The B.C. Federation of Labour is calling on British Columbia’s government to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour
Hamperville Nanaimo draws attention to ongoing need for food security
December 1st, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Hamperville Nanaimo draws attention to ongoing need for food security)Hamperville Nanaimo project is launched for Christmas 2014, and asks for much-needed volunteer assistance and food donations as it continues to make a difference in the community
Christmas Hampers Nanaimo — known as Hamperville Nanaimo — is a community organization formed 11 years ago by the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank and The Salvation Army of Nanaimo. The groups gather food and cash donations and distribute them to the community in need at Christmas time. In 2013 Hamperville served over 5,400 people and distributed 2,450 hampers. Organizers expect that this year an equal number of hampers will be needed.
SirReal’s ‘Not Like Me’ a culmination of personal experiences brought to music, video
September 8th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on SirReal’s ‘Not Like Me’ a culmination of personal experiences brought to music, video)Nanaimo hip hop artist dedicates his latest video to the uniqueness present in all who have seen hardships and have the compassion to know that we are all human
Vancouver Island hip hop artist Matt Dunae—aka SirReal—has released the official music video of a single from his upcoming mixtape; both are named Not Like Me. The song, as SirReal describes it, is a micro story, a “culmination of experiences and harsh realities brought to light.”
From the depths of early childhood addiction, to the long walk down struggle street, the story follows SirReal as a young man, caring for his mother, and bringing her back from an overdose on the brink of death. The video then shows the separation that occurred between two brothers as the family they had grown up in was torn apart.
Poverty is a health issue, and it affects well-being
July 1st, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Poverty is a health issue, and it affects well-being)Income is the strongest determinant of health—and living in poverty is not just an economic and political issue, but fundamentally an issue of human health
How much money you make is more important than what you eat, how much you exercise, or even your genetic make-up, says Dr. Ritika Goel. She’s a family physician whose interests lie in the health and well-being of marginalized communities including those in the inner city of Toronto, rural Canada as well as internationally. Ritika observes that a recent series of articles in the Ontario Medical Review “highlight the fact that poverty is a medical problem, and healthcare providers are seeing the impacts on the front lines.”