SSVP Seeds of Hope Project - November 2023

- from Linda Alexander

Hello my dear fellow Vincentians!    Thank you for your interest in bringing hope and opportunities to the precious children and families we serve through the 3 pillars of Health, Education and Wellness (HEW).

 

I wanted to use this month’s newsletter to shine a light on:  National Education Savings Week,   suggestion on how to help neighbours access ID,  sharing a story about a bank experience,  idea on how to use the Christmas bundles to also share educational hope, sharing a rent infographic and the new 811 resource (Ontario specific). 

 

I realize there is a lot of content in this month’s update, please feel free to call or email with any questions you may have. 

 

1. National Education Savings Week: November 13 to 17.    The Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) is conducting a number of virtual sessions and have created a new CLB resource page. 

 

Please follow this link for more information.  Education Savings Week 2023 is approaching (mailchi.mp)

 

2.  One the barriers to accessing the Canada Learning Bond is lack of identification – whether the ID has been lost in a move or never applied for.   Vincentians can assist in this regard.   I recently met a mom at the library and helped her go through the on line application process to access the Social Insurance Numbers for her children.  She did not have a laptop so applying was too difficult without assistance.  The numbers arrived without 2 weeks,  I helped her make an appointment at the bank,  met her there and her 3 children now have access to $6,000 of educational hope.   The neighbour can also make an appointment at Service Canada to get access to ID.

 

(Some background for Ontario only, when a child is born, the parents can use the online 5-in-1 newborn bundle, to register the birth, apply for the birth certificate, apply for the social insurance number,  apply for the Canada Child Benefit,  and request an Education Savings referral. Register a birth (new baby) | ontario.ca )

 

Offering to accompany a neighbour to the bank (if they want this help,  many do as are too anxious to go to the bank alone) can really help to increase access.   The application process is very straight forward and should take 30 minutes or so.   Especially if the neighbour already banks there.  The banker will open the RESP account and then complete the on line application to apply for the Canada Learning Bond and the Canada Educations Savings Grant.   I have attached a hard copy of the application only so you can see just how simple it is,  there are literally 4 pieces of information they have to type into the system, the parents name,  the child’s name, their date of birth and social insurance number, they hit enter and the application is on its way.  The neighbour will be asked where they want to invest the funds.   They want to preserve the capital as they have no to low risk tolerance, little to no financial market knowledge,  so the banker should be suggesting a Guaranteed Income Certificate (GIC).   This will allow the savings to grow at absolutely no risk.

 

3.  Many conferences offer Christmas support to our neighbours.   Please consider adding the RESP/Canada Learning Bond Family Fact Sheet that is on the SOH toolkit (link below) to also plant the seeds of educational hope. 

 

4.  Please note these 2 resources are Ontario specific.    We are hearing more and more stories of neighbours facing challenges from their landlords.   It is so important that they know their rights as tenants.   We can assist by referring them to the Community Legal Clinics.  I noticed the attached infographic shared in a recent newsletter from CLEO about rent increases that I found straightforward and helpful.  Home - CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario / Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario)

 

Ontario announced an 811 number -  Health Connect.  An information sheet is attached.  https://health811.ontario.ca/static/guest/home

 

5.   We are determined that no child will be left behind in receiving the Canada Learning Bond !  Every child deserves hope for a brighter educational future.   

 

Please reach out to set up a zoom coaching session for your conference or for an individual coaching session.   The session content runs just under 20 minutes, with time available for questions after the presentation,  as well as support by email or phone after the presentation.  Join the growing number of conferences who are getting informed, making a list of families with children 19 years of age and younger and then reaching out to the families one by one to explain the opportunity and to walk alongside them to access!

 

Please use this link to access the SOH toolkit on the National website.

 

https://ssvp.ca/special-projects/seeds-of-hope/seeds-of-hope-toolkit/

 

https://ssvp.ca/fr/projets-speciaux/semences-despoir/semences-despoir-coffre-outils/

 

Please use this link to access the Ontario Rejuvenation and Recruitment workshop as we continue to work to build member capacity.  https://ssvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rejuvenation-and-Recruitment-Workshop-June-2023-ANF-Notesv2.pdf

 

Please use this link to access the Social Justice workshop – Access to Resources https://ssvp.on.ca/socjus/en/workshops4.php

 

Thank you for your interest and support in bringing this much needed hope to the precious children we serve!

 

If you know of a fellow Vincentian who would be interested in learning more about the project,  please share this note along.    If you no longer wish to be part of the Seeds of Hope communication process,  please also let me know.

 

Take care,  Linda

 

Linda Alexander

Seeds of Hope Project Manager

Orange Shirt Day: How can you participate?

 

Image credit: https://orangeshirtday.org/merchandise/

The Orange Shirt Society has published a book, "Orange Shirt Day" © 2020 Medicine Wheel Education. Chapter 6 is titled, "How to Participate in Orange shirt Day". This contains some excellent suggestions, not just for the day itself, but also some things that can be done anytime, throughout the year. Here are some of the suggestions.

• Wear an orange shirt. This is the most obvious way to participate. You don't have to wear an 'official' shirt. You can make your own, so long as it has clearly written on it, "Every Child Matters." 
• Become familiar with, take to heart, and then share Phyllis Webstad's story about her orange shirt.
• Become an advocate for Orange Shirt Day, publicly supporting Residential School reconciliation, and creating awareness of the individual, family and intergenerational impacts of Indian Residential Schools, and awareness of the concept of "Every child Matters."
• Become educated… and then educate. As you become more educated on this dark chapter of Canadian history you can begin to share that information with others. Seek out educational material on Residential Schools, Survivor stories, and the process of reconciliation.
• Acknowledge the Traditional Territory. Educate yourself on the traditional territory where you live, work and spend your time. To show respect, and as an act of reconciliation, ensure you acknowledge the traditional territory at the beginning of any gathering or assembly in the proper protocol of the territory.
• Be flexible and prepared to unlearn old, stereotypical ways of thinking. Be willing to look at the past, present and future from a new perspective.
• Donate. Among others, you can donate to https://orangeshirtday.org/support/

First Go and Be Reconciled

 

Image credit: https://www.wltribune.com/news/indian-residential-schools-canadas-sad-legacy/

In the well known and beloved prayer, popularly known as "The Prayer of St Francis", even though the prayer did not exist before the 19th Century, there is a petition that states, "Where there is injury, (let me sow) pardon." In the prayer that Jesus taught us (Matthew 6:12,) we pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." And Jesus told Peter (Matthew 18:22) that we need to forgive not just seven times, but even seventy times seven times. This all rings extremely hollow and self-serving when the people preaching these texts and lofty sentiments are the very one who need to be forgiven. Indeed, Jesus also taught, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)

As we approach National Day for Truth and Reconciliation it behooves Christians and, especially, Catholics to acquaint ourselves with the shameful truths surrounding the sad and scandalous history of Indian Residential Schools, as they were known. Some of these 'truths' are listed in the public apology that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008. Let this help us remember that there are many, many brothers and sisters who have much against us. They have known the truth for generations, but they now want the truth to be known by us; but the good news is that they don't want revenge. They want reconciliation with us to follow our knowledge of the truth. We need never be afraid of the truth. Jesus says that the truth will set us free.

Here are some excerpts from that apology by the Canadian Government. Read it slowly, and let your heart be touched as well as your mind.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools. The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history. In the 1870's, the federal government, partly in order to meet its obligation to educate aboriginal children, began to play a role in the development and administration of these schools.

...These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in the child." Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.

...The government of Canada built an educational system in which very young children were often forcibly removed from their homes, often taken far from their communities. Many were inadequately fed, clothed and housed. All were deprived of the care and nurturing of their parents, grandparents and communities. First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages and cultural practices were prohibited in these schools.

...It has taken extraordinary courage for the thousands of survivors that have come forward to speak publicly about the abuse they suffered.

...It is a testament to their resilience as individuals and to the strength of their cultures. Regrettably, many former students are not with us today and died never having received a full apology from the government of Canada.

...Therefore, on behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians, I stand before you, in this chamber so central to our life as a country, to apologize to aboriginal peoples for Canada's role in the Indian residential schools system.

To the approximately 80,000 living former students, and all family members and communities, the government of Canada now recognizes that it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes and we apologize for having done this.

We now recognize that it was wrong to separate children from rich and vibrant cultures and traditions, that it created a void in many lives and communities, and we apologize for having done this.

...There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever again prevail.

The full text can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prime-minister-stephen-harper-s-statement-of-apology-1.734250