Signature Experiences On-line Auction Sneak Peek
Luxury awaits you…
Drive a Cadillac without the payments, courtesy of theNew Roads Automotive Group. Your no-charge lease will run from Friday evening, pick-up between 3:00PM and 5:00PM, to Monday evening, no later than 8:00PM on a mutually agreeable date. Select from the luxurious Cadillac models New Roads has to offer and plan a weekend to remember. You will have between now and December 31, 2012 to book your Cadillac Experience. Date and vehicle are subject to availability. One week’s notice requested; 400KM allowed. To include in your plans, go for a country drive and enjoy Sunday Brunch (by Peter and Pauls) for 2 at The Manor in Kettleby, ON set in the beautiful grounds of Carrying Place. Treat yourself to the Omelette Station, Antipasto Bar, Prime Rib Carving Station, Delectable Desserts and more. Good until August 26, 2012.
Visit New Roads and by Peter and Pauls for more information.
| Estimated Value $ 500 |
Good Food Box Recipe: Asparagus Potato Soup
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion1 tbsp garlic1/2 tsp ginger grated1 bunch or 2 cups asparagus cut into 2″1/2 cup potatoes cubed1 maggie soup cube *3 cups water1/4 cup plain yogurt
*if not using soup cube add any type of stock water i.e. vegetable or chicken flavoured OR add salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin to taste.
Heat oil saute onions, garlic, asparagus, ginger then add potatoes. Add the soup cube with water and simmer in low medium heat covered till the asparagus and potatoes are cooked.Remove from heat and cool, then puree in a blender. Return the soup back to cooker and bring to a boil and add the plain yogurt.Serve hot, it is optional to garnish each serving dish with plain yogurt.
WCYR Wednesday: Introductory Yoga Classes!
Have you ever wanted to try yoga? Do you want to get more in touch with your body and emotions?
Well, now is the perfect time! Bridging the Gap presents 3 introductory yoga classes for clients.
Join us Monday May 28th from 2-3PM, Monday June 4th from 2-3PM and Monday June 11th from 2-3PM.
Head, and Shoulders….Knees and Toes!
Say “Hello” to the kid in you as we gently and playfully stretch, move, and connect to our bodies through yoga.
Experience the benefits of yoga through guided relaxation… using awareness of breath with movement, and building/restoring alignment in the body.
Join us for three introductory sessions; No previous experience necessary.
Wear comfortable, stretchy clothing, if possible.
Space is very limited.
Register online!
International Day Against Homophobia
Today, Thursday May 17th, is International Day Against Homophobia.
Philosophy of the Event
Few minority groups have been as discriminated against as the gays and lesbians. But major breakthroughs have occurred, and homosexual people are stepping out of the shadows. From the outside, it could be construed that all problems have been solved. The media are sympathetic, public personalities come out, television shows feature lesbian and gay characters in scenes of everyday life. Nevertheless, the reality is quite different. Many individuals are unable to live their sexual orientation, encounter difficulties if they do, or end up role-playing to protect themselves.
Despite these dire situations, the implementation of the International Day Against Homophobia should not rest on a “victimization“ philosophy. In fact, the Day may be seen as a great opportunity to highlight positive aspects of homosexuality and celebrate the contribution of lesbians and gays to society.
Target Audience
Homophobia is an insidious process that channels its effects through subtle, usually transparent ways. No one is safe from hostile manifestations to homosexuality. Quite surprisingly, many homosexual individuals themselves adopt homophobic behaviour, hoping it would protect them against prejudice from their entourage. The International Day Against Homophobia aims to reach all groups of society, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Becoming Involved
An International Day Against Homophobia belongs to no one individual. It’s about all people hoping for a prejudice-free world that can provide a place at the table for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Inspired by all world theme-days, the day set aside to fight homophobia needs to be appropriated by all of those actively involved in civil society: gay and lesbian community organisations, those organisations focusing on other types of sexual diversity, unions, employers, private businesses, governments, public administration, professional associations, and all individuals seeking equality.
Participate! This day belongs to YOU!Il It is important to make concrete efforts to counter homophobia. The human effort to do so is exactly what creates change and enables mentalities to evolve. The International Day Against Homophobia on May 17th is the perfect opportunity to make such efforts. Participation: A Few Ways
The Fight Homophobia campaign is the perfect occasion
to do your part to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people and there are tons of ways you
can help:
- hang posters and hand out leaflets;
- use the campaign’s online promotional materials, or any other materials that will open a dialogue and get people talking;
- send mass emails, contribute to blogs, join online social networks;
- ask government agencies and administration to adoptresolutions (Word file) supporting the International Day Against Homophobia;
- plan activities, colloquiums and conferences;
- get public figures involved in the activities;
- speak out against homophobic acts;
- solicit the media to cover the issue and submit articles for the media to distribute;
- organizing ceremonies to raise the Rainbow Flag;
- encourage major opinion leaders to promote the International Day Against Homophobia and join the campaign.
