Dr. Brené Brown
Summer’s official start is generally recognized to be June 21 (or, more specifically, the Summer Solstice). But for many of us, the “May 24” long weekend has traditionally heralded the arrival of the warmer weather and released us to once again enjoy outdoor living. Here’s hoping you are all making the best of this seasonal (and uniquely ours) celebration. As you stock up on charcoal, 
hose off the lawn chairs and otherwise prepare for summertime, however, take a moment to think about the season change from another perspective…
The network of community service providers whose programs and supports are vital to so many of our neighbours and fellow citizens approach the summer months with a different view than most of us: will there be enough food at the food banks to respond to the increase in demand that generally happens when school lets out? how can we best utilize the summer students who will be helping us? how many days of dangerously high temperatures are we in for and are we ready to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable? will our board volunteers meet over the summer? will enough donors remember us when our fundraising appeal comes during their summer vacation? how will the coming provincial election impact our ability to provide services? have we recruited enough replacements for our key volunteers who will be leaving for holidays?
The community engine that responds to human needs is ever running. There is no vacation for the safety net that is vitally essential to the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens. The ongoing activities that keep this engine running are often unseen but always imporant. Taking time to consider that as we plan our summers can only add to the strength of the response. As we take time out to enjoy the season, we may also be in a position to help make sure it’s a good summer for all. Worth thinking about.
May 1 to 7 marks the 60th anniversary of Mental Health Week here in Ontario. The Canadian Mental Health Association offers these tips for mental fitness:
For more about these tips, and information about Mental Health Week events and materials, visit this web site: www.mentalhealthweek.ca
Did you know that in Hamilton more than 23,000 students get a breakfast, lunch and/or snack each day at their local school or community centre? Many of these kids, 1 in 4, live in poverty. Others lack the required nutrition to get them through the day because busy lives, work schedules, or stressful home situations get in the way. Hamilton Partners in Nutrition (HPIN) provides nutritional meals and snacks to students across this community, funded largely through provincial money but relying also on donations and fundraising. Rising food costs require ongoing efforts to raise money and a significant dependence on volunteer dedication.
On Saturday, June 18th you can support their work by supporting their Feed The Dream Auction. It will be held at Hamilton’s Discovery Centre and will include both silent and live auction events as well as entertainment and hors d’oevres. Opportunities to help include buying event tickets, donating auction items, volunteering for the evening, or advertising in the auction brochure. EnMark Associates is pleased to be donating an auction item, and challenges readers of this site to do the same.
Full details can be found at www.partnersinnutrition.ca or by calling 905-522-1148, ext. 301. Be sure to find out about the special pre-auction cruise aboard The Harbour Queen.
There are more than 100 student nutrition programs in Hamilton, and as of June 2010 they serve 447,183 breakfast meals and 650,690 snacks with the help of 6,695 volunteers. Parents alone contribute more than 45,000 hours of volunteer time, estimated to represent more than $750,000.
Karen’s recent work has included a project with the Hamilton Community Foundation and area stakeholders to develop a universal school-based nutrition program in Hamilton. Buildiing from what is already in place, the initiative aims to make nourishment available to all elementary school students (secondary school population would come next) and to help the community move forward towards the goal of being the best place in which to raise a child. Watch this blog and the Hamilton Community Foundation’s web site (see link at right) for updates on the project.
McDonald's ad, Austria
Regular readers will know that I have talked about this topic often – the commercialization of childhood and the inappropriate (and damaging) marketing of everything under the sun to kids. More often than not the messages are highly sexualized, exploiting the very innocence that ought to be protected.
Here are two resources you may find interesting. It’s nice to share other voices and reassuring to know others are ranting about this too.
www.commercialalert.org: their mission is “to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy”. Check out their Parents’ Bill of Rights and campaign to get salespeople out of schools.
Our nation is in the grips of a commercial hysteria. Sometimes it seems like everything is for sale. At Commercial Alert, we stand up for the idea that some things are too important to be for sale. Not our children. Not our health. Not our minds. Not our schools. Not our values. Not the integrity of our governments. Not for sale. Period.
www.commercialexploitation.org: national organization (U.S.) devoted to limiting the impact of commercial culture on children – their mission is “to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers”. Good resources and attention to diverse issues (from obesity to violence) along with clout in their advocacy efforts – they have successfully battled Disney, Scholastic Inc. (Bratz), McDonald’s and Hasbro.
The commercialization of childhood is the link between many of the most serious problems facing children, and society, today. Childhood obesity, eating disorders, youth violence, sexualization, family stress, underage alcohol and tobacco use, rampant materialism, and the erosion of children’s creative play, are all exacerbated by advertising and marketing. When children adopt the values that dominate commercial culture—dependence on the things we buy for life satisfaction, a “me first” attitude, conformity, impulse buying, and unthinking brand loyalty—the health of democracy and sustainability of our planet are threatened. CCFC works for the rights of children to grow up—and the freedom for parents to raise them—without being undermined by commercial interests.
CCFC is active in the Toronto area where a recent campaign helped stop the installation of digital monitors in area highschools (along with their ad content)…anyone involved with CCFC in Hamilton???
Ontario’s new Sexual Violence Action Plan: Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives addresses a “serious and pervasive” problem in this province. It speaks frankly (“violence against women devastates lives – it has no place in society and it will not be tolerated”) and includes a commitment of $15 million over four years ($5.2 M for public education campaigns, $1.6 M for professional training and education, $3 M for sexual assault centres, $3.7 M for interpreter services, $1.95 M for anti-human trafficking initiatives).
Many Ontarians don’t realize the alarming statistics surrounding sexual violence and its prevalence in the lives of far too many women. One in three women will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. Sexual violence crosses all social boundaries, affects women of every age and cultural background, and has devastating impacts on the lives of victims and their families as well as the well-being of society as a whole. [Laurel Broten, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Sexual Violence Action Plan, March 2011].
The plan updates the Province’s former “domestic violence” action plan (2004) and addresses crimes such as sexual assault, sexual exploitation through human trafficking, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation using technology and the Internet. It focuses on sexual violence against those 16 years of age and older (the Plan reports that separate initiatives are being developed for children and for men).
Many people only think of sexual violence as a very violent crime that happens between strangers – the perpetrator lurking in a dark alley or in the bushes. In reality, most sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim – an acquaintance, date, friend, colleague or family member – and often it occurs in private places, like the victim’s home [Ontario’s Sexual Violence Action Plan].
The Plan acknowledges that current statistics are alarming and that women across Ontario live in fear. The crime that is sexual violence won’t be curtailed successfully by any one effort or approach alone, thus it is heartening to see prevention as well as post-incident response included in the Province’s approach. The stated vision in the Plan is that “Ontario is a place where all women live in safety, and are free from the threat, fear or experience of sexual violence”. Published progress reports are promised after two and four-year intervals (2013 and 2015).
No less than 16 provincial Ministries are listed in the Plan as partners in the effort and members of the Ministerial Steering Committee on Violence Against Women, and the Plan highlights several collaborative approaches. It is nonetheless unfortunate that the leadership in launching this Plan came from the Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. Sexual violence is not a “women’s issue”. But the Plan does include a request from the Province for changes to the Criminal Code of Canada and that’s a positive step in the battle against electronic victimization (among the newest threats). Also welcomed is the Province’s financial investment in education, prevention and victim response initiatives.
For a full version of the 23-page Plan click here: Ontario’s Sexual Violence Action Plan 2011.
Maybe it’s the warmer weather, or the peek of colour from crocus blooms in my garden today, but I started off with such a cheery disposition…then the media barrage began. First I read that this coming Sunday, March 20th, is the first International Anti-Street Harassment Day. Apparently a day is needed to remind us that catcalls, leers, sexual innuendo and whistles (aka street harassment) are inappropriate. I would like to think offensive behaviour is just that, offensive. Should be out of bounds each and every day. Activists would likely say I’m naive. I can’t fault their efforts to educate, and I recognize that this offensive harassment is often trivialized. According to www.StopStreetHarassment.com street harassment “includes sexually explicit comments, catcalls, groping, leering, stalking and assault, and more than 80 per cent of women have encountered it”. Learning that grim statistic makes me think a day set aside to expose the offenders isn’t such a bad idea (sad, but necessary).
Moving on with my day, I next discovered that Mattel Inc. has launched a new Barbie, called Clawdeen Wolf. This new doll’s purpose is…are you ready?…to help teach young girls about plucking and shaving. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m picking on Mattel here, but 
seriously…there are just too many issues here not to raise a few red flags. First, Clawdeen is clad in a micromini skirt, baring her navel, and is a ridiculous but no-longer-surprising size 2. It gets worse. The Globe & Mail reports that she boasts of being “a fierce fashionista with a confident no-nonsense attitude” and that shaving and plucking her “freaky flaws” is “a full-time job” (she’s a werewolf’s daughter, according to Mattel’s Monster High web site). Does Mattel think that the little girls who will actually play with this Barbie are in need of shaving guidance? More to the point, does Mattel see body hair as “a freaky flaw” and intend for young girls to see it that way too? Yes, Clawdeen is a toy. But she’s obviously marketed to young girls, and as toys go this is but another example of being off the mark in so many ways. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…manufacturers need to hear from us when they so blatantly target children with messages that are sexualized and age inappropriate. Parents will no doubt be the most influential censors where purchases are concerned, but in the spirit of “it takes a village” (and recognizing that parents need all the help they can get) we should be all be offended, and vocally so. The Globe & Mail reports that Clawdeen is already a big seller, quoting a Toys ‘R’ Us spokesperson saying that Clawdeen is “the most popular fashion doll that we have today” and a Mattel spokesperson (defending the doll), saying she is “all about celebrating your imperfections and accepting the imperfections of others.”
Yes, it started out as a nice (almost spring) day. But it has turned out to be a sad day to be a girl.
Many readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of Hildy Gottlieb’s work (Creating The Future) and I apply a number of her concepts and principles in my practice (thanks Hildy, you spread the love so generously). One of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is a topic Hildy has ranted about many times, and a fundamental question Hildy is always asking: what will it take for the community benefit sector to achieve genuine success (or, the flip side, what’s stopping that from happening?):
Success in the Community Benefit arena doesn’t come from being the smartest and the fastest and the best. Yes, you may become the best funded organization. But success in the Community Benefit world is about – well – Community Benefit! And none of us can do that on our own. It is clear that this sector’s potential can only be reached if we link arms together to create the healthy, vibrant communities we all want. To accomplish that, many of the systems we rely upon in this sector will need to shift, from competitive systems that keep us apart to systems that encourage and nurture interconnectedness and interdependence. [Hildy Gottlieb]
Amen to that.
So, I’ve been thinking about that shift and how to support it. I’m wondering about the figurative linking of arms and how that might tangibly or literally be accomplished in a typical community. There are no shortage of inspiring examples on a global scale (just in these past weeks the Middle East is full of them). Examples can also be found within the ranks of the collective impact movement (see: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/collective_impact/). So what about here, within Hamilton neighbourhoods? How do small community efforts grow to become community benefit successes? That’s been occupying my mind of late, and steering me to seek out viable answers. It seems vital that our local community benefit organizations be encouraged and supported in efforts to join together…to find strength in numbers and influence in shared vision. I’m not talking about merely “collaborating” here, where agencies remain independent and separate while joining together (or appearing to do so) for select purposes. That kind of collaboration has been a diversion for many organizations (particularly small ones with very limited resources) and ineffective for many others. As a requirement of many funders, collaboration has become a challenge for organizations who might be far better served by genuine efforts at unified, targeted advocacy and action. Time-consuming and ineffectual partnerships have kept more than one organization from realizing true innovation. Carefully assessing when, how and with whom to partner is a missing step in many collaborations…it’s often simply a requisite step in the grant application process. To shift from “expected” collaboration to instead focus on shared community outcomes (or collective impact) will take some time and some genuine effort. But I can hear Hildy yelling, “yes, but think of the possibilities if it happens!” and that very thing is what has me giving this considerable attention.
Be the change, the Gandhi-inspired mantra, requires that we model our efforts according to the outcomes we seek. When it comes to local community benefit and the sector upon which so much rests, that means some considerable adjustments will be needed. Stay tuned.
If you live in Ontario, Alberta or Saskatchewan today is officially Family Day. It’s a statutory holiday in other parts of Canada too (but under different names) so roughly 60% of the country observes the day as a holiday. In Ontario, it’s about celebrating the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.
(photo: David Cooper, Toronto Star)
Many families will spend time together, and a range of activities (many of them free) are happening for kids of all ages. Family members separated by distance may pick up the phone to connect, or use the less personal email, text or Skype options. But how does a community celebrate the importance of families? Public events really don’t reflect a community in this sense…for the most part they are organized by City departments and municipal staffers. And it’s February, not so conducive to the outdoor block parties or neighbourhood events we might see in warmer months.
I’m interested in hearing about ways a community can show that it values families. Are you taking part in a community-organized event? Is your corner of the bigger community doing something to celebrate family life? Is there a gesture of acknowledgement we could all make, as community members, that you think would honour families? Post a comment or drop me a line and tell us about it. In the meantime, I’m off to call my parents.
Few among us can honestly look back and say that we didn’t, at some point, have the benefit of sage advice or caring support from a mentor. Maybe it took the form of a gentle nudge, or a wake-up call. Mentors give us what we need in order to keep moving forward, to push for success. They see potential in us, they envision our accomplishments, and they listen, offer guidance, and model the qualities to which we aspire. I certainly had these people in my life, and still do. I am grateful for their influence and humbled by their generosity of spirit.
I recently had an opportunity to offer just that kind of support. Not my first experience at mentoring (although this was a first meeting so it really wasn’t mentoring as much as advice-on-the-fly). But it brought to mind the previous experiences of encouraging and guiding young or emerging talent. As with most gifts, it feels wonderful to give this kind of support. But most important, in my line of work, is the potential it has to multiply and result in benefits never imagined. My career has focused on the not-for-profit world, and my expertise comes from many years spent working with organizations and agencies of all kinds. To mentor someone who might go forward to work within these same community causes is a genuinely inspiring experience. What project might they one day spearhead? How will their contributions better our society? I’ve seen what can happen early in a career, when insight or inspiration can spark an avalanche of ideas and motivation. Even today, after some 30 years in this field, I still have people in my life who do just that for me. I am thankful for that, and for the opportunity to offer that to others whenever it arises.
If you haven’t had the experience of mentoring someone, look for the opportunity and act upon it. You won’t regret it. If you were mentored at some point in your life, it’s a perfect way to “pay it forward”. You never know what magic may result.
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