Oct. 17, 2019 "Unicef returns to Halloween with digital coin boxes": Today I found this article by Brandie Weikle in the Star Metro. I like this because it's about charity. I remember when I was in elementary school and carried that Unicef box:
UNICEF is getting back into the Halloween game, remaking the ubiquitous orange coin box that so many parents recall from trick-or-treating past into an all-digital campaign more suitable to the times.
Those iconic boxes were actually the UN agency’s first foray into Canada in the mid-1950s, and how most Canadians came to know the fundraising organization that helps children in need around the globe.
At its peak, there were around a million Canadian children carrying UNICEF boxes on Halloween night, but over the years the program got harder to administer, says Rowena Pinto, chief program officer for UNICEF Canada. With more and more charities fundraising with coin boxes posted at cash registers, it was tough to get people excited about collecting change door-to-door. The program wrapped up in 2006, and UNICEF Canada has since relied on other fundraising initiatives.
Reflecting on that decision over the years, though, “we really felt that we had lost something in stopping the program,” says Pinto. “We lost the strength of Canadian children raising money for children around the world. It was almost the secret ingredient.”
This year there’s a new version of the trick-or-treating program. Kids are invited to become UNICEF “Halloween heroes,” setting up fundraising pages online and getting donors to sponsor their night of trick-or-treating.
The four characters from the orange boxes have been made over as heroes with capes and masks, each representing one of four areas donations can support: water, nutrition, education and health. Kids can choose to direct their dollars to one or more of these, depending on which cause resonates with them most, or they can choose to be “an overarching Halloween hero” with money split evenly among all four areas, says Pinto.
In keeping with the habits of today’s digitally connected youngsters, the new fundraising platform allows kids to manage and collect pledges using a computer, phone or tablet.
The idea is to collect pledges throughout the month of October and meet fundraising goals by Halloween night, says Pinto. Once they reach their fundraising goal, kids unlock a hero’s crest on the platform, print it out and either pin it to their costumes to wear, or hang it on their door at home.
To help create excitement about the campaign, UNICEF Canada brought Toronto girl band GForce, a group of 10- to 12-year-old singers who recently made waves on “America’s Got Talent,’ on board to be ambassadors for the program. The mission of the program fits with the uplifting, kids-can-change-the-world message behind their music, says Pinto. “They’re very sincere in their participation and great fundraisers.”
Toronto mom of four Louise Gleeson remembers carrying the iconic UNICEF box while trick-or-treating in her suburban neighbourhood during her middle school years.
“We would tie them around our necks and wear them over our costumes. I remember all the houses in our area would put out a bowl of change, often all the pennies in the house,” says Gleeson, who also remembers preparing to hand out coins to the trick-or-treaters that came to the front door.
“Our family had a mint green Tupperware bowl that we’d put the coins in beside the bowl of candy.”
Gleeson says she felt proud to carry her coin box Halloween night and to hand it in to her teacher the next day along with her classmates. “I attended a Catholic school. We did a lot of philanthropic outreach, so it would have been very customary for most of the class to be involved.”
But Gleeson says she wonders if kids will get as excited about collecting money for UNICEF without the tactile experience of the box getting heavier throughout the night, and the pride of handing it in at school.
“I fully understand the cost-saving measures that digital campaigns allow for, but I don’t think it would be as rewarding for my kids to participate in that format,” she says. “My kids love doing bake and lemonade sales in our neighbourhood every summer. They can then bring their donation to the charity of their choice and hand it in.”
However the cash is collected, the parents’ role in helping their kids understand the significance of participating is key.
Jackie Gillard, a mom and stepmom from Toronto recalls collecting coins on Halloween but not understanding it as well as she could.
“I was too privileged and wish my parents had done a more thorough job of ensuring I comprehended how important those coins in the box were for others.”
That said, Gillard says she’d be willing to try the program with her 11-year-old daughter.
She and her husband try to be clearer with their kids than her own parents were about issues like food insecurity and homelessness, and that other children aren’t able to take for granted things like travel, eating at restaurants or taking dance classes, says Gillard.
“Yet we also feel like we should be doing more to have them both interact with others less fortunate so they feel the humanity of those people as well.”
Pinto says Unicef’s own research found that while 86 per cent of parents say it’s important that kids participate in important causes, only 56 per cent say their kids actually do so.
