Tiger-Cats CFLPA all-star offensive lineman Marwan Hage is teaming up with FTC Canada (Feed The Children) Wednesday May 27 to provide 680 family food boxes to needy families.
See the full article at: http://www.ticats.ca/article/hage-teams-up-with-ftc-canada-for-food-drop-in-montreal
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Marwan Hage teams up with FTC Canada
HAMILTON -- Tiger-Cats CFLPA all-star offensive lineman Marwan Hage is teaming up with FTC Canada (Feed The Children) to provide 680 family food boxes to needy families in partnership with Sun Youth Organization, a downtown Montreal community centre serving youth, seniors and low income families and people with special needs. Hage also plans to donate $3000.00 from his Hages Heroes program towards Sun Youth's youth football program which will enable participants play free of charge.
See the full article at http://www.cfl.ca/article/hage-teams-up-with-ftc-canada
See the full article at http://www.cfl.ca/article/hage-teams-up-with-ftc-canada
PARTNERSHIPS HELP PROVIDE FOOD TO 680 FAMILIES IN DOWNTOWN MONTREAL
Montreal, QC - Monday, May 26, 2009 – FTC Canada (Feed The Children) is providing 680 family food boxes to needy families in downtown Montreal on Wednesday May 27. This is in partnership with Sun Youth Organization, a downtown community centre serving youth, seniors and low income families and people with special needs.
FTC Canada is also partnering with Keltic Transportation Inc. (Moncton NB) for the food drop into the heart of downtown Montreal. New Brunswick driver, Kevin Desilva, saw a story about the need for transporting the food boxes in the Owner-Operators Independent Business Association (OOIDA) newsletter. The story had originally appeared at Today’s Tucking.com.
Desilva called FTC Canada and threw his support behind transporting the food in his own truck from Guelph to Montreal.
The final partnership came from Marwan Hage, former Sun Youth participant and CFL Centre for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Marwan will be on hand to greet families and to hand out boxes. Hage who grew up in Montreal, credits Sun Youth for keeping him out of jail and off the streets when he was a kid.
FTC Canada partners with organizations and companies to provide food and supplies to those in need throughout Canada. The food boxes going to Montreal contain over 22 pounds of nutritious, non-perishable food - enough to feed a family of 4 for 3-4 days.
Recipients are identified by local social service organizations and receive a food voucher which they redeem at the event.
Check out Marwan Hage at CFL.ca
FTC Canada is also partnering with Keltic Transportation Inc. (Moncton NB) for the food drop into the heart of downtown Montreal. New Brunswick driver, Kevin Desilva, saw a story about the need for transporting the food boxes in the Owner-Operators Independent Business Association (OOIDA) newsletter. The story had originally appeared at Today’s Tucking.com.
Desilva called FTC Canada and threw his support behind transporting the food in his own truck from Guelph to Montreal.
The final partnership came from Marwan Hage, former Sun Youth participant and CFL Centre for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Marwan will be on hand to greet families and to hand out boxes. Hage who grew up in Montreal, credits Sun Youth for keeping him out of jail and off the streets when he was a kid.
FTC Canada partners with organizations and companies to provide food and supplies to those in need throughout Canada. The food boxes going to Montreal contain over 22 pounds of nutritious, non-perishable food - enough to feed a family of 4 for 3-4 days.
Recipients are identified by local social service organizations and receive a food voucher which they redeem at the event.
Check out Marwan Hage at CFL.ca
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Best of El Salvador
The El Salvador Medical-Dental project was my first with FTC Canada, and my first experience visiting a developing country in this way. At first concerned about what services I, a person with no medical or dental training could offer (I later learned that there a many things that a person who wants to help can do, no matter what their skills), I was pleased to be asked to document the trip with photographs, videos and blog entries.
Leading up to the trip, I tried to prepare myself for what I imagined I might experience. I thought that I would probably see a lot of things that would make me very sad, things that would disturb and upset me, and things that would make me feel very guilty about the privileges and opportunities I have as a Canadian.
I was wrong.
I did see things that made me very sad. I did hear stories that disturbed me, like that of the young woman who suffered extensive keloid scarring after her husband drunkenly took a knife to her many years ago. I did feel guilty, after being invited into a woman’s hut in Somalia, and saw how very, very little she had. Her experience is so far removed from my own that it took several minutes for the level of poverty she lives in to actually register for me. When it did, I was overcome.
So yes, in these very poor communities, there is sadness, and there is suffering, and there is loss, but I was wrong in the fact that more than all of these things, there is love.
