolated cases, they are happening throughout the province.”
It will be a while before the Alberni families have all of the details, said Magnussen, but for now she is happy to know they are able to continue their lifestyle. After restoring funds to Angel and Niles, Fraser said the ministry would be hard pressed to keep funding from other families with high needs children.
Magnussen and Sawyer agreed that for now, both families are appreciative of the advocate work Fraser did for them.
“The hardest part was to have it acknowledged,” said Magnussen. “Hopefully that becomes the way it is for all families in this situation.”
There is a gap that doesn’t cover child care for teenagers, Magnussen explained, even though it is desperately needed. Fraser said if anything, the needs of the children increase as they hit their teenage years, as more health problems can develop or become clear.
“Really, the fight isn’t over,” explained Sawyer. “There’s still no funding for kids aged 13 to 19 in B.C. We got our funding back, that was just the first battle.”
Change is effected bit by bit, said Fraser, and it took months of work, five questions in Question Period directed to Mary Polak, Minister of Child and Family Development, a private member statement, and a lot of hand wringing by families.
Fraser used direct examples from Angel and Niles to show the minister that the need for care and attention was present. At the end of one Question Period, he handed Polak Angel’s Cookbook, hoping that she would realize that, without the funding, Angel couldn’t do all of the great things she does.
In an earlier interview, Magnussen said her daughter was in tears, not because she was losing the funding, but because of what other children in the province would have to go through without it. Angel has worked closely with the Children’s Variety and other fundraisers to help children with special needs in the province. Families from other regions in B.C. have approached Fraser because they aren’t getting the support they need where they live, he said.
At a meeting with Fraser on Tuesday, the ministry said they are trying to highlight the potential gap in services as an issue they are trying to address.
“What happens after a year?” Fraser asked. “Do they have to go through all of this again?”
The temporary funding for a minimum of one year to Magnussen and Sawyer’s children is a good start, said Fraser, but he worries about when the questions come around again at the end of the year.
KSculland@avtimes.net

Sometimes what you write can make a difference...

2010-04-22T21:19:00.001-04:00

KERI SCULLAND ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Last Thursday, Niles Brick celebrated his 16th birthday while his mother worried about how to fund her son’s needs.
The same day as his birthday, Brick became one of the teenagers no longer receiving provincial funding for his high needs.
The provincial child development program helps families with high needs children under the age of 12 with medical and care costs. In the past, agencies and regions have made exceptions to allow some children over 12 for funding, but the ministry is cracking down and are no longer allowing this. The funding for high needs children will experience tight limitations on which age the children must be, said Mary Polak, minister of children and family development.
Wendy Sawyer, Brick’s mother, is one of the parents affected by these changes. The funding Sawyer depends on covers the attention and need high needs children require to get by in day-to-day life. Her son may be 16, but functions as highly as a toddler, and cannot be left alone.
Sawyer is faced with two options: she can quit her job to take care of Brick and have no money for groceries and bills, or she could put him in foster care, she said. The ministry covered approximately 75% of her son’s medical and care costs, but with the new changes, Brick will no longer receive funding.
“Who wants to quit your job?” Sawyer asked. “You can’t afford your home, mortgages, food... and yet, if I were to put him into a group home or foster care, the funding would all be there.”
Foster families receive roughly $3,500 per month to care for children with her son’s type of needs, she said, from the ministry, Sawyer was only receiving about $1,100.
“There is no funding for ages 13 to 19,” said Sawyer. “I think they should be looking at individual cases, not lumping them all in age.”
The agencies and regions were dealing directly with the assisted children who are older by exception, Polak said.
At a question period at the legislature on Wednesday, MLA Scott Fraser spoke with Polak on the program cuts. About a month ago, Fraser asked similar questions of the minister, which he said she evaded bureaucratically.
“I want to assure the member that there have been absolutely no reductions to the supported child development program,” said Polak at the question period.
Both times he raised the question, Fraser has provided different cases of families in Port Alberni who rely on the funding.
At the first period a month ago, his example was Angel Magnussen, who requires one-on-one care on a consistent basis. Thursday he talked about Brick.
“I won’t let up on this,” said Fraser. “These kids are collateral damage to a failed system.”
It’s not the fault of local agencies, said Fraser, because they are working on insufficient funds to deliver for the needs of children. Polak said funding has actually increased and there were no cutbacks, however Fraser said this is ludicrous.
“What do you call it when you take away a program and the critical needs are still there?” asked Fraser. “If anything the needs become more acute with age.”
There is no program to replace the one children are being cut from, said Fraser.
“There are no resources for youth beyond a certain age,” said Fraser. “That’s the reality.”
KSculland@avtimes.net

Letter response

2010-03-30T17:21:00.001-04:00

Community needs more than a big heart-

First, with regard to Jacques Savard's comments, regardless of the topic, it is more than time for long-time residents to stop segregating north and south ports.

This is not the McCoys versus the Hatfields. It is not the whites and the blacks. This is not us and them.

Port Alberni is Port Alberni. It is not north and south any longer. It is time to get over it. We work together. Long-time residents who still live in the past are holding this community back. We are one, not divided.

I think anyone who talks about our city that way must either get over it or get out of the way.

While on that subject, I would like to make my own observation on Keri Sculland's column regarding a community with a heart. Having a heart is always a good thing. I am not sure what this column achieves however.

Isn't it like viewing and admiring a beautiful car without fuel? Has the writer every noticed in an airplane emergency it is always recommended for the adult to put the oxygen mask on first? This is to help those who can't. The same applies to Port.

The problem is fueling the financial resources to continue "having a heart." Without these resources, we cannot sustain the act of giving. At the end of the day, everything has a cost factor. The problem is to fix Port to attract business which can then properly fuel these needs.

We are in a great situation, for as the writer admits, we have the up on most communities by having the heart. What we need is more business in town and for our locals to support these businesses in order for them to succeed.

How do we fix Port? We first clean it up. Get rid of the garbage, the slum landlords, the drug homes, the filthy properties, get tough seriously on all crime and then have council sell our community as a world class destination for that which it has promise to become. The end result is a prosperous community which can then properly maintain its version of "having a heart."

While I appreciate the article, it appears to nevertheless, fall seriously short.

