7 Grand: Ideas + Inspiration

Ideas + Inspiration

Grand7

Hugs for Kids Club

The Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island’s Hugs for Kids Club supports health programs that help children and families in our community to thrive, regardless of their medical concerns. Your automatic monthly gift is the easiest and most efficient way to make a significant contribution that will improve the lives of countless children and families. Monthly gifts also reduce the costs of processing donations, so more of your donation is going directly to Island kids and families. Start, change or stop your gift anytime. Visit islandkidsfirst. com/monthly-giving.

Stigma-Free Zone

Stigma is a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person that sets a person apart from the norms of society. The Stigma-Free Tool is a simple and engaging way to assess your attitudes around stigma and to see where you can improve your actions and thoughts around the topic of stigma. This isn’t a judgement, but simply a way for you to look inside yourself and see if you are living stigma-free. You will receive a percentage at the end of the activity along with more ways to examine your perceptions and suggestions on how to take action. stigmafreesociety.com

Every Child Matters

To honour the 215 Indigenous children found by the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation at a former residential school in Kamloops, Indigenous artist Carey Newman has designed the heart and hands orange shirt and is also offering the feather design, from previous years. Child and adult sizes; $15 for kids’ shirts, $25 for adults. All proceeds go to the Witness Blanket Legacy Fund (witnessblanket.ca) and the Orange Shirt Day Society. (orangeshirtday.org). To order, email 215orangeshirts@gmail. com.

Summer Literacy

Summer Literacy on the Peninsula is series of four free outdoor events throughout the summer. All events will adhere to the current PHO guidelines. The line-up includes: Words in the Wind (July 6–13), Story Stones (July 19–26), Head Outside and READ Together (August 5) and StoryWalk with Horses (August 26). southislandliteracy.com

Slow down Kids Playing

With the school year ending and travel restrictions starting to ease, a new BCAA survey reveals that many British Columbians are worried that increased traffic and more kids playing outside could be a recipe for disaster. To remind drivers of the risk and encourage safer driving in residential areas, BCAA is again offering its free Slow Down Kids Playing reflective lawn signs. To get your sign, email your nearest Block Watch Coordinator (blockwatch.com) or drop into a BCAA Service Centre in Nanaimo or Victoria. To learn more, visit bcaa.com/ community.

From Sea to Sea to Sea

The 2021 Edition of From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books celebrates a collection of 25 of the best Indigenous picture books published in Canada between 2018 and 2020. Care was taken to ensure that this collection reflected the diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices from sea to sea to sea, and that the titles are available and in print for anyone who wishes to access them. To download the catalogue, visit ibby-canada.org.

Marine Scavenger Hunt

Join Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region’s (MABR) marine scavenger hunt and on your next trip to the beach, use their clues to help find each critter. Discover something that’s not on the list? Draw it at the end to identify it later. To download the Marine Scavenger Hunt list, visit mabr.ca/ at-home-activities.