clexec2

“Homeless in the Core”

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 02:00:01 GMT

Just another day at the office for those of us that make the trek from our homes to the downtown core. I’ve been making this journey for almost five months from Ajax to Old Toronto at Queen and Church Street. I’ve often wondered, prior to the last five months, when I occasionally would visit downtown, how people could appear cold, heartless and were able to ignore the hundreds of homeless they pass on the streets as they commute back and forth and go about their daily lives. I’ve always been one that has a strong sense of community, wanting to help those less fortunate than myself. I have often found myself appreciating sidewalk musicians and throwing change into the hat or guitar case as I feel that they should be rewarded for trying to earn money as opposed to just asking for a hand out. The problem is that if I were to help every person I see, I would soon become one of them as I won’t have the means to pay my bills. However it does seem like “Homeless” is now becoming a small entry on our monthly budget.

It’s amazing though, if you take the time to talk to some of them as to where they come from, what their lives used to be and what led them to a life on the streets of Toronto. It’s depressing to hear that in some towns/cities they don’t have the resources to help them and they are forced to migrate to the larger city with multiple hostiles, missions and shelters offering assistance.

Where do we go from here?

Now that they are here, what do we do with them? How do we help? These questions have been more in the forefront of my mind than ever before as I’m now more aware of just how many there are. In the morning as I exit the subway at Queen Street station, I see one at the top of the escalator, another just behind, one more as I go up the next set of stairs to take me to street level and another at the top of those stairs. I then have to walk about 3 blocks to my office located on Queen Street between Church and Jarvis. Just beyond the office there are three shelters and the famous Moss Park. I was given a wake-up call as I went from my office to the local Dollaramma to run an errand as to just how many homeless are in the area. It’s pretty bad when the store has to hire a security guard to keep down on the amount of theft happening in the store. Although they are everywhere in Toronto they seem to inhabit more inside Moss Park area in Old Toronto.

I found an interesting article in Wikepedia about the area and it stated, “Moss Park is a residential neighbourhood located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area known as Moss Park is typically considered to be between Jarvis Street and Parliament Street south of Dundas, an area dominated by public housing projects. According to one set of boundaries of the City of Toronto it is roughly L-shaped, bounded on the north by Carlton Street to Parliament Street, on the east by Parliament Street to Queen Street East and the Don River, on the south by Eastern Avenue and Front Street, and on the west by Jarvis Street. This larger, view of the neighbourhood includes the neighbourhoods known as Corktown and the Garden District and a portion of Cabbagetown. Moss Park is named for the abundant moss that grew on the Allen family estate home, which stood on the west side of Sherbourne between Queen and Shuter until demolished during the 'urban renewal' redevelopment of the area into a housing project with a large park and community centre on the site of the old estate.

Moss Park was originally the heart of Toronto's industrial area, home to large factories and the densely packed homes of the workers they employed. In the 1960s a large swath of these buildings were demolished to make way for the Moss Park public housing project, a group of three large towers at Queen and Parliament Street run by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation. After the deindustrialization of the 1970s almost all the factories left the area, and it became one of the poorest in the city. In recent years the area has seen rapid gentrification. Former industrial structures such as the Merchandise Building and factories of the Distillery District have become trendy lofts and fashionable shopping areas. The row houses of Corktown, like those of nearby Cabbagetown, have also largely been refurbished and are in great demand.

This is the low income apartment buildings close to Moss Park. Many families live in fear of the area and the crime associated with it, however they can not afford housing elsewhere and have no where else to go.

" The area immediately around the housing complex remains quite poor, and this is the area today typically meant when referring to Moss Park. This neighbourhood is almost exclusively rented out, and houses many low-income families. According to Toronto Life "Moss Park has long had a reputation among Torontonians as a notoriously downtrodden and dangerous neighbourhood." It is home to several homeless shelters.”

Where can they go?