Pat Little
Port Alberni

Port Alberni services

2010-03-30T17:09:00.000-04:00

KERI SCULLAND ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
There’s no doubt Port Alberni is a low-income city.
Many families here struggle with finances on a regular basis. With mills flip flopping in and out of business, it leaves many people unemployed for long periods of time. Luckily, there are many resources available for all levels of unemployment. Those who are recently unemployed can find haven in employment insurance for a while, until they are able to get back on their feet in the working world. For some, stricken by injury from mill and trades work, disability takes care of them. For others who have lost their homes or come to Port Alberni with a glimmer of hope, they may live on the streets. Shelters and soup kitchens are available for people no matter what situation they are in.
It’s so great to be living in a community that really does have a heart. There are so many caring, compassionate people here who reach out to others to provide support where they need it most.
For my cumulative online and print based project while I was attending college, I was able to work very closely with street involved youth. It was wonderful to see how these people can use resources available to them effectively. I spoke personally with youth who lived on the streets and used temporary job opportunities to earn money, and often my eyes filled with tears. I heard personal stories and memories of these youth I never would have fathomed. Their hardships and life experienced lead them to the streets with no where to turn to. In the cities there are limited resources, and youth really need to know where to look for help.
Similarly, I worked with homeless adults, mostly based out of Belleville and Ottawa, Ontario. Their stories were often the same, though their efforts to better their situation were often clouded with violence and thievery.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, although there is a high homeless and low income population in Port Alberni, residents are doing the best they can to provide for these people. It’s a beautiful thing to see, considering many major cities have almost the same response, which works out to having many more resources here. In big cities, it is hard to find compassionate people looking to help others. In Port Alberni, there is an abundance.
Food hampers and the food bank through The Salvation Army provide families and those in need with food. The Bread of Life hosts a soup kitchen for a nice hot meal that the person doesn’t have to prepare. The Port Alberni Hospice provides warm beds and a safe environment with resources for whatever state a person might be in. If someone is in a stitch, they provide emergency beds. The Port Alberni Transition House is an emergency and safe shelter for women and children at risk of abuse, threats or violence. Men, women and families can find a haven in Port Alberni, no matter their situation.
Whatever a person needs, they are bound to find help in this community. People well off are helping those less fortunate, and the less fortunate are pooling together to help each other. If a person wants to get back on their feet, they don’t have to look far in this community. Unlike many other communities I’ve lived in or have seen, Port Alberni really is a community with heart.
KSculland@avtimes.net

Local woman feeds the hungry from her business

2010-01-22T15:05:00.001-05:00

Owning Deli’licious for seven years, Wendy Telford hates seeing anyone go without a meal.
She tries not to turn anyone away from her business, even if they can’t pay. For the most part, her generosity goes out to people who come in and are living on the streets. There are other street involved people who come in and low income earners who her heart also goes out to.
Telford sees a few more people dropping by in need in the winter because of the cold weather.
“They’re soaking wet and freezing cold and have no money,” she explained. “I will feed them, I can’t help it.”
She said some people don’t like the way she gives food away because they are judging how the less fortunate dress or whatever else. However, Telford prides herself in not being judgemental about anything. Most people are happy about her generosity and giving habits.
She said she has even loaned money to people who have needed it. She said she has been ripped off, but usually does get paid back.
“I take my chances,” she said. “Even if I don’t, I know they needed the money more than me obviously.”
She said things have changed a little bit in the uptown area in the past few years. She has been seeing less young girls with drug and alcohol problems coming into her deli. There are not as many people in need coming in.
“Hopefully it’s a good thing and people are finding houses and places to live instead of the streets,” she explained.
She said she isn’t giving food and money away for any reason or charity. She does what she does from her heart, and it doesn’t matter to her what type of people come in to her deli, they all need to be fed.
“I’m all for what goes around comes around,” she said.
KSculland@avtimes.net

here's the story post-christmas

2010-01-21T16:14:00.002-05:00

His name may not be St. Nick, but Don Montgomery gave the gift of Christmas in Nicaragua these past holidays.
The grade eight teacher at EJ Dunn Middle School spent months raising money and gathering toys with the help of his students and fellow teachers. At the end of regular classes for winter holidays, Montgomery took off toward the south with toys in a sack not by sleigh, but on an airplane.
Him and his guests at the hotel he owns delivered about 180 toys and fed dinner to a group of kids in the village on Christmas Eve, then did the same again for kids in a different area of the village on Christmas morning.
In a town 45 minutes away from Jiquilillo where his hotel and surf shop is, Chinendega has a garbage dump where people live. Montgomery and his guests sponsored a lunch for the residents of the camp. He also purchased about 68 uniforms at $10 each for students in these areas. Nicaragua requires students to wear uniforms to attend school.
Right now he is compiling a slide show of photos him and his helpful guests took during the visit. He will present it to his students and the other kids and teachers at EJ Dunn.
Corinne Stampine at Alberni Elementary’s french emergen also took a trip down with Don Montgomery to enjoy some sun and help out in the communities. With her fund raising and toy collecting efforts at the school, they were both able to successfully provide for many children in Nicaragua.
Together the two interviewed some families which had received bio-sand filters for filtering water systems that were built over a month before their visit. The filters take 21 days before the water is drinkable.
“They are really liking it,” said Montgomery. “It’s starting to look positive that we will continue that program.”
With the money raised by the Francophone school, the team will be able to purchase four more bio-sand filters for families in Nicaragua. This saves them from having to travel to hours by bus to gather clean drinking water.
Montgomery has also started a women’s cooperative in the community of 85 women who want to start their own business. They are building a community centre where a sewing room, library, computer area and a presentation area will be available to residents. In the community centre volunteers will be abe to teach women and eager learners how to grow vegetables on their property efficiently so they can learn a skill and learn to be self sustainable, said Montgomery.
The community centre should be finished by the end of March, just after Montgomery goes for his second visit of the year. It is being designed by a California company which is redesigning the interior of a train container.
“It will look really cool and functional when it’s done,” said Montgomery.
Three containers have been shipped down from Kamloops, filled with medical supplies, fire equipment, bikes, clothing and sewing machines for the community. Now a group has sponsored the containers and want to build them into community centres. The entire cost Montgomery estimates will be around $1,400, compiled completely of donations.
KSculland@avtimes.net

