Today, December 15th, you can help the CHML/Y108 Children’s Fund by filling your tank at any area Pioneer gas station. One cent from each litre pumped will be donated to the Fund. Tell your friends!
Gas Up!
15 12 2010Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: children, community, non-profit, philanthropy, youth
Categories : community development, EnMark Associates, philanthropy, youth
Hunger Heroes
14 12 2010Hats off to some of Hamilton’s generous responders to the need for food and support among those experiencing hunger in this community:
The Copetown Lions Club has “adopted” King George School on Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, supporting a nutritious snack program through donations of $3,700 in the past year. Along with donations from other area Lions Clubs, some $12,000 has been raised by this generous service group. The Club will also host about 250 students from King George for a free turkey lunch at the Lions Community Hall in Copetown.
No Frills and Fortinos grocery stores (part of the Loblaw chain) are hosting the 2010 Extra Helping Holiday National Food Drive in stores now – the aim is to raise $1.35 million and 1.2 million lbs of food to combat hunger across Canada. Here in Hamilton, monies and food raised will go to Hamilton Food Share. Donate money at checkout, or pick up needed food items to deposit in designated collection containers. Items of particular need include canned meat and fish, pasta, rice, dry and canned soups and stews, canned fruit and vegetables, flour, cereals, peanut butter, canned or powdered milk, beans and legumes, butter, infant formula and baby food.
More than 18,000 people rely on food banks in this community, and by extension rely upon our generosity. This is the time of year when the level of that generosity peaks, but please remember the food bank each and every time you shop for groceries throughout the year. Pick up an extra item or two, especially from among the needed items list above, and drop it in the collection container when you check out. Hamilton’s hungry thank you for doing so.
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Tags: children, community, family, food bank, health, hunger, poverty, school nutrition, volunteer
Categories : community development, EnMark Associates, philanthropy, poverty, volunteers
Losani Homes’ Record-Breaking Turkey Drive
11 12 2010As a follow-up to my recent post congratulating Losani Homes on being honoured for their philanthropy, here’s an astounding accomplishment that has gone quietly unnoticed by most Hamiltonians…
The Losani family hosted about 500 guests last week for their annual Turkey Drive. The event raises money for local charities. This year, the modest goal was $50,000. But that amount was
Lino and Fred Losani at cheque presentation
nearly reached before the event even took place, thanks to early calls and requests made to Losani Homes trades associates. By the time the event finished, a whopping $210,000 had been raised! This is quite likely a record for a single fundraising event of this kind in Hamilton.
Fred Losani, speaking to guests, acknowledged the generosity of their associates and recognized the success that can happen when we all work together. He pointed to recent events like Al Pacino’s visit to the city, which raised a reported $150,000 for charitable causes, saying that by
Food Share's Joanne Santucci accepts donation
comparison very little effort was required for Losani Homes to achieve this incredible outcome. The bighearted company provided food and drink for guests at the Turkey Drive and organized the “virtual sale” of turkeys to those in attendance. Of the money pledged, $110,000 has been shared between the Community Child Abuse Council, Hamilton Food Share and Good Shepherd. The remaining funds, once collected, will be distributed among other worthy causes.
Any other companies out there feeling generous enough to try something similar with their own network of associates? There is no shortage of need in this community, and this approach to philanthropy is just the sort of gesture that can make a huge difference without requiring
Community Child Abuse Council Board Chair, Greg Doerr
charities to knock on doors or invest huge amounts of time and energy for limited returns. The Losanis have set the bar and shown that the results can be tremendous – their quiet leadership is admirable and sets an example for us all. We are grateful for their commitment to this community, and thankful for the generosity of their associates – Barzotti Woodworking, Pearson Dunn, Turkstra Lumber and the many others who gave to this event (a full list was published in the Hamilton Spectator on December 9, 2010).
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Tags: capacity, child abuse, children, community, family, food bank, non-profit, philanthropy, poverty, volunteer
Categories : child abuse, community development, EnMark Associates, philanthropy, poverty, volunteers
Giving that truly counts
6 12 2010
There has been a lot in the news recently about the trend for giving so-called philanthropic gifts (a goat, school books, water purification tablets, mosquito nets) through various international aid organizations. These are tremendous opportunities to add an additional layer of meaning to the gift-giving act and to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people who need help.
Interested in doing something like this right here in your own community? There are no shortage of opportunities! Be creative, think of the many needs out there, and do something difference-making this year. Here are some ideas to get you thinking in the right direction:
- sponsor a family through the Children’s Aid Society
- drop off warm coats to the Salvation Army
- remember the food bank when you do your grocery shopping
- purchase a magazine subscription for a local women’s shelter
- introduce yourself as a volunteer by presenting a ‘VOU’ certificate to a worthy organization (provide your contact information and let them know how much time you are willing to give them for a future occasion when they may need it)
- take up a collection at your holiday gathering and donate it to a local charity
- invest in the future of Hamilton with a gift to the Hamilton Community Foundation
- share some of your homebaked goodies with the volunteer dog walkers at the SPCA
- offer your expertise to a local agency who might otherwise have to pay for a service: tune a piano for a senior’s centre or take care of the snow in an agency parking lot
- ask your neighbours what they are supporting this year – find out about a need and respond if you can
If you have a favourite charity, call and ask them what they might be needing this holiday
season. Many have a wish list of needed items. Check web sites for wish lists and other ideas. Find your own unique gesture that will make a difference, no matter how small. The gifts that keep giving are some of the very best. I find that it feels like the gift was one received rather than given. If you can’t give money, give in another way. It’s the giving that counts.
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Tags: children, community, family, food bank, mission, non-profit, philanthropy, poverty, volunteer
Categories : community development, EnMark Associates, philanthropy, volunteers
Old Spice?
9 11 2010Marketing magazine recently reported that Canadians are fans of the current Old Spice advertising campaign (“You like the way I look. Of course you do.”). Not only was it the most recognized campaign, it was also the best liked in this country (least liked? The family chasing the Dairy Queen Blizzard truck).
Flash back for a moment to 1965 and imagine the likelihood of either of these marketing campaigns being successful. A naked guy taunting us from the shower? A family drive with Mom on the hood of the car trying to grab hold of an ice cream truck? Doubtful these would ever have been conceived, let alone aired and memorable. My point here is that things have changed considerably in the way marketing reaches us. More disturbing to me is the change in how it affects us, and what has become acceptable to so many of us.
The so-called “prime time” viewing slots on television have opened up to include programming that once was restricted to much later hours and intended for adults only. Shows like “Pimp My Ride” and “Desperate Housewives” are now airing when young kids are still in their living rooms. Not that long ago, Brooke Shields caused a tremendous uproar by exposing her navel and midrift in an advertising campaign. Bratz dolls have sexed up their wardrobes to the point 
that once-fashionable Barbie has now donned similar garb in order to stay “trendy” and competitive. The cast of Glee on the cover of GQ magazine has been in the news for its racy portrayal of highschool kids, and children have come to know firefighters in most communities as heroes and calendar pinups.
There’s only one common element in all this, and it’s money. Whatever sells goes. And we buy it. Every lowdown, inappropriate and disrespectful moment of it. Maybe our filters are so tired from trying to screen and distinguish among all this stuff that they just don’t work anymore. Or maybe we’ve just become numb to all the skin and sex and selling. Old Spice sales reportedly are up, and Bratz dolls are again being touted as a must-have item for the holidays this year. Trouble is, child abuse is up too. Domestic assaults are still a plague on families. Pornography still nets kids and ruins lives. The links are obvious. What we do about it is trickier.
Stop advertising? No. Censor more of this stuff? Governments won’t do it. Quit spending our money on the products and services that try to sell to kids with sex and violence? Now that just might work. I spoke to a mother the other day who had been trying to explain to her 8-year old why a particular mannequin’s outfit was inappropriate for school (mini skirt, lacy tights, spaghetti strap/sequin top). It’s not easy. I admire her taking a stand though, and she showed that it can be done (and done at any age) with patience and love. She told me she’d rather put up with a few tantrums than risk the alternative.
Can we find more ways to reinforce the appropriate, and gradually reduce the inappropriate, from our lives and the lives of young children? Can we do a better job of turning trashy TV into teachable moments for kids? I think so. And I tip my hat to all those parents out there who are trying to do just that every day. Their task is daunting, and they could use our help and reinforcement. Whether you have children or not, take opportunities to voice your disapproval when the merchandise in the next store you visit falls well short of the mark for appropriateness. As I often hear teachers and parents telling children, “use your voice”.
Photo: spreadshirt.com
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Tags: anti-violence, child abuse, children, communications, community, education, family, health, marketing, media, prevention, sexual assault, woman abuse, women, youth
Categories : child abuse, community development, EnMark Associates, media, women, youth
Changing our Sexually Toxic Environment
2 11 2010
Cordelia Anderson
If you read this blog regularly, you know that Cordelia Anderson recently spoke about our “sexually toxic environment” as part of a discussion here in Hamilton during Child Abuse Prevention Month (October). Her insights and revelations about “porn culture” and what we must do to reverse the hijacking of our sexuality fired up those who were fortunate enough to be present – and I hope that lasts! In the meantime, I took to heart Cordelia’s message about doing what we can, in our own circles of influence, to rid ourselves of the overly sexual (“hypersexualized”) danger zone in which we (and youngsters) live.
While traveling, I now request a “porn free” room when I make hotel reservations. This means insisting on a room that doesn’t have pay-per-view pornography or has blocked the availability of it during my stay. Families as well as individuals can do this easily…and the more who do, the more likely we are to find greater availability of these rooms.
While shopping, I no longer turn away and ignore inappropriate or offensive merchandise. I recently pointed out to a shopkeeper that a particularly sexual t-shirt had no place on display in a store selling children’s clothing. In another, I complained about a line of merchandise called “Porn for Women” that was prominently displayed in the gift shop of a heritage site (go 
figure). In both cases, I elected to shop elsewhere and let them know why this was my decision.
These individual efforts do pay off. After complaining about a rubber tag for sale in a local dollar store (“On Myspace I’m Legal”) – displayed next to Dora The Explorer and other kids’ items – the store not only removed it from their inventory but also invited me to write to their head office and explain why it’s unacceptable. Pointing out the inappropriateness of sexualized merchandise can lead to an “aha” moment for sales clerks, store managers, buyers and distributors. Community-minded corporations will often respond when made aware of merchandise that might otherwise have slipped through their radar.
There are a host of things we can do, each of us, to change our environment so that these hypersexualized examples are not considered “normal”. First and foremost, remember that 
money talks. Spend it strategically. If you don’t think dolls for young girls should be dressed in feather boas and miniskirts, don’t buy them. And let store staff know why you won’t spend your money on these items. If you don’t think the lyrics to certain songs are healthy for the sexuality of our young people, point that out to them. Explain what’s degrading or objectifying about the words, and offer empowering messages instead.
Simply starting a conversation can be enough to get the ball rolling. How do you feel about the mainstream TV line-up including shows like “Pimp My Ride”? What about the results you get when you search for “porn” on Google? For an interesting comparison, Cordelia Anderson suggests trying that search and then searching for “healthy sexuality” and seeing the difference in results (and the time it takes).
October was Child Abuse Prevention Month. November is the month set aside to talk about 
woman abuse and to raise awareness about the problem. If we only address these issues once a year, we can pretty much give up on making any inroads. If we continue to let media and merchandisers degrade and objectify women, we won’t get very far either. So speak up, engage others, and spend strategically. It will take all of us to make a difference in what “normal” consists of and whether messages about healthy sexuality are available to young people.
“The need for change bulldozed road down the center of my mind”.
Maya Angelou
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Tags: anti-violence, child abuse, children, community, education, family, health, marketing, media, prevention, sexual assault, social marketing, woman abuse, women, youth
Categories : child abuse, crime and violence, EnMark Associates, media, women, youth
Alternatives for Youth
20 10 2010The annual general meeting of Alternatives for Youth (AY) was held this week, and the election of volunteer board members saw a group of dedicated individuals take up the governance and 
leadership of the agency for the coming year. This is a small organization, not particularly well known, but a vital provider of services for local young people. AY provides substance abuse and addiction counselling and related programs for youth aged 12-23 and their families in the Hamilton area. They operate from a downtown location and several satellites, including numerous school-based locations.
Karen has been working with AY over the past year, assisting in a Review & Renewal process encompassing all areas of the organization. This has been a substantial undertaking for the agency, and has required considerable work on the part of volunteer board members in particular. The agency should be commended for its efforts to strengthen both governance and service delivery, and for its commitment to making valuable and visionary contributions to the Hamilton community. The AY staff team continues to provide much-needed services to young people and their families in the complicated realm of addiction, substance use, mental health and development.
If you are interested in the work of AY, or about volunteering in a governance or other capacity, contact Sue Kennedy, Executive Director, at (905) 527-4469.
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Tags: addiction, boards, capacity, children, community, education, family, governance, health, mission, mission-driven, non-profit, substance use, treatment, volunteer, youth
Categories : community development, EnMark Associates, governance, volunteers, youth
World Food Day
16 10 2010October 16 is World Food Day. This year, the theme of the day is “united against hunger”.