The Salvation Army is well represented in this area with numerous shelters flanking Moss Park and the Surrounding area. Salvation Army Harbour Light is at 160 Jarvis St, Salvation Army at 135 Sherbourne St, Maxwell Meighen Centre located at 135 Sherbourne St and The Salvation Army Gateway located at 107 Jarvis St. There are a few more at 77 River St, 312 Broadview Ave and 723 Queen W. Very soon we will be seeing the Santa helpers with the red kettles as the holidays approach, it is their biggest fundraiser of the year to help support the thousands they help each year.

Other temporary lodging, meals and help for the abused or mentally ill can be found at Covenant House, Raising the Roof, Red Door Family Shelter, Youth Without Shelter, Eva's Phoenix, Good Shepherd Ministries, Woodgreen Red Door Family Shelter, Sojourn House, Matthew House, YWCA 1st Stop Woodlawn (women), Seaton House, Dixon Hall, Eva's Satellite, Yonge Street Mission, Yonge Street Mission Evergreen, Toronto City Mission and Scott Mission.

All of these organizations are available to help people get back on their feet. That is, if they want to. It seems that most of the population that are on the street are subject to using drug, alcohol, smoking and in order to facilitate those habits, beg for money or commit crime to get it by way of theft, prostitution, selling of drugs etc. Use of drugs especially is half the reason for the breakdowns, mental illness and unstableness that surrounds them. It’s shocking to see some before and after of what drugs do to the human body.

There are some reforms and new blood coming into this area. Multiple condos are going up in the area with the hopes of cleaning up the neighbourhood. These new developments and their locations are on the map.

The unfortunate part is that these changes are slow in the making and we as the working class have to deal on a daily basis with being asked for money, begged for food, rubbed up against, hit, spit on and so forth depending on the mental state of the individual you are dealing with. I am becoming more desensitized of seeing people urinating in bus shelters and on buildings as I pass or listening to people fighting over money and drugs. I’ve tuned it out. Strapped on my earphones attached to my Ipod to tune it all out. Keep eyes straight ahead, up or towards the ground in order to try and avoid making eye contact. In some ways to the on looker I’ve become like the ones I thought were cold hearted and didn’t care about other human beings around them that are struggling to survive. I know in my heart I’m not, as I try to do what I can to help them. An extra hash brown when I treat myself to breakfast is given away. Spare change to musicians trying to make a living for themselves and trying to provide entertainment for others to enjoy on their way to and from work.

What can we do to help?

I’m helping to organize food drives at work and to gather winter essentials of hats, mitts, scarves, socks, old blankets and sleeping bags to distribute to those I see on the street. I’m also gathering items easily purchased from the dollar store of toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, razors, nuts and mints. Anyone interested in donating items to this cause, please message me here or email me at catherinelazure@rogers.com .

Together we can make a difference to those that need our help

#homeless #helping others #community

Moss Park Photo recognition – Map –

By SimonP - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6844311

Buildings -

By I, SimonP, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2522768

Moss Park Estate-

By Owen Staples - Evening Telegram, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6974489

“The Importance of Play – As a Kid & an Adult”

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 01:38:11 GMT

“I’m a Big Kid at Heart.”

We’ve all heard someone say at one point or another, “I’m a big kid at heart.” For those that truly know me, they acknowledge I’m definitely one myself. It’s public knowledge on my professional and personal profiles that not only did I own and operate a large professional home daycare for almost fourteen years, but I have also volunteered for many years with both Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada. Why did I do it for so long? The answer is simple. I love to play! And in these situations I felt “safe” to express my inner child, with the freedom to run around the gym and act silly without anyone questioning why or my sanity. There are many “grown ups” who judge and would turn their noses at my silliness with comments of, “Grow up” and “Act your age.” Yet something tells me that these people are missing something out of life. They aren’t getting that outlet to burn off excess energy or the feeling of happiness seeing little faces light up with smiles because your playing with them. Over the years I’ve also learned that you are never too old to play with your kids or your grand kids.