Text taken from http://www.homophobiaday.org/
Make a Ripple Monday: Making Changes, Changing Lives
Below is a letter shared by a client of WCYR. We don’t always get to hear how our programs change women’s lives so thank you to our client for sharing.
I have been participating in the “Making Changes” Program, and have completed Part 1 (Self-Empowerment) and Part 2 (Effective Communication).
The opportunity to be a part of this phenomenal process of self-discovery and self-development is the opportunity to grow in freedom and confidence. It is a gift to have the tools available and the practice with them to be a more effective and powerful person. In this way, I can employ the skills that I have learned here, and use them to improve my life, and the lives of those around me. These courses plant the seeds for a lifetime of better human interaction, and serve as the crucible of consideration and practice within a small group of others eager to accomplish the same. The small group format empoyed by the WCYR (6-8 participants) is documented to be the ideal group size, and I have found this to be a great encouragement and dynamic support for this personal transformational process. The Course Leaders are highly skilled in directed learning and group interaction, and have great empathy and compassion. They take into consideration the various styles of learning, and help others to see these styles in action, which gives us greater insight into ourselves and how we interact with others. The material covered is very concentrated, and very astute, and provides endless opportunities to focus on self-reflection. This “holding of the mirror until we can see ourseves clearly” is a healing and peacemaking process that deserves to be expanded – the more, the merrier! As the circle grows, the quality of life deepens for all! …”Look again…what do you see now?”…
Oh How Times Have Changed…
I bought an Apron the other day at Winners and as I put it on to protect my skinny jeans my teenage son looked at me like I had lost my mind. He wondered what I was doing with that “old-time” thing over my jeans.
I smiled as I thought of my Italian Grandmother and the many uses she had for her Apron – oh how the world has changed.
The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses, and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears!
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids and when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow and bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables, after the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.
If you have a story about your grandma’s apron or any story you wish to share please contact us; we welcome guest bloggers and you can reach me, Fran Clare or my lovely colleague Caitlin Gladney-Hatcher with your story, we will be happy to post it for you.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend from all of us at the Women’s Centre
Canada’s Poor Have Just Become Poorer
The shock of the 2012 federal budget is just setting in, but the repercussions will be felt for years to come. Although deemed “moderate,” this budget has cut thousands of jobs and left a scar on our social welfare system. A particularly unsettling decision was to dismantle the National Council of Welfare (NCW), a renowned organization that offers in-depth information on poverty and also represents the needs of the poor in government.
Established in 1969 as an advisory group to the Minister of National Health and Welfare, the National Council of Welfare has played a crucial role in measuring the depth and breadth of poverty in Canada, linking citizens concerns about welfare and poverty with parliament. Specifically mandated to report to the minister, the NCW was unique in its research collection and reporting providing accurate pan-Canadian data that was used by various organizations, including Canada Without Poverty and Campaign 2000.
In contrast to a statement made by MP Kellie Leitch, the National Council of Welfare does not duplicate the activities of any other organization in the non-profit sector. As both Canada Without Poverty and Campaign 2000 have stated in a recent press release, the federal government’s termination of funding for this poverty advisory group, with unprecedented statutory powers, actually undermines national efforts to combat poverty. Without the informed voice of committed citizens to complement the important data, how will a minister know that his/her decisions are responding to real needs? The loss of NCW is a blow to social policy work.
What other organization has the resources and central position to produce an annual, detailed analysis of social assistance, the program of last resort across the country, as well as regular reports on the root causes of poverty? Critical information that is part of a comprehensive bank of resources produced by the NCW and relied on by many civil society organizations.
Most recently, “The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty” report released in August 2011, opened the dialogue around an economic argument against poverty — investing in poverty head-on would cost $12.9 billion, but keeping the status quo would cost the government almost double.
The loss of important information gathering will leave a noticeable gap in the current knowledge of poverty in Canada. Such substantive reporting on social wellbeing is necessary in order to not only identify the cross-Canada trends and emerging issues, but also to help map out regional needs and develop targeted solutions.
The recent Welfare Incomes 2009 report (the year most recent data is available) noted that Newfoundland was the only province to provide social assistance that reached the poverty line in one category: lone parents with one child. Setting a bar for other provinces and territories to aspire to, the welfare incomes reports provide accurate data that governments can’t hide from.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”
With no federal poverty strategy, no official poverty measurement tools, and now, no Council of Welfare, how can we assess how we are doing? In the current economic climate where employment has yet to stabilize and rising costs leave many families scrambling to make ends meet, the loss of critical information makes governments less prepared to face challenges.
Instead of blinding the government to the reality of poverty and contributing to an evidence-free zone in Ottawa, we should be continuously updating social data and research — just as we do with economic data and research — to pave the way for solutions. Shutting down the National Council of Welfare is the wrong move.
Quoted from The Huffington Post by Megan Yarema and Laurel Rothman.