We are fortunate in Canada to be among the world’s healthiest populations and producers of significant amounts of food. From grains to fish, our ability to draw from the land and waters is abundant. Still, we have our own problems with hunger. Many find this surprising, but we nonetheless have a sizeable number of people in this country who do not get adequate food on a regular basis. Food banks, hot meal programs, community gardens, and various public health and community initiatives are aimed at this food insecurity problem. Here in Hamilton, local farmers and concerned donors have joined in the battle against hunger. Hamilton Food Share was out in those fields today, receiving freshly-harvested carrots destined for food banks in the coming days. Increasing the amount of fresh food available to food bank users is just one of the challenges facing local service providers.
In coming weeks Karen will be working with the Hamilton Community Foundation to support a community initiative aimed at bringing enhanced nutrition and food intake to local schools. Hunger hits children particularly hard, negatively affecting their development and learning. More than 8,000 children use local food banks despite breakfast programs and school nutrition initiatives. Watch for future updates about the local food insecurity landscape and the Hamilton Community Foundation initiative.
Of interest, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has a world hunger map indicating levels of food insecurity and hunger around the globe. With the exception of Australia and New Zealand, the current map shows the entire southern hemisphere as being hungry to varying degrees. North of the equator, parts of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, China, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are indicated on the map as experiencing some level of hunger but nowhere in North America, Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, or the rest of Asia.
For more information, visit www.fao.org.
To support local food banks, go to: www.hamiltonfoodshare.org. Every $1 in donations raises $5 in food. To support the Hamilton Community Foundation, go to: www.hcf.on.ca.
You can add your name to the worldwide anti-hunger petition by going to: www.1billionhungry.org.
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Tags: capacity, children, community, education, family, food bank, health, hunger, mission, mission-driven, non-profit, poverty, prevention, research, school nutrition, youth
Categories : community development, EnMark Associates, poverty, research
Child Abuse Prevention Month
13 10 2010
October is designated Child Abuse Prevention Month, marked in many communities with the annual purple ribbon campaign and events designed to educate and inform the public. Locally, the Community Child Abuse Council of Hamilton will host another in its series of professional development symposia later this month featuring internationally known trainer and speaker,
Cordelia Anderson
and past Oprah guest, Cordelia Anderson. Chair of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Exploitation, and board member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Anderson will address what she calls our “sexually toxic society” and its negative impact on the developing brain. She addresses “the porn culture” children are exposed to along with the increasing accessibility of inappropriate ideas and images via technology and media. Children’s development, Anderson says, is affected by all that is around them. Her focus at this year’s symposium will be the impact of technology, consumer culture, and increasingly sexual lures on children as well as the critical importance of prevention work. She will offer helpful strategies to professionals in order to support efforts to address these challenges. For information about the symposium (October 26 in Hamilton), From Dr. Seuss to Porn: The impact of pornography on the sexual development of children and youth, check the Community Child Abuse Council of Canada’s web site: www.childabusecouncil.on.ca.
Cordelia Anderson will also speak at a free presentation for parents and caregivers on October 25th. The evening presentation will provide important information for those trying to help boys and girls navigate in a sexually toxic environment. Pre-registration is required. Check the Council’s web site (above) or call (905) 523-1020, ext. 10.
Elsewhere in Ontario there will be community events including a walk for justice in Belleville, an official proclamation in Elliot Lake, a duck race in Goderich, and a poster campaign in Cornwall. The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies will feature a public education campaign featuring the purple ribbon (member Children’s Aid Societies in communities across the province will participate).
The United Nations proclaimed 2000-2010 The International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. In short, a ten-year period to highlight the violence committed against our most vulnerable citizens and the need to eradicate that violence. Given the number of children accessing treatment here in our community following the trauma of abuse, it is clear that a decade did not suffice. Arguably, one month set aside each year to focus on prevention won’t do the trick either. But if each of us tries to connect with the issue in some way during this month, it will help. Learn more, talk about the ugly truth of child abuse, and be vigilant. It is essential that we listen when a child discloses maltreatment. It is the law that we report suspected abuse of a child.
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Tags: anti-violence, child abuse, children, community, education, family, mission, mission-driven, non-profit, prevention, sexual assault, treatment, youth
Categories : child abuse, community development, crime and violence, EnMark Associates
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