“Go Outside and Play”

When we were kids, we spent all of our free time outside playing with our friends. Soaking up the Vitamin D from the sun and staying athletic as we skipped rope, hula hooped, blew bubbles and played everything from baseball, soccer to street hockey. We didn’t watch a lot of TV. How could we when most families had only one in the living room, usually taken over by parental units unwinding to watch the news or favorite shows. What are kids today doing? Playing on their phones, I Pads, home computers and X boxes. In my opinion, to some degree, the youth of today are not as healthy due to lack of sunshine and exercise.

According to an engaging article written by Kenneth R. Ginsburg, titled” The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds” that was published by Pediatrics and posted in January 2007, stated

“Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers. As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue. Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic. Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood. ”

I have many memories of dancing at Cub Camp, letting the girls sink our canoe with me in it and many others that I wouldn't trade for all the gold in the world.

Importance of Play for Bonding with Children

“Make Time in Your Day for Play”

I found an interesting article entitled, “The Benefits of Play for Adults” written by Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Jennifer Shubin. Last updated: April 2016.

“Play is not just essential for kids; it can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults as well. Playing with your romantic partner, friends, co-workers, pets, and children is a sure (and fun) way to fuel your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being. Adult play is a time to forget about work and commitments, and to be social in an unstructured, creative way. Focus your play on the actual experience, not on accomplishing any goal. There doesn’t need to be any point to the activity beyond having fun and enjoying yourself. Play could be simply goofing off with friends, sharing jokes with a co worker, throwing a Frisbee on the beach, dressing up at Halloween with your kids, building a snowman in the yard, playing fetch with a dog, a game of charades at a party, or going for a bike ride with your spouse with no destination in mind. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life.”

Halloween Hippies & Vampires just for fun!

Our beloved Smoke on the Water Dragon Boating Team!

Toronto Island June 2011 - my hubby proposed on stage after getting silver in our division.

“There's a saying about All Work and No Play”

This article goes on to talk about one of my favorite topics, playing at work. There are some companies that are a bore and forces their employees to work in a mundane environment that has no social or play engagement. Employees are forced to sit at desks in front of computers for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. However, in this article they go on to say, “Many dot-com companies have long recognized the link between productivity and a fun work environment. Some encourage play and creativity by offering art or yoga classes, throwing regular parties, providing games such as Foosball or ping pong, or encouraging recess-like breaks during the workday for employees to play and let off steam. These companies know that more play at work results in more productivity, higher job satisfaction, greater workplace morale, and a decrease in employees skipping work and staff turnover.

If you’re fortunate enough to work for such a company, embrace the culture; if your company lacks the play ethic, you can still inject your own sense of play into breaks and lunch hours. Keep a camera or sketch pad on hand and take creative breaks where you can. Joke with coworkers during coffee breaks, relieve stress at lunch by shooting hoops, playing cards, or completing word puzzles together. It can strengthen the bond you have with your coworkers as well as improve your job performance. For people with mundane jobs, maintaining a sense of play can make a real difference to the work day by helping to relieve boredom.”

Playing at work:

keeps you functional when under stress
refreshes your mind and body
encourages teamwork
increases energy and prevents burnout
triggers creativity and innovation
helps you see problems in new ways

Importance of Play for Adults

When I worked in Pooh’s Playhouse Daycare and Learning Centre we encouraged fun as well as education, as there’s a time and place for everything. The same can be said for Guiding and Scouting as we are teaching the kids about not only having fun, but having a respect for their community and the world around them.

The only workplace that I was able to play as an adult was at ChizComm, They definitely embrace the playing at work, especially when challenged to finding new and innovative ways of marketing products for their clients. Having the freedom to start a gun blaster fight, playing with toys that are around the office they represent or telling random jokes with co-workers are encouraged as part of the company culture. Although I admit having some laughs, it will be a culture shock walking into another office where, most likely they don’t embrace the aspect of play at work. Of the few places I've interviewed recently I've found one that has a ping pong table to help their staff let off some steam and have time in the day for play. For the most part though, for me and many others it means we must take the time to play outside of our workplaces and find the joy of being a kid again.

Lessons from Mom: What We’ve Learned and How It Makes Us Better Professionals

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 01:00:14 GMT

In our professional careers, especially in marketing, we talk about Influencers, Unboxers, and Bloggers as an essential resource for marketing products. The importance of media and social media to projecting the right image to a mass market will help establishing the Brand, but who helped shape and market our individuality? Who was there to guide, mold, advise, encourage and support? Who was our biggest fan at concerts, soccer games, and was there to see us win every small award we ever got? And who had the biggest sense of pride and accomplishment as we crossed a stage to get our diploma? The answer is probably our moms!

“Comb your hair and brush your teeth.”

“Tuck in your shirt.”

It sounds so basic and simple. Good grooming and personal hygiene are important. As a child depending on your personality you would answer your mom with a simple “Okay mom!” and run towards the bathroom or with an “AWWW, MOM!” and begrudgingly do it. As an adult we have a better understanding of the importance of self care for grooming, paying our bills on time, and taking vitamins. All of them have relevance to how healthy we are and how we portray ourselves to others. We understand the importance of projecting a positive, clean, well-kept image as competent professionals that are capable of a good and lasting impression. This helps us in everyday life as much as our professional careers.

“Be true to yourself.”

“Looking in the mirror, always be able to say you tried your best.”

Growing up, I was always encouraged to believe in and be truthful to myself, always trying to do my best in whatever endeavour I set out to do. I was taught to never be afraid to try new things, and to always set the bar high—regardless of the goal. As a working professional, I’m able to apply this advice in my daily life. I am able to set high goals for myself and project an image of self assurance to my employer and co-workers. This enables me to attain goals at work to the best of my ability. At the end of the day I feel good that I’m giving my job my all and contributing to the team and overall success of the company.

“You can do anything you set out to do.”

As a child, our mom would help set up school classrooms in the play area, transform our beds into examination tables, turn boxes into rocket ships and shape shift the tablecloths on our heads for veils as we played wedding day. We have all played make believe, pretending to be a teacher, doctor, a store clerk. In high school, whether or not you were on the debate team or had taken a law class or had an encounter with your parents when you broke your curfew, you became a lawyer.

When it came time to choose higher education or a career, mom told us we could do anything and be anything, because the possibilities were endless. We were molded and shaped further by professors and guidance counselors, learning and challenging ourselves. In some cases, we end up challenging them, to prove a point that we believed in strongly. Upon graduation, we felt we could get out there and show the world what we are made of with knowledge and professional prowess.

“ Momma said there’d be days like this…”

There have been times as we go through this roller coaster ride called life that we have fallen down, when things have not gone as planned, and times where we have felt failure. But like the song “Momma Said” by The Shirelles goes, “Momma always said there’d be days like this,” and my mom always said “the best thing you can do is get up, dust yourself off, and try again.” In our careers we have all had our pitfalls, feeling lost in our careers, dealing with the thought that we aren’t living up to our potential in a fulfilling career, but that’s okay. We know that tomorrow is a new day. Here are new opportunities on the horizon for us if you have a positive attitude and keep moving forward the only place you can go is up!

“Mom, I love you.”

It’s very hard for me to write this part of the blog dedicated to Mother’s Day. I really wish I could tell her today how happy I am in my life and what I’m doing. So she could see how the years of grooming me paid off and turned into an educated, respected and intelligent individual. Like many adults, I owe my om a great deal as she was my biggest fan from infancy, who nurtured and cultivated me into who I am today. My success as a mother and grandmother I owe to her because I learned from her example. I give my time to the community as she taught me the importance of giving back to those less fortunate and the rewarding feeling it brings you. This has helped my professional career in showing potential employers what I bring to the table. My ideals, a team player, and career motivation are that of a well rounded individual. It is because of her I coordinate my inner and outer wardrobe by colour, accessorize to pull off a polished professional look, and keep myself groomed and looking my best. I have a mantra because of her: “Think positive. Do your best. Try new things. Excel to your fullest potential.” And as I lift my face toward the sky, I have just two things left to say: “Thanks Mom. I love you.”