Time to “Even the Odds” in Canada

from Staples Canada

With a mission to help make the future fair for everyone, Staples Canada and MAP, a world-leading research centre, have launched the second year of the Even the Odds fundraising partnership with a goal to raise $2 million in 2022.

Even the Odds launched last year to help raise awareness of inequity in Canada and build vibrant, healthy communities. The campaign raised $1.23 million during its inaugural year, thanks to the support of Staples Canada’s customers, associates and vendor-partners, as well as a corporate match donation.

In Canada, income, education, and experiences of discrimination strongly affect the odds of staying healthy. That’s because social and economic status determine how easy it is to access the resources that are essential for good health, such as affordable housing, nutritious food, and health care. As a result, over 1.2 million children in Canada live in households that struggle to afford fresh fruit and vegetables. At least one million people sacrifice basic essentials to pay for medical prescriptions, and 235,000 are homeless every year. The pandemic has exposed the magnitude of social, health and economic inequity in Canada, with racialized and low-income populations carrying a disproportionate burden of the health and economic impacts.

Internationally recognized for ground-breaking science and innovation, MAP scientists work in partnership with communities and government leaders to address these issues and more through the development of equity-focused program and policy solutions.

“We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the first year of this partnership,” said David Boone, CEO of Staples Canada. “The support from our associates and customers has been outstanding, and it’s rewarding for our team to already see new research programs and solutions come to life that advance the important work that MAP is doing to build vibrant, healthy communities.”

MAP is a world-leading research centre dedicated to creating a healthier future for all. Through big-picture research and street-level solutions, MAP scientists tackle complex community health issues—many at the intersection of health and equity. MAP’s 32 scientists and over 120 staff and students work in partnership with communities, researchers, and government leaders across Canada to address issues such as homelessness, unequal access to health care and medicine, and the lifelong effects of childhood poverty. MAP is part of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. For more information, visit maphealth.ca.

Even the Odds has already begun making an impact by funding research and solutions throughout Canada, including three MAP projects: a leadership program for young people who are exiting homelessness; a health promotion school program for kids in disadvantaged neighbourhoods; and a national initiative to draw the blueprint for a more equitable primary care system in Canada.

Recently, through Even the Odds, Staples Canada and MAP also announced support for a new Université de Montréal and the Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) project focused on an innovative health clinic, called Clinique Mauve, that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of racialized and migrant communities who identify as LGBTQI+. The project will evaluate the program and explore the best ways to tailor the clinic’s services to serve TwoSpirit and/or trans Indigenous people, especially youth.

“Staples associates and customers’ commitment to Even the Odds in Canada has brought these exciting projects to life,” said Dr. Stephen Hwang, Director, MAP. “We are so grateful to be doing this outstanding work in partnership with Staples.”

Staples Canada will launch its first in-store fundraising effort of 2022 from May 2 to 22, 2022. Customers make a donation to Even the Odds at any one of Staples Canada’s 300+ stores or online at staples. ca/eventheodds. For every dollar raised during the campaign, Staples Canada will match with a corporate donation, up to $500,000.

To learn more or make a donation to Even the Odds, visit staples.ca/eventheodds.

Emergency Preparedness can be a Life Saver!

submitted by EOHU

May 7 through 13 was Emergency Preparedness Week, and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is reminding you to be ready in case of emergency. Emergencies often happen withlittle to no warning, so being prepared can save time, and even your life. The three best ways to be prepared for an emergency are knowing the types of emergencies your area is at risk for, having an emergency plan and keeping emergency kits in accessible areas.

“We have had a variety of emergencies in the last few years, including power outages, flooding, extreme heat events, and snow and ice storms,” says Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health. “These emergencies are not uncommon for our area and our community should know how to be prepared for them. Having emergency plans and kits for these events can help you to keep you and your family safe.”

In the event of an emergency, you may not have much time to act. Everyone in your household should know the emergency plans, including evacuation routes from your home and neighbourhood, emergency contact information, and meeting points if you become separated.

Depending on the emergency, you also may not have access to food, fresh water, and other amenities like electricity, and first responders may not be able to assist you right away.

Emergency kits stocked with survival essentials prepare you to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours, and should be stored in easy to access areas, in both your home and your car. Some items all emergency kits should contain include:

- Photocopies of important documents (government ID, insurance, bank records etc.)

- 4 litres of water per person, per day, for drinking, cleaning, and hygiene

- Non-perishable foods

- First aid kit

- Battery-operated or wind-up flashlight

- Battery-operated radio

Be sure to check your kits annually and rotate out the food and water to ensure nothing is past its expiry date.

More information on how to prepare for emergencies can be found at www.getprepared.gc.ca and www.ontario.ca/page/be-prepared-emergency.

ACROSS

1. Dull pain

5. A rounded projection

In recent times, there has been a lot of discussion about terms that are no longer culturally appropriate, or politically correct, or just plain offensive. Why shouldn’t we use these terms, and what are they?

There are a lot of different terms that aren’t appropriate to continue using, and a lot of different opinions about whether they should still be used or not. Due to these factors, I won’t be able to include every term. However, I will do my best to include as many as I can!

Spooky: One of the common adjectives used to describe Halloween is Spooky. However, it’s not a culturally appropriate word to use. It has a history as being an antiBlack slur when white soldiers began calling fellow Black soldiers ‘Spooks’. Words to use instead: “creepy, scary, or frightening”.

Black Sheep: The expression "Oh, they're the black sheep of the family" is used often. It’s a negative expression, the 'Black Sheep' is often scorned for being 'different'. This just continues the old segregation argument that Black people are completely different from white people so they should be scorned for it. Even if the ‘black sheep’ you’re talking about doesn’t have darker skin, the deeper meaning is still the same. Negatively calling someone out for being different than you is never a good thing but if you’re doing it in a positive way, just say “different”.

Savage: Savage has kind of become a synonym for brutal or intense. However, that word has a history of being used by European colonizers and settlers to describe the Indigenous Peoples. It's a term