I saw a tremendous amount of love in the way Marcos, an 87 year-old woman, walked for hours in order to seek medical care for her adopted son who was unable to walk the distance himself due to his cerebral palsy. I saw love in the community centre in Amayito, run by a woman named Virginia who dedicated herself to providing an oasis of safety and education in a violent, gang-ridden area. I saw love in the orphanage in Remar, where children removed from abusive environments were given a safe, happy home in which to grow and flourish, and to know and share love.
I saw love in mothers and fathers holding their children. I saw love in the smiles and laughter of the people we met who have nothing but each other, and still are thankful.
And I saw love, compassion and care from every single member of the Medical-Dental team.
The morning before our first clinic, Ken Dick spoke briefly to the team about how it was our job, above all, to be a beacon of light and hope for the people we met, through the care and compassion we gave them. What I have learned on this project is that they were also a beacon of light and hope for us, in their tremendous capacity to love.
I saw a little bit of the worst of El Salvador, but I believe that more importantly I saw much of the best. I feel honored to have been invited to witness and document these great moments of love.
About Julie Puckrin
Julie Puckrin is a Canadian film and television writer, living in Vancouver BC. A frequent guest lecturer at the Vancouver Film School, her credits include work in reality television, animation, and short film.
Leading up to the trip, I tried to prepare myself for what I imagined I might experience. I thought that I would probably see a lot of things that would make me very sad, things that would disturb and upset me, and things that would make me feel very guilty about the privileges and opportunities I have as a Canadian.
I was wrong.
I did see things that made me very sad. I did hear stories that disturbed me, like that of the young woman who suffered extensive keloid scarring after her husband drunkenly took a knife to her many years ago. I did feel guilty, after being invited into a woman’s hut in Somalia, and saw how very, very little she had. Her experience is so far removed from my own that it took several minutes for the level of poverty she lives in to actually register for me. When it did, I was overcome.
So yes, in these very poor communities, there is sadness, and there is suffering, and there is loss, but I was wrong in the fact that more than all of these things, there is love.
I saw a tremendous amount of love in the way Marcos, an 87 year-old woman, walked for hours in order to seek medical care for her adopted son who was unable to walk the distance himself due to his cerebral palsy. I saw love in the community centre in Amayito, run by a woman named Virginia who dedicated herself to providing an oasis of safety and education in a violent, gang-ridden area. I saw love in the orphanage in Remar, where children removed from abusive environments were given a safe, happy home in which to grow and flourish, and to know and share love.
I saw love in mothers and fathers holding their children. I saw love in the smiles and laughter of the people we met who have nothing but each other, and still are thankful.
And I saw love, compassion and care from every single member of the Medical-Dental team.
The morning before our first clinic, Ken Dick spoke briefly to the team about how it was our job, above all, to be a beacon of light and hope for the people we met, through the care and compassion we gave them. What I have learned on this project is that they were also a beacon of light and hope for us, in their tremendous capacity to love.
I saw a little bit of the worst of El Salvador, but I believe that more importantly I saw much of the best. I feel honored to have been invited to witness and document these great moments of love.
About Julie Puckrin
Julie Puckrin is a Canadian film and television writer, living in Vancouver BC. A frequent guest lecturer at the Vancouver Film School, her credits include work in reality television, animation, and short film.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday April 25, 2009 – Day 5 Clinic
Somalia is a slum. It is a collection of 750 families, living in huts made from any combination of scavenged metal, wood or canvas, in an inner city squat in San Salvador. Some families are fortunate enough to have 10 by 10 feet huts with some basic furniture and electricity stolen from the city. Others have significantly less; sometimes only a small pallet on the floor for the whole family, in less than 4 by 6 feet of space, with no electricity, windows, water, or washroom facilities.
Their story is a sad one. Some time ago, a man claiming to be the landowner came to Somalia offering to sell the families the land their huts were on for $15 USD each. Hopeful to be landowners, many managed to scrape this significant amount of money together. After paying, they discovered that the man was not the landowner at all, and that they had devastatingly lost their hard-earned money to a con artist. He fled and was never found.
Today was a very difficult day for the team, both physically and emotionally. Physically, medical, dental, pharmacy and distribution were set up outside under tarps in the few open spaces to be found in between huts; having to rely on a gas generator to power the dental clinic. At one point, ominous clouds and thunder threatened to cut the dayshort. Emotionally, the team was overcome by the extreme poverty we were witnessing, and many of us had to take a moment to pause, to collect ourselves and continue on.
We met Alex, a 34 year-old man with a bullet still lodged in his head from the civil war. He requires anti-convulsive drugs daily. We met Mercedes, a 23 year-old woman with a rare allergy to the sun. Any area of her skin exposed to the sun becomes swollen, dry, painful and split. Her face and hands have the scars from suffering this condition her entire life.