“I think this is key component of raising really strong children — children who feel that they can make a change,” she says. “Halloween is such an easy, child-friendly time to really introduce your children to philanthropy and empower them to realize that everyone plays a role in making the world a better place.”
Oct. 18, 2019 "Creative ways to have a green Halloween this year": Today I found this article by Debra Norton in the Star Metro:
The thrill that comes with dressing up on Halloween and collecting candy in neighbourhoods decked out with glowing jack-o’-lanterns, stringy spiderwebs, spooky gravestones and haunting music makes it one of the most exciting days of the year. But this celebration comes with a scary aftermath as more and more cheaply-made costumes, one-off decorations and candy wrappers are ending up in landfills.
But it doesn’t have to be the case. With a little thought, it’s possible to celebrate more sustainably and avoid or reduce the amount of single-use plastics. Here are a few suggestions.
Get creative with costumes
Buying second-hand costumes from thrift stores, borrowing from friends and neighbours and upcycling items in your closet are ways to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. But not everyone wants to spend time rummaging through a second-hand store to come up with a costume. After all, the convenience of ready-made costumes is part of the appeal for many. That’s why the increasingly popular costume swaps are a great resource for families.
“A Halloween costume is going to be worn once,” says Amanda Newman, who owns Tokki, a curated shop for preloved kid’s clothes located in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood. “The idea of going out and buying a costume for one use just doesn’t make sense, especially now. I think everyone is trying to make that shift to buying second-hand or not using single-use plastics, it’s really on the top of our minds right now, and every little thing really counts. The costume swap is fun and you’re doing a good thing for the environment.”
Newman has hosted a Halloween Costume Swap for the past three years. She started after she realized that kids’ costumes are expensive and are often only worn once. The idea of a swap fit right into the ethos of her shop — providing sustainable fashion choices and offering a meeting place for the community, says Newman.
“People were really happy to just get a costume and donate to a great cause,” says Newman. All proceeds from this season’s costume sales are going to the Native Women’s Resource Centre.
This year’s swap took place on Oct. 5 and the racks were filled with the usual costumes — princess, firefighter, astronaut and cute animals like sharks, butterflies, bumblebees and lions, for kids from infants to about 10 years old. The event continues until Halloween. People can either swap a costume or buy a costume for a minimum $5 donation.
Look for costume swaps on Facebook neighbourhood groups, at local schools and community centres.
Karen Ziegler, who started a costume swap two years ago in Toronto’s east end says the swaps are a great way to bring the community together. She decided to organize a swap when several parents in one of her Facebook groups showed interest.
“I think everyone is at a point where they are feeling anxious and want to feel like they are doing something. It may feel like a small thing, but it’s something,” says Toronto mom Ziegler. “This year my son Jake will dress up in a second-hand Spider-Man costume and my partner and I are going as Thomas the (Tank Engine), made out of painted cardboard boxes.”
The Toronto Public Library’s environmentalist in residence Sophi Robertson organized the costume swap at Richview Library in Etobicoke, which takes place Oct. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m., as well as a costume upcycle event on Oct. 26 from 12 to 2 p.m. as part of the library’s Our Fragile Planet program series that provides environmental education and awareness programs.
“It’s a way of reducing waste by not going to purchase something new and keeping those costumes in circulation and providing easy access to them,” she says.
Ditch the plastic — make your own decorations
Halloween has become one of the biggest decorating holidays of the year. It’s fun to get creative rather than rush off to a dollar store. Search your house or visit a thrift store for items to reuse and recycle. And then of course there are pumpkins, which are not just decorations, they are edible too.
Easy home projects include making a front-yard cemetery by turning cardboard boxes into tombstones and scrap pieces of wood into crosses; painting paper or cardboard black and cutting them into bat shapes to suspend from the porch or tree branches or tape to a window. The pumpkin is the classic plastic-free Halloween decor item. Once it’s carved and used as a decoration, why not jump on the pumpkin-spice food trend? Roast the seeds and cut the flesh up to make soups, pies, loaves and cookies. Compost what you can’t eat.
Hand out greener treats and recycle candy wrappers
Halloween is all about the candy. But after the trick-or-treating has ended, the environmental impact of all those plastic wrappers — everything from mini chocolate bars to chips and candies going in the garbage can be huge.
“It can be hard to find candy that isn’t wrapped in plastic,” says Ziegler.