Here's one man's contributions for Christmas

2010-01-21T16:14:00.001-05:00

It’ll be Christmas well spent in Nicaragua this year for EJ Dunn teacher Don Montgomery.
Efforts made by him and his Grade eight students will provide hundreds of children in the western hemisphere’s second poorest country with over 400 gently used and new toys.
The teacher, new to EJ Dunn this school year, will be flying up, up and away after this Friday to spend a regularly white Christmas in the tropics. With him, he’ll be bringing warm gifts from students at his school. Money they have raised will be going toward lunches for the kids of Nicaragua, purchasing school uniforms and help pay for biosand filters to provide clean drinking water.
Like many countries, Nicuaragua is one which requires school uniforms.
“Some kids just drop out of school early because they can’t afford it,” Montgomery said.
Teaching in Kamloops for 15 years prior to EJ Dunn, he really saw the difference in need between Canada and his now home away from home. In everything: schooling, resources uniforms, classrooms, playgrounds, he said, it’s not the same.
“I’ve been really fortunate,” he said. “A lot of people have really liked the idea and have been really supportive.”
His project in Nicaragua started almost five years ago. He set up a surf school and hotel on an untouched beach front. He has set up a hotel and backpacker’s inn for people from all over the world to visit.
“I wanted to have a surf camp on the beach that would provide opportunities for people to give back,” said Montgomery.
He urges his guests to donate money and provide food. Every few weeks they put on an afternoon lunch for the local school kids. There are about 200 in the immediate area.
“The people have had a very difficult time for many years through civil wars and natural disasters like hurricanes,” he explained.
Recently a medical clinic near the surf camp was completed to invite doctors, nurses and dentists on vacation. He asks with their spare time they might stop in and volunteer medical services at no cost to locals.
Also, Montgomery has been raising money for bio-sand filters. These will purify wells in the area to make water drinkable for residents.
“Families need to take a bus for two hours to go to a larger city and get drinking water from there,” he said.
His two science classes have been avidly raising money to help purify the drinking water with biosand filters.
Montgomery wants to send out a special thank-you to all the hard working teachers, students and parents for contributing to the families of Nicaragua. For more information, and to see Montgomery’s work so far, go to www.nicaraguasurfbeach.com.

It's been a while

2010-01-05T16:26:00.002-05:00

Just as the subject says... it's been a while. Sorry for the absences and gaps in posting. Recently SJR has moved location (again) to Vancouver Island. A mid-island town called Port Alberni will surely become the main focus for about a year or so.

Obtaining a job at the Alberni Valley Times has been so rewarding and taxing. Moving here and getting settled has been the biggest hassle in life for a while. But now that everything is evening out, things should get up and running again... and boy, is it ever great to have a full-time job doing reporting every day.

Port Alberni is a town with a large homeless and drug problem they are afraid to admit. The city has issues figuring out how to responsibly deal with low-income families and the homeless, so most of the time they turn a blind eye. There are two homeless shelters in town, one being The Salvation Army, the other the Port Alberni Shelter Society.

Both of these places are doing a wonderful job keeping up with the homelessness issues in the city. They rely on donations from the community to keep their doors open. There are also other resources for those who aren't making enough money. the Port Alberni Free Store is a good place to look for cheap and free furniture, appliances, clothing and toys. The Bread of Life provides food services for street-involved people and host a weekly soup kitchen as well.

All around this town are great places for people to find help. If the city could chip in a dime or two, I'm sure the people of Port Alberni would soon find themselves on their feet and under better living conditions... but what is it going to take?

Reporting on the issues helps these places because the community becomes aware of the needs to be met. Reporting directly on homelessness and shelters built around the town would also benefit the community, but it may also scare them. The secondary option also does not do any good for homeless people. The city then becomes aware of what it going on, and quickly abolishes it.

So what can be done? This city is its own catch-22. Any suggestions?

United Church extreme decision, much like all others

2009-08-20T17:41:00.003-04:00

It didn't occur to me, maybe I should give an update on the United Church issue:

The United Church, as they often do, have made a decision about the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Such an extreme gesture they have imposed: let it be up to the individual themselves.

They had people sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for some type of jurisdiction to what action might be taken against Israel. Propsed, an international boycott, which they had planned to take to the Canadian government, caused an uprising in Canadian Jewish communities.

The Jews have it in their minds that Palestine is no longer an actual state, and anyone who might believe that is automatically an enemy of Israel. The United Church is right up there too, on the list of enemies. They probably keep a huge black book to keep track of who's on their side at this point and who is not.

The Canadian Jewish community has been working closely with the United Church for very long time now. A Rabbi, along with those of the Jewish community, were invited to the courts decisions on what to do about Israel. Obviously, according to some of the articles written and posted here, the Jewsih community found the wording of the proposition the most outrageous, not to mention their anger towards the proposal itself.

In the end, there were many guest speakers from the Jewish community during the decision-making about the wording of the document. It seemed as though the way the proposal was outlined seemed more important than the proposal itself. It designated who would have a conflict of interest in the proposal and who should not parttake in the decision making because of this. Those with Jews in their families, of Jewish decent, Jews on council, etc. seemed to be the most offensive to the Jewish community.

They were outraged because there weren't even any Jews on on the council to begin with. They said if they were discriminating against any other religion or ethnicity, other people would also have been upset over the dispute.

Finally, after two days of court rulings, passing motions to change the wording of the proposition, and going through all of the hassle, the United Church voted, basically, to not do anything about the situation at hand.

They were probably baffled and distracted from their original goal.

So, the United Church has let it be up to individuals whether or not to boycott Israel. Many delegates who were at the ruling voted that nothing should be done due to respect of life, individual choices, etc.

It doesn't look like Israel is going to see much of an impact on their economy in the near future.

United Church regrets offensive language in proposition

2009-08-13T17:01:00.001-04:00

KERI SCULLAND
Special to The Daily Courier
Almost unanimously, members of the 40th General Council for the United Church voted to repudiate and regret the language in the background of their stance on the Israeli conflict.
After four years of discussion, the United Church has brought the conflict between Israeli and Palestinians to the chopping block. Yesterday, a vote was taken by members of the Atlantic council against the wording of the background information for the divestment and sanctions campaign.
This campaign has caused a slight uprising from the Canadian Jewish Congress, mostly within the wording of the document to begin with.
The decision making on the conflict has been postponed until Thursday. It was unknown if the council would reach a decision at yesterday evening's meeting. Following hours of debates and proposals, the final decision making process should be ready by Thursday.
“By the end of the day there was a motion to take no action on the proposals and instead reaffirm a policy adopted in 2003,” said Bruce Gregersen.
In response to the boycott campaign the United Church is pushing for Canada to follow, Rabbi Rueven Bulka pointed out that Israel is surrounded by over 151 countries. If war were to be a question, he said Israel is not “stupid,” and would see the repercussions of extreme actions.
The Rabbi, along with two other speakers, was granted a three-minute speech in favour of his side of the argument. The two other speakers took on a passive voice, seeking to ensure a “just and comprehensive peace between Israeli and Palestinians.”
The complete General Council is made up of approximately 382 people, said May-Francis Denis. This group of people is divided up into separate commissions, the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic, Canada's three surrounding oceans.
Yesterday, the Atlantic Commission was taking hold on the divestment and sanctions campaign. Their goal is one of peace between Israel and Gaza through non-violent means.
In their report, they said Canada has not shown by its words or its actions a committee to address the illegal occupation of Gaza, and Israel has not been following the human rights code of conduct.
“There has been no action taken about the proposals,” said Gregersen in response to today's meeting.

