Apr. 18, 2018 "Donating used furniture" (Furniture Bank): Today I found this article by Brian Scudamore in the Globe and Mail:
Founder and CEO of O2E Brands, which includes home-service companies including 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
Last night, I had dinner with my family around our kitchen table and then went to sleep in my bed. It sounds like an ordinary evening because, for most of us, it was. We think nothing of the furniture and appliances in our homes because we’re accustomed to these everyday luxuries. (In fact, we don’t think of them as luxuries at all.) But potentially millions of Canadians are living without the basic items many of us take for granted.
Furniture poverty is the inability to afford basic needs (such as furniture, appliances and utensils) that contribute to a standard quality of living.
It most commonly affects people in transition, such as refugees, immigrants, women fleeing violence, or the formerly homeless. It’s a problem that’s often ignored because it only exists behind closed doors. The truth is it’s much more common – and more reversible – than you might think.
Charities like Furniture Bank are working hard to end furniture poverty for good by providing gently used items to people in need. However, a recent donations shortage has made it challenging to keep their warehouse stocked. The need for furniture is overwhelming: in addition to the 11,000 people they serve each year, another 50,000 are living in under-furnished conditions.
As part of a company that handles used furniture every day, our 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Toronto franchise partner Ashton Lubman wanted to help address a community issue. In a show of great leadership, he recently partnered with Furniture Bank to give customers the chance to donate their unwanted items to an important charity. By joining forces, we hope to amplify the message that everyone deserves a furnished home and that anyone can help.
The furniture poverty problem
People affected by furniture poverty often get caught in a cycle; they’re up against a wide range of barriers to securing stable income. Compared to rent, utilities, and food, furniture just isn’t a priority. But the cost of going without it is great, too: it can lead to insecurity, social exclusion and isolation. Furniture poverty is more than a state of financial hardship – there’s an emotional and physical toll that comes along with it.
“In the Toronto area alone, roughly 50,000 people are living in a state of furniture poverty each year,” says Dan Kershaw, Executive Director of Furniture Bank. “They can afford the apartment; they have the keys, the lights, the food, and they’re making do. But they can’t become successful members of society without the furniture required to turn their houses into homes. This is why we exist.”
Since opening in 1998, Furniture Bank has served more than 80,000 people, collected nearly half a million items and diverted 35 million pounds from the landfill. But with demand rapidly outpacing donations, Furniture Bank is experiencing a sliver of the poverty its clients deal with every day.
Part of the problem is that people simply don’t know where or how to dispose of used furniture.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance estimates that reusable goods make up 6 per cent of landfill waste in the GTA – a figure that could be reduced if everyone started donating used furniture instead of throwing it away.
The opportunity: donate to charity
At 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, we donate or recycle whenever possible. As part of this Furniture Drive, our Toronto team wants to educate customers about the impact donating to charity can have.
Thanks to Furniture Bank, the children of single parents have desks to do their homework and newcomers to Canada are able to start their new lives with dignity.
A partnership like this makes sense, since we’re already doing this kind of work every day. Our truck teams separate all gently used furniture and household items, divert them from the landfill and deliver them directly to Furniture Bank (or a charity of our customers’ choosing). People in need can then “shop” for furniture at the Furniture Bank warehouse just like they would at IKEA or The Brick. This provides people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to furniture with the comfort, dignity and stability that comes from having a furnished home.
By acting as a conduit, we hope to restock Furniture Bank’s warehouse so they can support as many people as possible. It’s a small step we can take to give our customers the chance to donate, while simultaneously giving back to the community.
I consider myself a very grateful person, but I’ll admit I rarely think about the security that furniture brings to my life. I envision a day when people no longer see their used furniture as “junk” – they see it as an opportunity to give someone a brighter future.
Dec. 2023 My opinion: There's FIND Edmonton:
FIND Edmonton | Furniture Bank
Aug. 1, 2018 "If you're passionate about a cause, bring it to the workplace": Today I found this article by Brian Veloso in the Globe and Mail:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/leadership/article-if-youre-passionate-about-a-cause-bring-it-to-your-workplace/
FIND Edmonton | Furniture Bank
Aug. 1, 2018 "If you're passionate about a cause, bring it to the workplace": Today I found this article by Brian Veloso in the Globe and Mail:
Senior director, SAP Concur Canada
My son, Owen, was born with a congenital heart defect. He has endured countless surgeries and medical procedures. At the age of 3, he went into heart failure. We approached Make-A-Wish Canada to have Owen’s wish granted; Owen wanted to become a firefighter. His wish was granted – and seeing him light up, smiling ear to ear, was priceless. My son, now 10, loves to look back at the pictures and will never forget the day his dream came true.