There was also Dorotea, a 46 year-old woman whose right leg never developed properly, and is significantly shortened and misshapen. When Dorotea was 14, she fell and broke her good leg; after surgery to repair it, she developed gangrene and had to have it amputated below the knee. Today we were able to treat her for parasites and an infection, and also to make her a little more comfortable in an unexpected way. The tops of her plastic crutches were extremely hard and hurt her under her arms. We were able to modify her crutches with carefully wrapped layers of bandages and gauze to provide padding. She was very happy.
But perhaps the patient we were most affected by was Maria, a 52 year-old woman who came to see the dentist. After having a tooth extracted, Maria became faint, dizzy and was shaking. At first doctors thought this was due to an untreated blood pressure problem and heat exhaustion. Upon further investigation we discovered that moments before having her tooth extracted, Maria had learned that her 10 year-old grandson had been shot in a drive-by gang shooting, and was currently at the hospital in surgery.
Today’s clinic in Somalia was the final day of the FTC Canada 2009 El Salvador project. The medical and dental teams saw a staggering 889 people today. In four trips to Central America, over a period of two years, FTC Canada has provided care for over 12, 600 people.
After a long, tiring, often emotional but always rewarding week, these numbers remind us why such trips to countries in need are so very important. And so very much appreciated.
[About the El Salvador Blog: Julie Puckrin was a member of the team to El Salvador and contributed the photos and blog entries throughout the week.]
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday April 24, 2009 – Clinic Day 4
Today the team traveled to Remar, an orphanage which is home to 90 children, aged 18 months to 16 years old. While some of these children are orphans, many still have living parents or family members, and are living in the orphanage because they have been removed from abusive homes.
The orphanage is truly an amazing place. The intent was to create an environment that feels like a home rather than an institution. The nursery, boys’ and girls’ dormitories are all situated like cozy bedrooms; each child’s bed is crowded with stuffed animals and toys. All 90 children eat together in a large family dining room, the larger children helping the smaller ones.
The majority of the food they eat has been donated, and is prepared by the 6 adult care-givers who live with them. The children share chores like sweeping and laundry, and attend a school built especially for them.
We were greeted by a swarm of affectionate children upon our arrival, and the most common and satisfying medicine dispensed by far was hugs, cuddles and smiles.
Today’s clinic was open to all members of the community. Sergio, a 5 year-old boy in a wheelchair, came to see the doctor with his mother. When Sergio was 5 months old, he contracted meningitis, and began having seizures. He eventually had a stroke, leaving the entire left side of his body paralyzed. His mother, a single mom who lives with Sergio’s grandmother and makes her living selling tea from their home, was able to find a wheelchair, but it is old and broken. She cannot afford Sergio’s medication. We were able to help her today with free medicine.
Later we met Joana, a 49 year-old single mother of six children. Her 72 year-old mother was recently hit by car, leaving her bedridden and in need of constant care. Joana cares for her mother and her children in a two-room house, but has lately begun to experience dizziness, fainting and angina pain. The team was very concerned with her symptoms, and FTC Canada is arranging for her to receive an ECG in San Salvador to determine whether she requires a pacemaker. This would be an expensive undertaking for the family.
Finally, 16 year-old Ernesto came to the clinic hoping to have his teeth checked by a dentist. Upon examination, Dr. Jack realized that Ernesto is literally tongue-tied; his tongue is webbed to the bottom of his mouth. This greatly hindered his ability to speak; in Canada, such a condition would be addressed at birth and never affect the child. Ernesto has had to suffer with this his entire life. In less than ten minutes, Dr. Jack was able to perform a simple procedure to correct this hinderance and completely change young Ernesto’s life. He was extremely happy to receive this unexpected but greatly appreciated gift.
The orphanage is truly an amazing place. The intent was to create an environment that feels like a home rather than an institution. The nursery, boys’ and girls’ dormitories are all situated like cozy bedrooms; each child’s bed is crowded with stuffed animals and toys. All 90 children eat together in a large family dining room, the larger children helping the smaller ones.
The majority of the food they eat has been donated, and is prepared by the 6 adult care-givers who live with them. The children share chores like sweeping and laundry, and attend a school built especially for them.
We were greeted by a swarm of affectionate children upon our arrival, and the most common and satisfying medicine dispensed by far was hugs, cuddles and smiles.
Today’s clinic was open to all members of the community. Sergio, a 5 year-old boy in a wheelchair, came to see the doctor with his mother. When Sergio was 5 months old, he contracted meningitis, and began having seizures. He eventually had a stroke, leaving the entire left side of his body paralyzed. His mother, a single mom who lives with Sergio’s grandmother and makes her living selling tea from their home, was able to find a wheelchair, but it is old and broken. She cannot afford Sergio’s medication. We were able to help her today with free medicine.