United Church proposes boycott campaign

2009-08-12T15:05:00.001-04:00

Special to The Daily Courier
Aug. 9 kicked off the United Church General Council meeting. It also kicked off the fourth General Council meeting with discussions of the middle east.
But this year a vote is being taken to decide if the United Church should go through with their proposed boycott divestment and sanctions campaign.
There has been some uprising among the Jewish community in relation to how the United Church would go about this, and how the proposal was written.
“It is about wanting to support Palestinian people, it is not anything against Jewish people,” said Sheryl Johnson, youth for peace delegate with the United Church.
The Church sent a group of 16 young adults to Palestine to see the conflict first hand and how it is affecting the way of every day living and economy, she said.
“Whats going on in Palestine is severe,” she said. “Sanctions being imposed by Israel, in terms of economic and physical mobility and not being able to get employment.”
Bruce Gregersen, general council officer, said there have been debates over the Middle East issues for many years. He said the United Church has been working cloesly with the Canadian Jewish Congress for many years, and expects members of congress to attend the General Council meeting. There will be a Rabbi at the meeting to speak and participate, though he is not allowed to vote.
“The heart of what we believe needs to end for peace to come to the middle east,” said Gregersen. “What we try to do is be open and transparent in any debates.”
But this is not how Jordan Kerbel, national director of public affairs for the CJC, feels about the debate.
“The word peace, it never appears in the BDS campaign,” he said. “It's not about a peaceful resolution it's about singling out and ostracizing .”
Kerbel suggests the proposal plays on very hurtful stereotypes. He said the proposal is suggesting people are taking or being offered bribes, or some members of parliament are affiliated with the state of Israel with dual citizenship. He thinks for some reason they are singling out Israel.
“It's hard to fathom how instead of attempting harmonize and bring people and the two sides together, these supporting documents are letting in to some distasteful stereotypes,” said Kerbel.
He said there actually are not any dual citizens in parliament, and is offended because if it were any other country, those specific requirements would have been ignored or not brought up in the first place.
“Instead of doing something positive, the resolutions are going to do the exact opposite if voted in favour of,” he said.
He takes offense to the resolution proposals because boycotting Israel would cripple their economy. No country could stand up to a boycott of production and sales, he said.
“We hope very much that they could come to a peaceful resolution as soon as possible,” said Kerbel. “We hope one day soon Israel and Palestine can come to an agreement and live separately side by side.”
The United Church General Council meeting began Aug. 9 and continues until Aug. 15. Yesterday the Church invited Natives to come and speak about the horrifying experience living and attending at residential schools, their survivor stories, and their road to healing.
Today, the Israeli conflict will be opened for debate in front of a small court to make a preliminary decision on the potential boycott. Final proceedings are expected to commence on Thursday.

Mexico & Czech visas

2009-07-27T11:57:00.002-04:00

written July. 17:

KERI SCULLANDSpecial to The Daily Courier
Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan was vague about the new regulations on visiting visas from Mexico and Czech Republic effecting Kelowna.
The current visiting visa dispute in Canada builds concern for ESL schools in Kelowna, but should not affect employment.
Dale Lockhart, Director of International Gateway Kelowna, and his staff and students were very disgruntled to hear of the dispute, he said.
Currently their Mexican staff and student population is about 20 per cent, and their Czech population has grown substantially, since seven years ago when they first opened, to 10 per cent.
“Visiting visas would mean a lot less jobs for teachers and support staff,” he said.
On top of this, Lockhart said the restrictions are going to affect smaller businesses, hotels and restaurants because their Mexican clientèle is quite high.
“From a tourist perspective, it is a concern,” said Cannan. “We have to do all we can to ensure Mexican tourists, our visitors, are welcome, and that is why we have increased the staff levels in Mexico City and Vienna to process the claims.”
West Jet has been offering cheap flights to and from Mexico for Canadians and Mexicans traveling for quite some time to encourage tourism in the area, but now with the restrictions, those numbers are going to drop, said Lockhart.
IGK organized a protest at the Citizens and Immigration office in Kelowna. Approximately 25 staff and students from the school showed up to voice their concerns on July 16.
Jason Kennedy, immigrations minister, said the decision to impose visa restrictions was needed to stem a rising flow of claimants, who were not returning to their country following visitation in Canada, but were taking refuge instead. He said Canada needs a system that rejects those who falsely claim persecution to take advantage of Canada's generosity.
Airlines and tour operators have complained tourists visiting Canada in the next week could be stranded, but Cannan said any further warning could have resulted in a rush for the border before changes were implemented.
Cannan ensures that those with flights booked this past week will not be affected by the sudden change.
Prior to 2007 Canada required visiting visas from Czech Republic citizens visiting the country, the restriction was lifted, but is now back in place.
Swift rebukes from both countries were voiced shortly after the requirement came into action.
Lockhart said it doesn't make sense to enforce these changes now, while the economy is down.
“It's going to have a bigger impact than everybody expects it to have,” he said.
However, Cannan said, the cost on taxpayers for unnecessary refugees is the main reason for implementation of the policy.
“They'll agree that the change was necessary in order to prevent the skyrocketing cost to the refugee program,” he said.
Right now the Immigration Refugee Board can only handle 25,000 per year, and with 45,000 cases coming in yearly, there is a backlog of 60,000 cases.
“People like progress, but they don't always like change,” Cannan said.
Currently there are 140 countries which require visiting visas to enter Canada, he said.