In the years since, I’ve raised awareness and funds for Make-A-Wish as a supporter of the magic the charity creates for so many families, including my own. Some of the most rewarding work I’ve been able to do for this organization has been in partnership with my workplace.
Charitable initiatives can have tremendous impact on individuals, organizations and communities.
We can all agree that giving back is the right thing to do and we can all benefit from the positive feelings we get from helping others. What’s more, organizations that actively support their employees and allow for the charitable causes that are close to them can see the benefits multiplied internally and externally.
By working toward a shared goal outside of business objectives, charitable initiatives build a positive and strong corporate culture.
For the past few years I’ve championed charitable initiatives through my own workplace. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive, in large part because I’ve had an employer that wholeheartedly encourages and actively participates in these passion projects.
Just this past June, seven SAP Concur colleagues and I rappelled down Toronto’s City Hall, raising funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish through its Rope for Hope event. Not only was the business engaged in fundraising by matching donations, but global executive leadership made a point to participate, reinforcing from the top how important activities like this are in our organization.
My team was able
to do something positive for the community,
and in turn we felt closer as a team,
were re-energized in our day-to-day work
and felt a strong sense of pride in our organization.
The enthusiasm before, during and after this event underscores why it's so important for businesses to support charitable initiatives, and why managers and business leaders need to create opportunities for staff to present charities they want to support. But most of all, it showcases why it's critically important that employees of all levels feel empowered to bring forward charities they are passionate about.
People often want to get involved in fundraising but don’t know where to start. Having opportunities to do so through a workplace breaks down that barrier. Business leaders should find out how their company works with charities, as many have pre-existing relationships, dollar-for-dollar matching programs or processes for bringing new initiatives forward. This information should be communicated to teams, so they are familiar with the ways to get involved with corporate citizenship programs.
But the responsibility shouldn’t rest solely on managers and leaders to initiate corporate citizenship projects. Individuals who are passionate about a certain cause should proactively bring it to their workplace and see what the possibilities are to support it through corporate citizenship. In my experience, this has led to more impactful and meaningful volunteer opportunities.
The moral reasons for supporting charitable initiatives are obvious, but it can also provide unexpected benefits to organizations and employees. It’s always good to bring new ideas to your organization, so don’t wait. And when it comes to supporting charities, you never know whose dream you might help to come true.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/leadership/article-if-youre-passionate-about-a-cause-bring-it-to-your-workplace/
This is a slippery slope. Employees may be compelled to participate in the corporate charities to the detriment of those that they would prefer to support. Many religious institutions are near and dear to people's hearts. Do you want that discussion going on in your workplace? Unlikely. Similar discussions could be held about politics, and any number of topics.
Great story of "Passion Capital" at work!
Here are the other 2 blog posts:
"Stretch your money and get on top of inflation with these 10 tips"/ "Is your budget bursting? Try these 3 simple ways to save money"
Tracy's blog: "Stretch your money and get on top of inflation with these 10 tips"/ "Is your budget bursting? Try these 3 simple ways to save money" (badcb.blogspot.com)
"10 money mistakes people make in a recession"/ "6 invisible ways you're losing money and how to stop"
My week:
Dec. 30, 2022 Galaxyland: I went to the website and they're going to be "powered by Hasbro." They're changing the theme to Hasbro games like Monopoly.
Jan. 1, 2023 New Year's Day: I didn't stay up until midnight. I haven't done that in years. This morning, I saw on the Chinese TV news where they showed all the fireworks in Paris, London, and New York.
My family and 5 of my dad's friends came out to dinner. We were celebrating my dad's birthday which is in Jan.
We went to Jumbo Dim Sum. My dad bought a birthday cake from a Chinese bakery. Those cakes always have fruit on top and in them. I don't really like those.
Dec. 31, 2022 "The movie rental store lives — and it's not going anywhere": Today I found this article by Nicole Williams on CBC:
It may be a business model of a bygone era, but cinephiles can still physically browse through aisles of fantastic flicks at one of the last movie rental stores in Ottawa.
Tucked away in a small and unassuming strip mall on Kilborn Avenue in Ottawa's south end, movie rental buffs with a keen eye will find Movies n' Stuff.
Still, there are enough loyal customers, about a couple hundred a week, that walk through the door to keep Movies n' Stuff steady.
