The Salvation Army will open its doors to more than 2,500 sa国际传媒 men, women and children in need for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The holiday is usually a time to gather with friends and family in celebration, but sadly, half a million British Columbians go hungry every day, including a growing number of employed people, single-parent families and seniors.
鈥淭oday, poverty isn鈥檛 always easy to see,鈥� said Deb Lowell, spokeswoman for the international Christian organization. 鈥淪adly, a growing number of the people we serve are employed; many of them are single mothers who have children. Seniors are also a group that has grown dramatically over the past couple of years. This is the new reality of poverty in sa国际传媒鈥�
More than 150 staff and volunteers will serve the meals in 11 centres across the province. The Victoria event is set for Oct. 9 at 11:45 a.m. at the Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre at 525 Johnson St. In Sooke, the event is set for Oct. 11 at the Hope Centre, 6750 West Coast Rd. The meals are funded by corporate partnerships and public donations.
Help with donations of non-perishable food items by calling 1-800 SAL ARMY, going to salvationarmy.ca or by contacting your local Salvation Army office.
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Dodd鈥檚 puts the turkeys in the oven
Dodd鈥檚 Furniture is once again hosting its annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the less privileged, with a message: Share a meal. Lift your spirits. Feed your soul.
This is the 19th year of the event, and coincides with the company鈥檚 40th anniversary.
鈥淚f you need a little help this holiday, please join us as we give thanks for this wonderful community we call home,鈥� said Gordy Dodd, the company鈥檚 founder. 鈥淲e are giving back to the community by inviting Victoria鈥檚 less privileged to join us. Our goal is to serve as many people as possible.鈥�
They are prepared to serve a turkey dinner, with all the trimmings, for as many as 1,200 people.
The dinner takes place from 4听to 6听p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Our Place Society, 919 Pandora Ave. For any questions, or if you would like to volunteer, please call Gordy Dodd at 250-388-6663.
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Youngsters need Big Brothers and Big Sisters
Volunteering for as little as one hour a week can change the course of a young life.
With more than 165 children on a waitlist in the Capital Regional District, Big Brothers Big Sisters urgently needs volunteers.
The children are waiting to be matched with a caring mentor, with mentors particularly needed in Sooke, West Shore and the Saanich Peninsula.
While mentors from cultural backgrounds across the gender spectrum are needed, the demand for male volunteers is especially high.
Mentors can be as young as 15 and come with a range of experience. The youngest volunteers are typically secondary school students who are mentors to children in kindergarten to Grade 5 at one of 12 elementary schools across the region.
Teen mentoring allows students to gain valuable life and work experience while having fun and being a role model to a younger child.
A new partnership with Brentwood Elementary this school year will provide children on the Saanich Peninsula with much-needed mentoring services. This is the first time that the Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring program has been offered in the area, and it is hoped that it can provide opportunities for more volunteers, from teen to adult, to come forward and help support the youngest children on the waitlist.
鈥淢any young Canadians struggle with societal barriers and face adversities in their lives like detrimental living conditions, family violence, mental-health and school issues as well as identity challenges,鈥� said Peter Coleridge, national president and CEO.
鈥淪imply having someone who listens and encourages them, youth can transform into confident and motivated young people and, more importantly, break cycles of poverty and crime and curb the development of mental-health issues.鈥�
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria and area serves more than 600 children each year, engaging more than 300 mentors across the Capital Regional District and on Salt Spring Island. For more information, go to bbbsvictoria.com.
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Myeloma support group offers hope
The Island Myeloma Support Groups are holding a Myeloma Education Day for all patients, caregivers and health-care professionals on Oct. 7 in Nanaimo.
Myeloma is an incurable bone-marrow cancer. The focus of the groups is to provide support, education and advocacy. This is especially helpful for those recently diagnosed so they have the information needed to understand the disease and treatment options.
Those attending the monthly meetings gain knowledge 鈥� and hope 鈥� as they meet others living a normal life after initial or ongoing treatment.
Meetings are held monthly in Courtenay, Nanaimo and Victoria.
Topics covered at the education day include Myeloma 101 and Current and Future Treatments. There will be a question-and-answer period after each speaker.
Admission to the Education Day is free. It runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Oct. 7 (light lunch provided) at the Coast Bastion Hotel, 11 Bastion St. Nanaimo. Space is limited so reserve your seat with Linda at [email protected] or 250-204-9055.
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Seniors get tips on smart renting
Are you a senior considering renting? Consider attending RentSmart Basics, a speakers鈥� series offered in partnership with Ready to Rent and Silver Threads Service, Oct. 10 to 19.
The introductory session explores how to have a successful tenancy and the unique needs of seniors. In today鈥檚 challenging rental market, the session prepares seniors 鈥� whether they already rent or are considering renting 鈥� to find housing and experience successful tenancies.
Attendees learn strategies to create a healthy, successful tenancy.
The sessions are free but seating is limited. The series runs 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Oct. 10 to 19. The introduction session will be held at the Victoria Silver Threads, 2340 Richmond Rd. Call 250 388-4268 to reserve your space.
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United Way to pitch in for听isolated seniors
The United Way will announce significant funding for isolated seniors in the CRD today, the UN International Day of Older Persons, at an event at Berwick Royal Oak.
The funding will expand an existing seniors outreach program piloted by two senior service agencies 鈥� James Bay New Horizons and Silver Threads Services.
It will directly support a Seniors Outreach Worker visiting rental housing units to connect vulnerable and isolated seniors with people and existing programs in the United Way Greater Victoria network of services. The program now impacts more than 500 people annually in the CRD, where 18 per cent of the population identify as seniors.
The announcement event runs 2 to 3:30 p.m. today at Berwick Royal Oak Retirement Community, 4680 Elk Lake Dr. For more information, go to uwgv.ca.
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One tonne of food donations is the target
Help get Micky Fleming down from a cherry picker for Thanksgiving. Fleming, CEO of Cherish at Central Park, will go up in a cherry picker at 7 a.m. Friday and not come down until people donate one tonne of food for the Goldstream Food Bank.
Richlock Rentals is supplying the machine, and School District 62 is allowing the use of the property. Stop by with donations at the west side of the parking lot of School District 62, 3143 Jacklin Rd. (You can鈥檛 miss it 鈥� just look for the cherry picker.) To donate online, go to goldstreamfoodbank.islandwebhosting.com.
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It鈥檚 time again for earthquake drill
Get ready to Drop, Cover and Hold On during the ShakeOutBC earthquake drill, at 10:19 a.m. Oct.听19.
Make sure your participation is counted by registering your family, organization or business. Registration is required annually, so if you enrolled last year, you have to renew for 2017.
Practising what to do during an earthquake increases the odds people will respond correctly when one occurs. New and improved fact sheets give advice and tips on how to properly respond and prepare.
What if you鈥檙e not near a desk or table during an earthquake? Check out ShakeOutBC鈥檚 YouTube channel, with videos demonstrating Drop, Cover and Hold On for a variety of situations at ow.ly/34eB304HFGl.
For more information, go to shakeoutbc.ca. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #ShakeOutBC.
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Tattoo event aids mental health
The sa国际传媒 Schizophrenia Society鈥檚 Victoria Branch is holding a Tattoos for Mental Health Fundraiser, Saturday at Goldstream Tattoo.
At the event, which takes place during Mental Illness Awareness Week, people can get a tattoo, with thousands of selected designs, with a minimum $100 donation.
All proceeds will benefit sa国际传媒 Schizophrenia Society Victoria and its Peer Support services to help people with schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression and psychosis.
The event is on a first-come first-served basis. There will be snacks, thanks to a donation from Thrifty Foods.
The fundraiser takes place at Goldstream Tattoo, 201-797 Goldstream Ave. For more information, go to bcssvictoria.ca.
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Burnish your bike skills for commuting
The Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society invites everyone, including new cyclists, to try out bike commuting for a week during Bike to Work Days, Tuesday to Thursday.
In May more than 7,000 people in Greater Victoria registered for the 2017 Bike to Work Week 鈥� including 1,200 new riders.
For new cyclists, the event carries them over a significant behavioural threshold. This important first step in commuter behaviour change occurs when their experiences replace their preconceptions. Take the following participant testimonials:
鈥淚 thought biking would be hard and horrible, but it is wonderful. I鈥檓 so glad I tried it for a week.
鈥淎fter participating at my first Bike to Work Week event, I proved to myself that it isn鈥檛 so scary and bad to commute to work by bike.鈥�
Bike to Work Days motivates people to take the next step in the change process and is a means to encourage those who are wavering in their commitment to bike as the weather gets wetter and days get shorter.
The three-day event celebrates commuter cycling with six celebration stations along popular commuting routes with free refreshments, giveaways, bike checkups and prize draws.
For a full schedule and locations of the stations, go to biketoworkvictoria.ca.
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Light the way to safety this Halloween
Support those living with cancer and make healthy choices by purchasing a reflective safety band at the Canadian Cancer Society鈥檚 Glow for Hope campaign, throughout October.
Country Grocer has partnered with the society by offering reflective snap bands at every store location on Vancouver Island for $5.
鈥淲e are delighted to team up with the Canadian Cancer Society and year two of Glow for Hope. Please consider purchasing a reflective band and keep everyone safe this Halloween,鈥� said Tammy Averill, marketing manager for Country Grocer.
Furthermore, by choosing this snap band over a sugary treat, you are supporting healthy eating and decreasing cancer risk.
鈥淒id you know that by making healthy choices you can reduce your risk of cancer? What we put in our bodies impacts energy levels, cancer risk and overall health,鈥� said Debi Dempsey, annual giving co-ordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society.
For more information, go to cancer.ca or countrygrocer.com.
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Grab that ivy, and rip it out
Join the No Ivy League as Friends of Uplands Park meet each Sunday to remove English ivy, Oct. 8 to the end of November.
The removal of this highly invasive plant will help to restore the park鈥檚 endangered Garry oak ecosystem, as well as protecting 24 rare plants.
Tools, gloves and best-practices instruction will be provided to those attending.
This event is an excellent project for families and people 鈥� especially students 鈥� who want to volunteer in the community. The event is in partnership with Oak Bay Parks.
The event takes place 1 to 3听p.m. Oct. 8 and each Sunday until the end of November. Meet at the end of Cattle Point near the kiosks. For more information, contact Margaret Lidkea, 250-595-8084 or friendsofuplandspark.org.
