Our newest member Steve and his son Kellan (photo above) came to the rescue when a couple of our regular club volunteers were not available to serve meals at our monthly Food on the Corner shift in November.
With the cold weather setting in, the team reported that the soup ran out early so we know that our efforts are making a difference. Thank you to these two caring examples of service above self!
On November 16th, Dr. Cathy Wang joined us to provide practical tips to address the daunting reality that for 1 in 4 adult Canadians, high blood pressure is the #1 risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease.
Cathy is a Clinical Instructor in UBC's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and the business owner and manager of 360Care Denman Pharmacy in Vancouver's West End - https://360carepharmacy.com.
High blood pressure, or "hypertension" is affected by two sets of risk factors:
those things we can't control including our genetics, our age and gender; and
risks we can control or influence, especially our nutrition, level of physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol use.
Pharmacies provide free access to blood pressure readers with simple instructions. So next time you're out and about picking up groceries, prescriptions, or a lottery ticket, take a moment to roll up your sleeve and give your heart a first and second thought!
Always prepared to help out, our amazing Strathcona Interactors spent a weekend afternoon in November preparing personal hygiene kits to hand out to residents on the Downtown Eastside.
We closed out our Rotary meetings in the month of November with an uplifting presentation by Brianne Oswald, Partnerships Manager of the Sunshine Foundation.
The Foundation was created in 1987 to help youth, ages 11-21 living with severe physical disabilities, to identify their future vision and to take a step towards realizing that potential. Too often, these young people have their dreams defined by the physical limitations and challenges that able-bodied members of their communities see.
Research shows that overcoming obstacles in adolescence, with the right supports, can foster mental resilience and positive growth. A couple of the stories Brianne shared with us demonstrates this formula in action.
Razan, above, had her future dream career as a DJ accelerated with the gift of music equipment and is now working at venues where she previously was never invited.
Allayah, below, is a Grade 12 student, and an aspiring lawyer who happens to be paralyzed and relies on her family to support her daily needs. During the pandemic, Allayah's ability to research politics and the law was limited to times when she could access a borrowed Chromebook from her school - until the Sunshine Foundation gave her a laptop to increase her independence.
The Sunshine Foundation works with youth and families across Canada to build confidence, independence and optimism to boost their mental health and future goals. For more information on their work and results check out https://www.sunshine.ca.