It's a business Peter Thompson carries on with pride. He inherited the store from his parents five years ago, who ran it for 30 years before that.
My opinion: When I read this I was like: "Seriously? There's still a video store?"
You may want the DVD so you can watch all the behind- the- scenes footage, and cast and crew interviews, and bloopers. You can watch that on Youtube if someone puts the video up.
You can't get the audio commentary on Youtube though.
My friend Dan L. buys all these DVDs for like 25 cents at the Reuse Centre. You can rent DVDs from the library for free.
There are streaming platforms that remove a TV show or movie after awhile, and you can't access them.
Jan. 5, 2023 "Bed Bath & Beyond warns it may go out of business": Today I found this article by ,on BNN Bloomberg:
Bed Bath & Beyond added in a filing that it’s taking steps to improve its cash position, but that recurring losses and negative cash flow in the nine months ended Nov. 26 leave “substantial doubt” that it can stay in business. The company said it’s pursuing options including restructuring debt, selling assets or filing for bankruptcy, but added “these measures may not be successful.”
Bed Bath & Beyond warns it may go out of business - BNN Bloomberg
Jan. 9, 2023 "Bell replaces pledge of 5 cents per text on Let's Talk Day with lump-sum $10M donation": Today I found this article by Pete Evans on CBC. I like this article because it's about charity and helping people:
Bell Canada is overhauling its charitable initiative that supports mental health, replacing a program that saw the company donate five cents every time Canadians used the phrase "Bell Lets Talk" with a lump-sum donation of $10 million.
Since its founding in 2010, the Bell Let's Talk initiative has seen the telecom giant donate five cents every time Canadians used the BellLetsTalk hashtag on social media or in a text.
Over the past 13 years, it has raised more than $129 million for more than 1,400 mental health-related organizations across Canada, helping more than five million Canadians in the process, Bell says.
Last year, the phrase was used more than 165 million times online on Let's Talk Day, raising more than $8.2 million.
But this year, the company is changing the campaign, replacing the pledge to donate based on the use of the phrase with a promise to donate $10 million instead, regardless of whether anybody texts, tweets or otherwise uses the phrase on Jan. 25.
Bell noted in a press release that $10 million is more than the company has donated in any single year since the initiative began, and it added that changing the program "will shift more emphasis on the day toward practical actions that we can all take throughout the year to create change."
Jan. 5, 2023 Job interview: I woke up early and attended a job interview at a cafe. It was average.
McDonald's: I took the bus to downtown and redeemed my coffee card to get a free coffee. The cards are buy 7 coffees, and get 1 free. They poured it into my thermos.
The bank: I then walked to my bank because I got an email from them that said one of my accounts was dormant. They said to either use it like transfer money in or out or I can close the account. I decided to the close the account. I still have other accounts in there.
Renew my ID: The woman J who works there told me my account expired about 5 months ago. I decided to renew it at the Accu- Search office in City Centre. It turns out you can renew it for different lengths at different prices like 1 yr or 5 yrs. I renewed it for 5 yrs.
Jan. 9, 2023 Will Trent: The pilot was average. I will record the series and watch all the eps in a week. I am mainly watching this for Jake McLaughlin (from Quantico). The show is on CTV on Tues. nights. You can watch on ctv.ca and Telus on Demand.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit: The pilot was average. I will record the series and watch all the eps in a week. CTV aired 1st ep on Sun, and the 2nd ep on Mon. The show is on CTV on Thurs. nights. You can watch on ctv.ca and Telus on Demand.
Jan. 9, 2023 2023 Feng Shui: This is from Dana Claudat from the Tao of Dana:
Set a theme for 2023: it can keep you focused.
Vision boards are a great way to clarify your vision and set it in motion.
This is a year of action: learn things and use them.
Pantone's color of the year is: Viva Magenta.
Personal growth:
This a year of 7: truth. Learn deeply and apply what you learned.
Clear clutter.
More harmony.
Pluto in Aquarius brings a spirit of wild growth and breakthroughs to life.
Personal innovation: cook in a new way, work out in a new way, etc.
Collaborate: work with people to amplify the greatness.
Saturn in Pisces shines a light on new ways to organize life that set you free.
Prioritize your time.
Jupiter in Aries: personal leadership. Self-empowerment.
Plant magic: water your plants.
Focus on your goals: write down the things you want, and read them daily.
Jupiter in Taurus: money, joy, home, and nature.
A budget
From where you are and what you have: You can create the life that you want.
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