Dots, Junior Mints, Mike and Ikes and Milk Duds all come in tiny cardboard boxes, but like the rest of the candy handed out on Halloween these are not recycled through municipal waste management programs. Many of us are under the impression that these treat size-cardboard boxes are recyclable, but according to Solid Waste Management Services for the City of Toronto, only the regular-size candy boxes are acceptable in recycling.
“Small cardboard boxes, like the tiny Smarties boxes, are not likely to be captured into the right material stream due to their size, so these should go in the garbage. Foil wrappers, candy wrappers and chip bags also go in the garbage bin,” says Nadine Kerr, manager of resource recovery, solid waste management for the city. If you are unsure about what goes where you can check the Waste Wizard online or get the TOwaste app.
Nestle Canada, maker of many of the popular Halloween chocolate and confectioneries, including those miniature boxes of Smarties, has acknowledged its waste problem. Its website states the company has committed to making 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. “We are phasing out all plastics that are nonrecyclable or hard to recycle for all our products worldwide by 2025.” Meanwhile, a 2019 Greenpeace brand audit named Nestle the top plastic polluter in Canada.
TerraCycle, a waste management company that specializes in hard-to-recycle materials such as all that Halloween candy packaging, can take up the slack.
While some programs are free, such as the Nespresso capsule recycling program, most come at a cost. TerraCycle boxes are sold online and at Staples.
The Snack Wrapper Program, a small box (10”x10”x18”) costs $86 and comes with a prepaid shipping label. According to TerraCycle’s website you can send them any brand and size of snack wrappers. This includes individual candy wrappers, cookie wrappers, snack bags, multi-pack snack bags, and family-size snack bags. The plastics are separated, melted down and turned into small pellets that can be moulded into new shapes and products.
Robertson, the library’s environmentalist in residence suggests handing out pencils and erasers, which she notes are also safe for kids with food allergies.
My week:
Mon. Oct. 14, 2019 "Youth hockey coach speaks out after receiving racist message from parent":
Oct. 9 was a normal afternoon as Talha Javaid walked home from the Windsor, Ont., mosque he attends every Friday for congregational prayers. But when the 23-year-old hockey player and youth coach checked his phone, he stopped in his tracks.
“I was like, ‘What. The. Hell,’” he told Yahoo Sports Canada. Javaid received a text message from one of the parents of a child he coaches. The text message was fully loaded with racist and xenophobic ideology and began with the unoriginal line, “I’m not a racist but…”
Javaid and his best friend Sebastian Nystrom travel to East Lansing, Mich., and pay for ice time out of pocket to provide free clinics and development sessions for players five to eight years of age. His dedication to the sport and to give back to the community was not good enough for one father, identified as Chase, who expressed that he doesn’t “feel comfortable” with his son being coached by a Muslim. Chase was concerned because of the influence Javaid would presumably have on Riley, his child.
Javaid said he is overwhelmed by the amount of support he has received and appreciated the solidarity. He noted that his non-PoC friends were aghast and surprised by the incident. Javaid told them he’s used to it — something they found difficult to accept. But the reality is that often when people of colour share their stories, it serves, teaches and educates others with privilege who do not know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of abuse or discrimination.
I would love more non-white and Muslim coaches in hockey because then maybe more hockey kids would grow up to not be racist
8:55 AM · Oct 12, 2019Twitter for iPhone
14 hours ago
The man clearly loves the sport and loves kids. Why would he have to explain anything about his religion to anyone? If he was catholic, would the parents demand a description of his religion? He said he has played since he was a child, so I would presume he's qualified. If you don't like him, put your kid on another team instead of telling him he should resign. Let the other children benefit from his enthusiasm and teaching. He sounds like a great guy no matter what his religion.
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/youth-hockey-coach-speaks-out-after-receiving-racist-message-from-parent-172309751.html
Fri. Oct. 11, 2019 "The secret party lives of Muslim women": Today I found this article by Rania Mirza in the Star Metro. It reminds me of the girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys. I had copy and pasted the whole article onto another blog post.
It talks about Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic about gender segregation. I'm sure some of you guys are like: "Ugh, is Tracy writing about that girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys again?"