Beautifying streets and hope

2009-07-24T17:41:00.002-04:00

KERI SCULLAND
Special to The Daily Courier

The secret has been out for over a year: Dr. Sharon McKenna has been beautifying gardens near the Leon St. Drop-In for homeless.
One day, McKenna was walking back from visiting the Drop-In, when she walked past abandoned gardens filled with litter and rubble, with roses struggling to survive.
The next day, she was back with shovels and garbage bags in hand, cleaning out the messy flower beds, giving the roses a chance at life.
She was busy maintaining the gardens for almost a year before someone came to her, telling her she had to talk to the city before she could be prodding her shovels and planting beautiful flowers. Following her order, she went to city council, asking if she would spruce up the gardens in the abandoned flower beds, they were eager for her volunteer work, but gave her strict guidelines on what she could and could not plant, she said.
McKenna focused on homelessness in her studies in Gerantology.
“One of the things I learned is how much people living on the street are influenced by environment,” she said.
In all of the places and Drop-Ins she went to, she noticed the same thing: dark, depressive landscapes. She said it is little wonder why these people are so oppressive.
“When I saw [the flower boxes] I thought it was a gold mine,” said McKenna.
There was no street-scaping or green-scaping in the areas with Drop-Ins and homeless shelters. There was no attempt to make it look better. It is hard for people to feel good about themselves, when the scenery brings them down, she said.
One of the great things about the gardening, she said, is the conversation with homeless people she has almost every time she is out. They stop and ask what she is doing, what types of flowers she is planting and whether or not they like the flowers. She said one time, a woman came to her, they had a conversation, and as she was leaving, the woman said she had not had a regular conversation with anyone in over two weeks.
The biggest thing that is lacking in homeless people is the ordinary conversations people have, and the feeling of belonging, she said.
“So when I saw what was happening here, and remembered what I learned in my research, that is how One Block at a Time came about,” she said.
McKenna's work inspired Communities In Bloom, a non-profit organization focused on fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility, beautification and improving the quality of life through community participation.
“She came to us when she found out she was gardening on city property,” said Michele Rule, chair of CIB. “We said great, what can we do to help?”
CIB provided flowers and tools for McKenna to continue her beautification in the area, which grew to One Block at a Time, which focuses time, energy and attention to a neglected block, creating a brand new space that is clean and beautiful.
In relation to this concept, A beautiful huge mural of Naramata, looking toward Summerland was painted on an eyesore grey wall by Graham T. Chambers, a local artist. He encourages everyone to look at boring walls, and think of what they can do to make it better.

just an update...

2009-07-24T17:38:00.003-04:00

Just an update as the title says:

I've recently moved to Kelowna, B.C., for those who may be interested to know. Now news is going to be more broadly reported, rather than focusing only on homelessness in Ontario. You will get a chance to look at many different aspects of social justice, and those who are doing their part to help and inspire others in the community.

Expect another update this evening, but no promises. It is very busy here, and I'm trying my best to get this blog going again.

It's been a hectic past month or so, but keep reading!

disability services in India vs. Canada

2009-07-08T17:57:00.001-04:00

Keri Sculland
Disability services in Canada differ greatly from those in other countries, such as India.
On July 8, disability activist, Nazeema Hurzuk will be visiting Kelowna at Capri Hotel to provide a question and answer period and short film entitled When Aspirations Transcend the Sky.
A paraplegic since the age of 16, Hurzuk has been working to provide education and employment in India. Her vision is to ensure persons with disabilities will be productive and self-supportive citizens, and work toward leading fuller lives with dignity in India.
“I completed my education and started Helpers to benefit the children. [I] started hostels and schools for these children,” she says.
The objective of this visit is for Hurzuk's vision to spread to Canada, and spotlight her efforts and success in normalizing disabled children in India through schooling and employment services.
“This lady has created an organization that makes people feel good about themselves and able to help themselves,” says Murli Pendharkar, chair of district health and hunger committee for the Kelowna Rotary Club.
Broadening perspectives for Canadian citizens on the ways of life in India, Hurzuk is bringing attention to the injustices the India government has left persons with disabilities. There are over 22 million citizens living with mental and physical disabilities in India, and less than 1% remain employed. A mandatory quota of 3% of disabled citizens to fill jobs in India has not been. The government has ignored the issue, and has not provided services or employment for these people.
“It is kind of a strange country,” Hurzuk says. “Many services have provided for those who can't afford. Others have no services. No such thing wheel chair accessible places. Nothing.”
Helpers Of The Handicapped, located in Kolhapur, India, provides physical and metal rehabilitation, educational, sports, and cultural programs, vocational training and paraplegic camp to ensure people with disabilities have the best services they could require.
“We also provide artificial limbs,” says Harzuk.
Though the efforts of Helpers are large, other services in India are slim.
Hurzuk says there are over 170 people within the organization. To this date they have assisted over 1,600 disabled people obtain a normal life. They have provided artificial limbs and wheelchair accessible schools to help them ease into normality. For the last 24 years they have been helping the physical and mentally challenged.
The annual operating budget, when translated into Canadian dollars, is around $700,200. Helpers relies on donations made by organizations which reside outside of India, because there aren't any other supportive groups within the country.
“not a single person who uses the service pays a penny, they have no money to pay,” she says.
Calgary, Helpers' most helpful community in Canada, was the last stop for Hurzuk before she came to Kelowna.
“It is my first visit to Canada and Kelowna, [I] have been in Calgary for a week, [and will be] here for three nights, and going to Toronto from here on Friday,” she says.
The Maharashta Seva Samiti Organisation, based in Calgary has been helping other charitable organizations for over 20 years, and just celebrated their 24th year in Canada. The MSSO is the largest funding organization for Helpers, says Pendharkar.
The Kelowna Rotary Club also provides funding for these types of services.
“we have recently built a school, but there is nothing in the school,” he says.
They are currently raising money to help put supplies such as desks and chalkboards into the new establishment so it will be ready for students to use.

finding houses/ website update

2009-06-04T16:09:00.003-04:00

Being homeless is bad. Saving money is good. Finding a home is hard. Finding a home can be even harder if you've been homeless. Discrimination in rental housing is an important topic of discussion in Canada. There is nothing blatantly wrong with systems in our country, but people who hold authoritative roles within the system can botch the way things are supposed to run.

Being homeless drags people into a sub-culture which many people do not understand. Landlords and property owners may be skeptical about renting out to someone who looks like they may have been homeless. This isn't saying landlords only discriminate against homeless people, but people of different ethnic backgrounds, race, religion, age, sex, and income, all become factors when landlords are considering to rent property.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission says people who are exposed to rental housing discrimination are usually being discriminated against on more than one ground, and also says discrimination can affect neighbours, friends, families, communities, and society as a whole.

The commission has researched into legal, social, and international context for the discussion of rental housing in Ontario.

The issue has been a struggle for people with any difference for a long time. Discrimination affects homeless people, and keeps them rooted and stuck out where they are. Being shut out by landlords and property owners is the last thing homeless people need when they are trying to pick up the peices. Struggling long enough to support themselves, and save money at the same time is hard enough when you're out on the streets, people don't need a hassle trying to find a roof to put over their heads as well.

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Stay tuned later this evening for a sneak peak of some rough edits prepared for the website (which will be up and running tomorrow!).

More on homelessness

2009-06-03T16:01:00.003-04:00

In recent past, homeless people are becoming increasingly evident on the streets in Canada's cities. Who are they? Occasionally you will see a profile or feature on homeless people and the issue, which portray that once upon a time they were normal folk. Before the streets got ahold of them, homeless people had jobs and savings just like everyone else. What happened? Maybe the economic crisis has taken a toll on housing situations. Maybe these people are just caught up in a system, which has constantly been providing band aid solutions this entire time.
On the street, homeless people are seen as an embarrassment, or scum. They are perceived to be transients and derelicts, and are definitely not worthy of one's attention.

Counting the homeless is nearly an impossible task. Failed attempts have been made over several years to ballpark an estimated 300,000 homeless people on the streets of Canada. It is even more difficult to decipher who the homeless are, let alone count them all, as well as the elusiveness of the culture. Having no physical shelter, living under a bridge for example, constitutes as absolute homelessness. If the shelter does not meet basic health standards and requirements, this is considered relative homelessness. In the broadest definition, homeless includes those who live in sub-standard housing, or in overcrowded or undesirable conditions.

Taken from Share International:
- The number of homeless people began to spiral upward in the late 1980s'.
- A lack of affordable housing in major cities is a consistent factor associated with the rise in the homeless population.
- The composition of the homeless population has changed from being "derelict" older men to predominantly young men, with teenagers, women and children becoming more prominent.
- By 1990, the average age of the street men in this country was 29. These men could not be written off as hopeless derelicts or as lazy, non-contributing members of our society, because at least 80 per cent of them were able-bodied people who did not abuse alcohol or drugs or have serious mental problems.
- There is an increase in homeless subgroups which require not only decent housing but a variety of social support, medical and counselling services¹.
- Native Indians, refugees and ethnic minorities are over-represented among the homeless.
- Perceptions, for instance the traditional Canadian stereotype of the homeless being "bums" and "drunken Indians", are changing.

an update, new news

2009-06-02T10:49:00.003-04:00

After not blogging for a few days, finally much progress has been made at constructing a functional website to house the sister site of this blog. Social Justice Reporting has taken a major step in the right direction by building a fully functional Flash website which will be available in a few days.

On the website you can find Information on the organization, YOUTHLINK, hear and see some at-risk youth's stories, listen to some audio clips, read a little bit, and watch some slide shows on what the organization helps to promote and aid.

Its going to be very exciting, and hopefully you will find your way across it. It is just a matter of days before a three month building venture comes to an end.

Social justice continues to be of importance everywhere in the world, the issue is a never ending horror-tale. It would be blind to say that someday everyone may be at peace, but it is a goal worth fighting for. What we should be doing as commuities is accepting and providing help for those people in need. Especially focusing on at-risk youth, as this blog and future website do, communities should come together with support and family care.

The future website-to-be is looking like it is going to hold permanent status for quite some time. There are so many issues to explore, and so much time ahead to take a look around.

Hold tight and get excited for the website :)

Oh Harper, how you grow in popularity with your people

2009-05-26T10:46:00.004-04:00

Irresponsible management is something the government should have overcome by now. With the falling economy, employment insurance should be top of the mind for the government, not sending money to banks and car companies.
Throwing money at the problem isn't going to get Harper anywhere. The conservative government is stuck in a hard place, cornered by the liberals to do something productive or get out. On their last strand of thread they are holding onto, Harper is trying to "solve" the economic crisis by looking productive, but really just wasting and pushing money around.
Trying to sustain the car industries and banks is just jumping into a downward whirlpool. If he wants to fix the economy, Harper should be looking into the interests of the people. Get them on their feet again with jobs and enough money to pay for housing, bills, and food. The last thing on people's minds are if they are going to be buying a brand new Cobalt or Mustang... in the forefront is budgeting and deciding how to get by without luxuries.
It has come to a point where the people of Canada are altering their lifestyles to suit the downfall of the economy. What needs to be addressed is employment insurance and pension plans.
Every single person pays taxes to ensure the country is sustainable enough to support the unemployed. But how come it is such a lengthy and inconvenient process? By the time a person is accepted for EI, they have found a new job again, and suddenly there is a mix up with the money the government owes you for how long you were unemployed (Prime example: persons employed by school boards with summer-long breaks).
Maybe there needs to be an alternative to this EI problem. People facing layoffs could be granted more EI or faster, more sustainable money than a person who intentionally quit their jobs.
Harper won't even open his mind to the idea of altering the application terms for EI. Easing the eligibility rules of EI would allow more Canadians to go through the process easier than they would with strict guidelines. EI should be available to everybody, since we all pay taxes. As a result, the federal government may be forcing an election over a set of rules they governed themselves. What a waste of money.
Harper could be looking into all kinds of alternatives he hasn't even touched yet. If he could listen to the people in this "democratic" society, maybe he would be getting further than worsening the situation and making people angry.

A safe (and resourceful!) place to land- YOUTHLINK

2009-05-22T17:07:00.006-04:00

YOUTHLINK’s inner-city drop in has been a “safe place to land” for over 10 years, says Alan Simpson, from the inner city drop-in.
“Supporting vulnerable youth in making positive life choices” is something Simpson and the organization stand by, he says.
YOUTHLINK follows a philosophy of providing services in a flexible manner to support youth when they need it most. The programs, they claim, are accessible and responsive, and sensitive to race, culture, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation and religion.
Inner city provides a wide variety of mental health and harm reduction services, as well as peer educators and community workshops. Resources for housing and employment are at free use for street-involved youth in the facility.
Inner city takes pride in harm reduction. This is a fairly new concept says Simpson. Rather than youth being addicted to seriously harmful drugs, Inner city works toward suggesting alternatives of less harmful drugs.
Substance abuse comes with many physical and mental health issues, which are important to address. An HIV Support Care Coordinator, Diana Walker’s job is to provide support, testing and counseling for youth who are HIV positive.
She says there are programs every day of the week for youth to come and take advantage of. Nurse practitioners come in twice a week to offer HIV and AIDS testing, pregnancy tests, provide puffers for asthma, and address physical issues like foot problems, which are common in the winter, she says. Once a month, Inner city provides finger prick testing for HIV, providing results in 20 minutes or less.
“It lets them know right away,” says Walker.
Employment councilors come a couple times per week; additionally there are employment resources, job listings, and free use of computers and phones. These resources can be used for anything from employment to housing.
Upstairs, there is a Skills Zone, which offers a 10-week job-like program four times per year. The spots fill up fast, and it is so popular they have had to turn people away. The program also uses the harm reduction approach, and while accepting that drugs and addictions are a matter of lifestyle for street-involved youth, they expect the Skills Zone to be treated as a job. If youth come in too blitzed, they are asked to leave for the day, and can risk being forced to leave the program.
“We help them make smart choices, and understand the use of self-medicating,” says Scott Keith, employment support worker with Skills Zone.
The Skills Zone program runs for 10 weeks, and educates youth in employment etiquette. Be to work on time. Dress appropriately. Take designated breaks. Work towards a goal.
“Youth learn how to dismantle and completely rebuild a computer. They learn how to use software like Word, and how to install hardware,” says Keith. “They are paid hourly, and get to take the computer home with them at the end. If the individual doesn’t have a home, we donate the computer to community centers and places like that.”
About 14-15 of the youth who participate in the program graduate, says Keith.
“Some youth cannot make it to the end, and depending on how late spots become available, we are usually able to let someone else take their spot and start late,” he says.
On top of this Skills Zone program, youth can also be employed through the drop in doing peer mentoring, or the street outreach program, which promotes and helps youth that are on the streets downtown.
YOUTHLINK is located off Queen St. on Warden Ave. in Toronto, and is open at 9 a.m. on weekdays. Youth can drop in, take nap, grab some free, healthy food, wash laundry, take showers, make use of phone and internet, play board games, or maybe watch a movie in the evening, depending on which day it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSu0eCT1_E

Street violence

2009-05-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

It is important, when thinking of dealing with at-risk youth, that extra precautions are taken. Not saying wear protective gear and cover the virgin ears, but definitely in the sense that homeless youth need all the help and resources they can manage.
Particularly street-involved youth can be very harmful to themselves and those around them. Girlfriends and boyfriends, youth claim to "love" can be a target to unnecessary violence, filtered down from years of mental and physical abuse. Like they say, monkey see, monkey do. It is not always by choice that youth lash out on those close to them. In a world of miscommunication and neglect, one can only turn to violence as an easy out for bubbling emotions.
Harm reduction services not only help youth deal with violent tendencies, but also help reduce drug abuse from substances very detrimental to physical and mental health. These services have been helping youth for years, though drug-related harm-reduction services are fairly new. Accepting drug use and providing education for alternative drug addictions less harmful than the current drug the involved youth is taking, took a very long time to come around.
Anger management programs provide youth with education on how to deal with rising anger and lashing energies. Having mental health workers at shelters and drop-ins helps youth deal with whatever might be bothering them. It also gives youth an opportunity to talk about their feelings, and allows mental health workers to dig deeper to find true meaning to violent behaviours.
It is very important youth get the support and help they need during tough times. Reducing street violence is one thing shelters and drop-ins should focus on.

economic downslide

2009-05-19T17:14:00.004-04:00

As the current economic state takes its toll on people with an average income, it is no longer becoming a question of who has wealth and who does not. The threat of poverty is standing right in front of many people in our country.
Getting first-hand insight to having to live without luxuries and every day comforts, maybe society will become prone to empathy for the homeless. People are working hard to hold onto their financial situations. Searching for extra work, and all the rest can be very tiresome.
This insight might lend some light to the homeless situation all around. The deception of laziness and dependency should become more clear to the average person. Those on the streets without a roof to sleep under often use any resources they can to get themselves back on their feet. It is not easy to be homeless, questioning your next meal.
Being poor is not easy. Budgeting to ensure safety and security with the current living situation would be even harder if resources were not available. Though not all homeless people put initiative in to find these resources, it is very helpful when there is a safe place to land with anything and everything necessary to keep good health, hygiene, and employment and housing resources.
Maybe with the downward slope of the economy, people will begin to realize what it is like to make the transition between have and have-not living situations.

A reflective day

2009-05-15T16:20:00.001-04:00

Today was spent researching and gathering information to help in preparedness for the weekend. Tomorrow, Ottawa-bound, will take me downtown to Centre 507 and the Union Mission.
Charging batteries and making sure everything is packed is essential when going on a weekend long working adventure. Forgetting one small component can result in less media to be used.
This weekend has been action-packed already, and it hasn't even begun. Going to Toronto for this project was the most exhausting adventure. First, the long ride, then the 'emotionally taxing' visit to YOUTHLINK, followed by downtown adventuring and interviewing, and the long ride back. Today was filled with more relaxation in preparation for what is to come within the next three days.
Reflecting on yesterday, once walking into inner city drop in, only warmth and welcome was generated from the staff. Sassy enough to keep up with youth and connect with them, people working at the drop in were human.
Human, just like everybody else there. Human like you. Human.
That's all we are.
Society should embrace all humanity, accept every walk of life. Live and love. All youth are asking for is human consideration. There is no reason for violence or rejection. Everybody has problems, big or small, so there is no reason we can't help each other out.
What YOUTHLINK is doing, is just this. A safe place to land, they are only human to one another. The acceptance and consideration given happen to be one of the largest selling points to street involved youth at the drop in (not to mention free food, laundry, facilities, phone, internet, and a comfy place to nap).

to toronto and back

2009-05-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

What an emotionally taxing day.
After driving the many hours it takes to get to Toronto, the car found a resting place at YOUTHLINK's inner-city drop in. This is a program for street involved youth, supporting vulnerable youth to make positive life choices.
Inner city drop in is a safe place for youth to land. It was bustly inside the large open space. People were busy all over making phone calls, on the computer, eating, and relaxing. Staff were busy ensuring everything was running up to par, while juggling planning for Blueslink, a blues and Jazz festival coming up tomorrow in support of the program.
Speaking with Alan Simpson, he was able to provide youth who were willing to communicate some very immense life stories. How they got where they were, how they were currently doing and providing for themselves and initiatives they have were the bulk of the conversations. There were many beautiful individuals at the centre, and it was an amazing experience to be able to speak with them about their story.
For a long time now, homelessness has been looked down upon by media and political figures. Rather than trying to fix the problem, the government seems to have little no no problem sweeping the issues under the carpet. It is places like YOUHTLINK that are surfacing the issue and providing resources and comfort for street involved individuals.
Many youth suffer from extreme circumstances which have led them to be homeless and living on the street. After a while, the culture can take hold and drugs and alcohol can become a severe problem if they were not already. YOUTHLINK provides harm reduction services, helping youth conquer addictions by alternative means. Drugs less harmful are better to be taking than stronger addictive substances. Weening and helping youth come off various drugs is a smart idea to get them straight and on the right path.
By the end of the day, the sun was setting and the emotions were rising. It is harm to stiffle emotion for professional purposes, but trust, there was some difficulty. The heartwrenching tales of youth are something that would get under anybodies skin.

to Toronto and back

2009-05-14T23:56:00.002-04:00

Here we go...

2009-05-14T09:16:00.004-04:00

Good morning!
Bright and early, starting the day with a pit stop at the school, travels are taking this journey to downtown Toronto today.
Two major stops: YOUTHLINK's Inner-city drop in, where homeless youth can stay. This centre builds on education and rehabilitation. Food, amenities, and a warm place to sleep are provided, as well as resources for things like housing, food, and employment.
The second stop is also downtown at Eva's Phoenix. Both of these establishments are geared toward homeless and at risk youth.
It will be fun to get an inside look on these places. What they are doing is a generous, city-altering initiative.
Later in the weekend, travels are going to bring us to Ottawa, where we will have the chance to have another look on the inside of places such as Centre 507, and the Ottawa Mission, which is geared toward homeless men. Then The Three Oaks Foundation, here in Belleville will see a little bit of contrast, as it is geared toward women.
Let's see if twitter will work from my phone. A directional link will be posted if the twitter/phone dispute can be solved.

Education as treatment

2009-05-12T15:50:00.002-04:00

Correctional education has a long history, dating back to 1790 in Philadelphia, U.S. Since then it has unfolded into juvenile correctional services within the corrections unit of the country.
The necessity of correctional education revolves around the right and law that youth must participate in education before a certain age.
These correctional education facilities focus on prevention and rehabilitation efforts.
Imagine this: A high school-type correctional service for less serious criminals. Helping youth earn credits toward an secondary school diploma. Working towards these credits, as well as rehabilitation credits would morph into education as treatment.
Taking this idea and turning it into practice in Canada, or Ontario, would take kids off the streets, and keep them out of jails, when they do not really belong there. Drug dealers, vandals, and criminals of non-violent type, could be better off in a correctional school than in lock-down.
Debating the amount of time necessary in educational confinement could be defined by the weight of crime committed, and previous education. For instance, drug dealers maybe have to complete 10 high school credits, vandals have to complete 3, non-violent criminals complete 5. This is just a personal estimation.
On top of all of these great pro's, it would be cheaper to hold youth in educational correctional centres. The cost of confinement, meals, clothing, washroom stuff, and whatever else in a high-security setting costs more than educational services in a semi-high security facility.
The cost of an educational corrections facility, judging by the average costs of a functional high school and pre-existing penitentiaries would only average out to be about the same cost as a high-security jail.
So why would the system not consider working towards getting youth off the streets? There are many initiatives in place, but if something like this broke through, there would be so many benefits to Canada as a whole.
Placing kids in these environments would get them (forcefully) working towards a high school diploma, which is necessary if you don't want to sell drugs in the future. Most youth in jail for these crimes don't know any other way of life. They make their living by running the streets doing illegal things. If we look into this, they would be given legal options for employment, and they could work towards making money to get off the streets and make something of their lives.
Plus, who really enjoys school? Maybe youth would be less inclined to commit crimes if schoolhouse detention was in question.

CTV's murder map

2009-05-11T16:56:00.000-04:00

Shooting, stabbing, trauma and unknown, Toronto lays it all out for you on a murder map.
How safe is your neighbourhood? Moving to the area? Find out which are and which are not great areas to be moving your children based off of CTV's "Murder Map", a new concept for the exploitation of violent crimes.
Do you really want to know? Some of these murders and stabbings were left unsolved. CTV provides a list of the innocent whose lives were taken or altered by crimes of violence.
What if most of the pictures provided on the murder map were black males? Would certain stereotypes come to mind? Are single white females safer? Can these judgments be made?
No. This is a quick conclusion many people might jump to. Just because you are or are not an average black male does not make you any more or less safer.
It's the place, and time, and intentions that matter in the end.
Many people jump to conclusions after hearing race, sex and location. It is time this type of discrimination came to an end. CTV's murder map is only worsening the conditions of unjust socialism in the province.
These types of concepts affect the housing market in targeted areas. Because of a shooting or stabbing or other unknown violent crime, the area then loses value. On top of this, people are less likely to move to these publically known "violent" areas, thus driving the housing prices down even further.
Publicizing shootings, stabbings, etc on a murder map does not give enough detail to be taken at face value. Conveniently, there is a "read more" button, but even after clicking, it is easy to find that most of these crimes are left unsolved.
CTV should be working towards resolving violent crimes in Toronto, not just sitting by and causing more problems.
What do you think?

First blog on the site.

2009-05-08T14:09:00.003-04:00

"It is my duty to govern as an effective and dynamic medium for news."

This is a brand new blog, created today, geared towards publishing about social injustice in communities, particularly Belleville and it's surrounding area. In the next coming weeks, you can expect to hear about the relationship between homelessness and crime rates, soup kitchens in the area, how they compare to major-city soup kitchens, unemployment insurance crisis, and youth homelessness tied in with a little bit of art and culture.

Social justice has been an attraction for many years. It is easy to remember being young and getting beat up from sticking up for fellow peers. Something as simple as that can get the ball rolling. In a lot of ways, social injustice is appealing in a journalistic sense. Giving a voice to the wallflowers and hidden issues in the world provides a great sense of accomplishment.

Soon there will be images and video on top of multiple blog posts presented in an accessible manner. Extra helpful external links, widgets, feeds, and interactive material will also eventually be available.

Today the class moved through preparing these blogs. The main purpose, as with any online journalism, is to educate, empower and engage the reader--YOU. Through various media, this objective will hopefully be obtained.

I welcome and comments or constructive criticism on this blog. Detailed in a message or in response to this blog, any useful changes or alterations anyone wants to suggest would be helpful.