Later we met Joana, a 49 year-old single mother of six children. Her 72 year-old mother was recently hit by car, leaving her bedridden and in need of constant care. Joana cares for her mother and her children in a two-room house, but has lately begun to experience dizziness, fainting and angina pain. The team was very concerned with her symptoms, and FTC Canada is arranging for her to receive an ECG in San Salvador to determine whether she requires a pacemaker. This would be an expensive undertaking for the family.
Finally, 16 year-old Ernesto came to the clinic hoping to have his teeth checked by a dentist. Upon examination, Dr. Jack realized that Ernesto is literally tongue-tied; his tongue is webbed to the bottom of his mouth. This greatly hindered his ability to speak; in Canada, such a condition would be addressed at birth and never affect the child. Ernesto has had to suffer with this his entire life. In less than ten minutes, Dr. Jack was able to perform a simple procedure to correct this hinderance and completely change young Ernesto’s life. He was extremely happy to receive this unexpected but greatly appreciated gift.
Thursday April 23, 2009
The main objective of the El Salvador 2009 project is to bring medical and dental care to communities in need. There are many components necessary to support the provision of that care.
Every morning the team hauls 18 large bins of medications to the day’s site. Over the course of 5 clinic days, this traveling pharmacy will dispense 42,000 vitamins; chewable for children and tablets for adults, and almost as much medication for parasites. Doctors, nurses and paramedics have access to 67 different medications to treat their patients. The list of medications dispensed in the pharmacy has been carefully chosen to reflect the needs in the area, but is also based on the availability of these medications in the host country. It is important that any medication prescribed during these clinics, particularly ones to meet long-term needs such as blood pressure medication, can be procured locally after the team has left.
Part of providing care is providing nourishment for the body and mind. Each clinic day, a distribution centre dispenses food packages containing enough lentils and Vitameal, a highly nutritious and fortified food product, to feed an entire family. Every family that sees the medical or dental team receives a food package. Families are also given such necessities as shoes, clothing and undergarments. Small things that provide a huge amount of joy are children’s toys, especially stuffed animals and soccer balls. Many of the items we are able to dispense have been donated directly to FTC Canada to be distributed to communities in need.
Every team member has donated their time to be here. Some have brought their own equipment along with them as well. Every team member covers the cost of their own travel and accommodation. Even so, the team requires additional, often costly support materials. Occasionaly, a clinic must be built from scratch, requiring crews to haul in items like tarps, tables, chairs and generators. Every site must have hundreds of bottles of clean, drinkable water and portable washrooms to keep the team functional.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is the local support team. The Medical-Dental team from Canada is comprised of 24 people. There are an additional 26 FTC Central American employees and volunteers who are vital in our efforts to bring care to areas in need. We could not do this work without the help of local doctors, dentists, interpreters, security, administration and registration staff.
Every morning the team hauls 18 large bins of medications to the day’s site. Over the course of 5 clinic days, this traveling pharmacy will dispense 42,000 vitamins; chewable for children and tablets for adults, and almost as much medication for parasites. Doctors, nurses and paramedics have access to 67 different medications to treat their patients. The list of medications dispensed in the pharmacy has been carefully chosen to reflect the needs in the area, but is also based on the availability of these medications in the host country. It is important that any medication prescribed during these clinics, particularly ones to meet long-term needs such as blood pressure medication, can be procured locally after the team has left.
Part of providing care is providing nourishment for the body and mind. Each clinic day, a distribution centre dispenses food packages containing enough lentils and Vitameal, a highly nutritious and fortified food product, to feed an entire family. Every family that sees the medical or dental team receives a food package. Families are also given such necessities as shoes, clothing and undergarments. Small things that provide a huge amount of joy are children’s toys, especially stuffed animals and soccer balls. Many of the items we are able to dispense have been donated directly to FTC Canada to be distributed to communities in need.
Every team member has donated their time to be here. Some have brought their own equipment along with them as well. Every team member covers the cost of their own travel and accommodation. Even so, the team requires additional, often costly support materials. Occasionaly, a clinic must be built from scratch, requiring crews to haul in items like tarps, tables, chairs and generators. Every site must have hundreds of bottles of clean, drinkable water and portable washrooms to keep the team functional.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is the local support team. The Medical-Dental team from Canada is comprised of 24 people. There are an additional 26 FTC Central American employees and volunteers who are vital in our efforts to bring care to areas in need. We could not do this work without the help of local doctors, dentists, interpreters, security, administration and registration staff.
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