When was the last time I wrote about this? 2013?
https://www.thestar.com/life/opinion/2019/10/10/the-secret-party-lives-of-muslim-women.html
Mon. Oct. 14, 2019 K- pop star Sulli, found dead in her home, age 25: I don't know who she is, but this is about mental health and I find it important:
You can always call for help:
The new Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS), by Crisis Services Canada, enables callers anywhere in Canada to access crisis support by phone, in French or English: toll-free 1-833-456-4566 Available 24/7
Fri. Oct. 11, 2019 West Edmonton Mall: I went there so I can pass out some resumes. I did get an interview. The Pearson Berry Farms opened where Cacoa 70 once was. They sell a lot of pies and I tried the coconut tart pie. I then picked up a free Edmonton Journal at Fantasyland Hotel. It was 3pm and there were still 5 issues.
Potluck and Family game night: I went to the Centre of Spiritual Living where we bring a dish, eat and then play some board games. It was weird, because when I got there, this old high school friend R was there. She came because one of her friends was there. How she's an LPN from Norquest. I ate some Caesar salad that her friend C made. C also made the bacon with it.
I played some games:
For Sale is a quick, fun game nominally about buying and selling real estate. During the game's two distinct phases, players first bid for several buildings then, after all buildings have been bought, sell the buildings for the greatest profit possible.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172/sale
Sat. Oct. 12, 2019: I went to West Edmonton mall and attended an interview. Then I went to Fantasyland Hotel to pick up the Edmonton Journal. There was only 1 issue left, and I haven't really finished reading the Fri. one. So, I decided to not pick it up and let someone else read it.
If there were 5 issues, I would take 1.
Sun. Oct. 13, 2019 Thanksgiving lunch: I went to the Centre of Spiritual Living, and R was there too. I ate some mashed potatoes and a little sausage, and lots of kale salad. It had that poppy seed dressing in it.
Work: It was quiet at my 2nd restaurant job. There were reservations. I did connect more with the busser E and the new hostess L. I told them about my script The Vertex Fighter, and E wanted to read it so I emailed to him.
Jasper Ave:
West Edmonton mall:
1. The Juice Bar
Some of us said it reminds them of Lost in Translation. I have never seen it:
"A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo."
Oct. 19, 2019 The Year Assessment: This is probably because I was listening to this. Corinna talks about the last 3 months of the year and we need to assess it:
Corrina Steward: Create consciously and intentionally. Start planning so you can reach your goal.
https://www.facebook.com/soulwealthcoach/videos/407976689868880/
2017: The Year of Self- Development: It's where I listen to all these telesummits and are like self-help.
2018: The Year of the Life Coach: It's also where I listen to all these telesummits, but I research a lot about how to be a life coach.
I don't know about 2019. I am looking at everything in my life. If you focus too much on one thing, you tend to neglect something else. Also with the beauty of the blog is that I can see how much and what topics I have been posting and writing the most about. It's mainly job articles and I have 11 job interviews blog posts.
Mon. Oct. 14, 2019 K- pop star Sulli, found dead in her home, age 25: I don't know who she is, but this is about mental health and I find it important:
South Korean pop star and actress Sulli has been found dead by her manager at her home south of Seoul at the age of 25.
A report by Yonhap news agency said Sulli was found on Monday afternoon and police have said there were no signs of foul play at her home in Seongnam, in the Gyeonggi province of the country.
The police are investigating the cause of the star's death, working on the assumption she may have taken her own life, reports the BBC.
The artist, whose legal name is Choi Jin-ri, was formerly a member of K-Pop girl band f(x).
The artist shared: "Social phobia, panic disorder…. I’ve had panic disorder ever since I was young.
"There were times when close people… Some of my closest friends have left me. People hurt me, so everything fell apart. I didn’t feel like I had anyone on my side or anyone who could understand me. So that’s why I completely fell apart."
You can always call for help:
The new Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS), by Crisis Services Canada, enables callers anywhere in Canada to access crisis support by phone, in French or English: toll-free 1-833-456-4566 Available 24/7
Fri. Oct. 11, 2019 West Edmonton Mall: I went there so I can pass out some resumes. I did get an interview. The Pearson Berry Farms opened where Cacoa 70 once was. They sell a lot of pies and I tried the coconut tart pie. I then picked up a free Edmonton Journal at Fantasyland Hotel. It was 3pm and there were still 5 issues.
Potluck and Family game night: I went to the Centre of Spiritual Living where we bring a dish, eat and then play some board games. It was weird, because when I got there, this old high school friend R was there. She came because one of her friends was there. How she's an LPN from Norquest. I ate some Caesar salad that her friend C made. C also made the bacon with it.
