Archive for the ‘Living Green’ Category
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The colours of movement
Today is my last day as Chair of Living Green Barrie. In a few hours, I will get up in front of a few people at our Annual General Meeting for the last time. After 7 years, it’s time.I’ve enjoyed my time on the board of directors and in the office of Chair. And who knows, maybe in a year or two I will return.
For now, I am focusing on my non-profit Journey to Diversity Workplaces and job hunting which has been going on for a few months. Also to give myself a bit of a social life. When you spend three nights a week on dialysis, it’s nice to have a night to play board games, or stay home and watch TV.
My new year’s resolution for 2017 is the same as I had for 2016 – to make new friends and to develop the friendships I have. So if I message you asking you to have coffee, please say yes! It’s been a great resolution this year that I want to continue.
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9 Enticing Volunteer Opportunities you can do NOW!
Everyone and their dog knows I love to volunteer. It’s unfortunate but many organizations, my own included, are always looking for volunteers. I present 9 of these opportunities.
Barrie in relation to other North American cities (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1. Shane L.S. Dennis does community cleanups every Sunday. I don’t know what time, but they meet at Unity Market on Toronto St @ Simcoe St right here in Barrie.
2. An organization my late mother supported, the Simcoe County Alliance Against Homelessness is always looking for help!
3. General volunteers – Bonnie North, the Green Party candidate in Barrie — Innisfil is looking for a few good people to knock on doors, call voters, put up signs, and whole lot more! Apply within.
4. General volunteers – Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a local non-profit I started in 2013. We’re looking for a few good people to join the board. We are looking for a few good general volunteers for things like blogging, editing, essay-writing, photography/videography, and more. Apply today.
5. Board members – Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a local non-profit I started in 2013. We’re looking for a few good people to join the board. We meet every 2 months or so, commit is about 2 – 4 hours in the months in which we meet. Apply today.
6. General volunteers – Living Green Barrie, a local charity whose board I currently chair is looking for a few good people as general volunteers for things like tree planting, event planning & running, and other future opportunities. Apply within.
7. Board members – Living Green Barrie, a local charity whose board I currently chair is looking for a few good people to join the board. It’s 2 – 4 hours per month. Apply within.
8. Volunteer Coordinator – Bonnie North, the Green Party candidate in Barrie — Innisfil is looking for a good person to manager her volunteers. Apply within.
9. Official Agent – Bonnie North, the Green Party candidate in Barrie — Innisfil is looking for a good person to manager her books. Apply within.
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The secret of why I’m going back to school
English: Royal Roads University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It’s official.
I’ve quit my job. My last day is May 29th. I’m almost done a pre-requisite course on Academic Writing.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am going back to school.
Mid-June, I will be starting in the Master of Arts in Leadership program at Royal Roads University.
Now you may be wondering why someone who doesn’t even hold a bachelor’s degree would want to do a Master’s degree for? After years at my current job, I knew it was time for a change. And for years I have been applying for various jobs internally, and externally. But what finally made me consider going back to school was the fact that I felt I needed education to back up my experience, and it was a great reason to renew my sanity.
I was also inspired by Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May who has a law degree, but no post-secondary education other than that.
What will I do with this degree? I don’t honestly know. I applied at the end of 2014, and got my offer in February. I really like how the staff at Royal Roads University worked with me to ensure I had all the documents required for my application. They even extended the deadline for an errant transcript. (I have done some undergraduate course work.)
I’ve always believe if you don’t like your current situation, you should change it. Thankfully there is usually more than one way to change a situation. Since everyone and their dog is going the second career route these days, why can’t I?
I do have some challenges facing me. I have a learning disability, I’m on dialysis – which alone makes it hard to travel to Victoria, BC for the twice I have to go – two weeks each. As well I’m busy with volunteer commitments, some of which I am giving up, or already have. I am prioritizing. Because volunteering doesn’t pay the bills.
Still at the end of the day, I know I will be better for having gone back to school.
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Action needed!! Please help!
We need your help!
Last evening, Barrie Green Party President & CEO Peter Tretter, launched a petition. He is asking the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) to do something extraordinary.
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He wants RVH to stop buying styrofoam cups. Why? Well RVH doesn’t recycle them, and there are signs all over RVH stating the fact.So Peter is petitioning them to switch to paper cups, which can be recycled.
But Peter needs 100 signatures by Monday morning to get the attention of Hospital CEO Janice Skot, and RVH.
What do you need to do?
1. Sign the petition!
2. Share the petition on Facebook, Twitter, Google+
3. Tell your friends and family about the petition!Together we can end styrofoam cups at RVH!
Source: Barrie Green Party News.
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Living Green for today.
Picture of a residential block in South Barrie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have been involved with, and on the Board of a local charity for over four years. When I started, I felt I had a full plate, but they needed board members so I joined. Since then we’ve gone from an organization that did things on a project by project basis, to an organization that now has long term projects such as Off the Rack, and FruitShare. Of course this organization is Living Green Barrie (AKA Environmental Action Barrie).
Environmental Action Barrie has existed for over 25 years to bring the people of Barrie and surrounding communities together to learn about environmental issues, and to change habits in favour of environmentally – friendlier practices. We currently have ongoing eco-projects and we are always looking for volunteers. – Living Green Barrie
This past week, I was elected Chair of Barrie’s environmental charity. This is very different from anything I have done before. As President of the Barrie Green Party, the Executive is more collaborative, and flexible. With the Board of Living Green, everyone works well together, but there are certainly more strong personalities there. Both have their pros and cons. The beauty of this new challenge, as Chair of the Board for Living Green, is to 1) impartially chair board meetings, and 2) ensure the organization stays on track, and stays according to its mandate.
As President of the Barrie Green Party, I am an involved participant, despite the fact I chair the meetings of the Executive Board. I direct policy, and direction. But as Chair of Living Green, I don’t have control of anything. It’s a big contrast.
But at the end of the day, it’s all worth it. I know I am up for the challenge. With the Green Party I got us working with Robert’s Rules of Order to help streamline Executive meetings, and getting us to where we aren’t there all day, instead now we actually have a few small committees.
Hopefully with Living Green, we may get a few committees going, and be the charity Barrie deserves. We’re there, we just need to go the extra mile.
If you would like to join either the Board of Living Green, or the Green Party, email me!
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Recent Posts
- Review of My Health Care
- In Support of Peter V. Tretter
- My Experience with Reliance Home Comfort
- The colours of movement
- The realities of cooperative banking