I played some games:
For Sale is a quick, fun game nominally about buying and selling real estate. During the game's two distinct phases, players first bid for several buildings then, after all buildings have been bought, sell the buildings for the greatest profit possible.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172/sale
Sat. Oct. 12, 2019: I went to West Edmonton mall and attended an interview. Then I went to Fantasyland Hotel to pick up the Edmonton Journal. There was only 1 issue left, and I haven't really finished reading the Fri. one. So, I decided to not pick it up and let someone else read it.
If there were 5 issues, I would take 1.
Sun. Oct. 13, 2019 Thanksgiving lunch: I went to the Centre of Spiritual Living, and R was there too. I ate some mashed potatoes and a little sausage, and lots of kale salad. It had that poppy seed dressing in it.
Work: It was quiet at my 2nd restaurant job. There were reservations. I did connect more with the busser E and the new hostess L. I told them about my script The Vertex Fighter, and E wanted to read it so I emailed to him.
Jasper Ave:
Soy and Pepper- I attended an interview in 2017. It closed down in 2018.
Kanu- It replaced Soy and Pepper in 2018. It closed down in 2019.
Rainbow Snow- It opened for a few months in 2019.
Dragon's Breath- It closed down after 3 months. It was supposed to be temporary.
King Tut's Tomb- it opened in 2017 and I passed my resume there. It closed down in 2019.
124 St:
1. The Juice Bar
2. The Starbucks on High Street- I passed my resume in 2018. It closed down in 2019.
Mon. Oct. 14, 2019 Thanksgiving dinner: We had roast beef.
Tues. Oct. 15, 2019 Meeting: I worked at my 2nd restaurant job for 3 hrs. Then I went and took the bus to my 1st restaurant job for a meeting. It was an hr long and it was good because I learned something about upselling.
It was also good because I asked about: "What's so special about the next 18 months?" A worker and my boss said: "I was going to ask that too."
Mainly the federal election, and changes will occur.
I then went to the Fast Food place where I attended the interview. I had gotten hired for a trial shift and we can see if I would be a good fit. However, the boss said he had texted me and said that I wasn't hired because his co-business owner had hired someone else instead. That's fine.
Wed. Oct. 16, 2019 2019 Community Choice Awards Winners: I was reading this in the Star Metro and learned a lot about companies and places I could apply to.
Screenwriter's Facebook group: We went to Second Cup and had finished reading Jay's script. He said he was inspired by this Asian movie:
"Two neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs."
Mon. Oct. 14, 2019 Thanksgiving dinner: We had roast beef.
Tues. Oct. 15, 2019 Meeting: I worked at my 2nd restaurant job for 3 hrs. Then I went and took the bus to my 1st restaurant job for a meeting. It was an hr long and it was good because I learned something about upselling.
It was also good because I asked about: "What's so special about the next 18 months?" A worker and my boss said: "I was going to ask that too."
Mainly the federal election, and changes will occur.
I then went to the Fast Food place where I attended the interview. I had gotten hired for a trial shift and we can see if I would be a good fit. However, the boss said he had texted me and said that I wasn't hired because his co-business owner had hired someone else instead. That's fine.
Wed. Oct. 16, 2019 2019 Community Choice Awards Winners: I was reading this in the Star Metro and learned a lot about companies and places I could apply to.
Screenwriter's Facebook group: We went to Second Cup and had finished reading Jay's script. He said he was inspired by this Asian movie:
"Two neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs."
Some of us said it reminds them of Lost in Translation. I have never seen it:
"A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo."
Oct. 19, 2019 The Year Assessment: This is probably because I was listening to this. Corinna talks about the last 3 months of the year and we need to assess it:
Corrina Steward: Create consciously and intentionally. Start planning so you can reach your goal.
https://www.facebook.com/soulwealthcoach/videos/407976689868880/
2017: The Year of Self- Development: It's where I listen to all these telesummits and are like self-help.
2018: The Year of the Life Coach: It's also where I listen to all these telesummits, but I research a lot about how to be a life coach.
I don't know about 2019. I am looking at everything in my life. If you focus too much on one thing, you tend to neglect something else. Also with the beauty of the blog is that I can see how much and what topics I have been posting and writing the most about. It's mainly job articles and I have 11 job interviews blog posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment