The Link-Letter March 15, 2013
v. 8-11
For more information click on the links provided.
New items are highlighted.
INDEX
News for Agency Staff here
Events for Agency Staff here
Work Opportunities in the Senior-Serving Sector here
Items for Board Members here
Items for Seniors here
Volunteer/Work Opportunities for Seniors here
ESCC UPDATES
1. The ESCC has launched its Age-Friendly Edmonton Action Plan, in partnership with the City of Edmonton, and established working groups for each of nine key strategic areas. They will guide the implementation of 35 new projects. Download a copy of the action plan by going here. A key commitment is that seniors must play an active role in the implementation of projects. Seniors interested in getting involved with working groups, focus groups or evaluation teams are asked to email or calling 780-423-5635.
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NEWS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. “If we free the non-profit sector to hire the best talent in the world, take fundraising risks, use marketing to build demand and invest capital for new revenue-generating efforts, we could bring private ingenuity to bear on (social) problems and would not need to look to government to fill the gaps.” To read more of The Wall Street Journal essay Why Can’t We Sell Charity Like We Sell Perfume? go here. To listen to Dan Pallotta’s TED talk, The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong, go here.
2. “Non-profits are a significant and growing source of jobs and economic activity worldwide, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies. The study found that if both paid staff members and volunteers are counted, non-profits account for 7.4 per cent of the total work force, on average, in 13 nations for which data were available. That was a bigger share than other major industries including finance and transportation.” To download the study, go here. To read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s summary, go here.
3. "Normal ageing is not something we can easily define. There are many older adults with chronic disease who report they still enjoy life. We need to find ways to support older adults with chronic disease to live well according to their own definitions of health and normality." To read the article Terms like 'successful' or 'normal' ageing can prejudice our views of seniors, go here. It focuses on research done at the University of Alberta.
4. “The non-profit/voluntary sector was dealt several blows through Budget 2013.” To read Volunteer Alberta’s analysis, go here. To read what Public Interest Alberta has to say in an analysis titled Budget Full of Bad Decisions, go here. To read a Calgary Herald article titled Seniors Feel Pinch From Eliminated Tax Breaks, go here.
5. Seniors Assisted Transportation Society (SATS) is renting a board room daily, weekly or monthly at a non-profit, daytime rate of $50 a day or $15 an hour, Monday to Friday. Evening and weekend rentals can be obtained for an extra charge. The board table seats 14 and includes a laptop, smart board, projector, TV and VCR. For more information, go to www.satsofedmonton.org, email , call 780 732-1221 or visit the society at 9907 - 108 Avenue.
6. “Municipalities are hoping a government review of seniors lodges will provide them with financial relief they didn't get in the provincial budget. Groups representing the province's urban communities want the province to take back equal responsibility for covering any deficits incurred by seniors lodges. The publicly funded lodge system is unique to Alberta and designed to accommodate otherwise healthy and independent seniors who can no longer keep a household.” To read more of the Calgary Herald article, Eyes on Seniors Lodges Review, go here.
7. A growing body of research suggests that “self-compassion, rather than self-esteem, may be the key to unlocking your true potential for greatness. Self-compassion is a willingness to look at your own mistakes and shortcomings with kindness and understanding — it's embracing the fact that to err is indeed human. When you are self-compassionate in the face of difficulty, you neither judge yourself harshly, nor feel the need to defensively focus on all your awesome qualities to protect your ego.” To read more of the blog To Succeed, Forget Self-Esteem in the Harvard Business Review, go here.
8. YWCA Edmonton is accepting nominations for its 2013 Women of Distinction Awards in eight categories: Advocate, Arts and Culture, Volunteer, Educator, Entrepreneur and Businesswoman, Trailblazer, Turning Point and Young Woman of Distinction. To access a nomination form, go here. The deadline for nominations is March 28. The awards night is May 30. For more information, go here.
9. Edmonton Sign-A-Rama has launched its 2013 Signs of Support grant program. “We seek to support and strengthen local charitable organizations with donations of signage, graphics, display and marketing products at partial or no cost.” To find out more about the program and to obtain an application form, go here. The deadline for applications is March 30.
10. The deadline to apply for Alberta Association on Gerontology graduate student awards is March 31. Both the provincial board award (up to two may be presented in any given year) and the Edmonton chapter award are $1,000, “to assist with costs associated with coursework, research or attendance at a workshop/conference”. Preference will be given to full-time students and current AAG members. For more information, go here and here.
11. National Volunteer Week is April 21 to 27. For more information and to access a Volunteer Canada campaign kit, go here.
12. The call for proposals to co-host the 2014 Seniors Services Conference is open until May 3. “The Seniors Services Conference is the premier conference for individuals who work within the seniors sector in Alberta.” Co-hosts benefit by raising their profile amongst provincial seniors service organizations; showcasing their organization and/or community; establishing a collaborative relationship with the Government of Alberta; and building and expanding their network by providing opportunities to work with a variety of organizations. To learn more about developing a proposal, go here or call 780-415-0920.
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EVENTS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. Canada Revenue Agency’s Charities Directorate will present webinars on Completing Form T3010 (13), Registered Charity Information Return on March 19 at 12 p.m., and on Arts Activities and Charitable Registration (Guidance CG-018) on March 20 at 12 p.m. To register for either or both of these events, go here. If the date and time are inconvenient, the webinars will be recorded and posted here.
2. The 211 Edmonton networker meeting on March 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. at The Support Network, 400 The Baker Centre, 10025 – 106 Street, will focus on Resources for Financial Literacy. For more information, go here.
3. Catholic Social Services’ Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) will be offered March 20 and 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Catholic Social Services East Office, 8212 – 118 Avenue. “ASIST is a standardized program that provides awareness, tools, a model and a common language that is applicable to formal and informal caregivers. Part of ASIST’s mandate is that the stigma and taboo surrounding suicide will cease to exist through open and honest disclosure and discussion on the topic of suicide.” For more information, go here.
4. Volunteer Edmonton is offering an event planning workshop on March 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Baker Centre, #400, 10025 – 106 Street. “You will discover how to research types of events, design the event plan, manage the planning process, coordinate all elements and details involved for execution of the event, and create an evaluation report.” The cost is $195. To register, go here. For more information, contact Madeleine Smith at or 780-732-6649.
5. The Indo-Canadian Women’s Association will celebrate International Women’s Day on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodvale Facility and Golf Club House, 4540 – 50 Street, Edmonton. Featured guest Rachel Notley, MLA Edmonton-Strathcona, will address the topic, Challenges and Barriers Faced by Women in the Social and Political Arena. Banquet tickets are $25. Call the ICWA office at 780-490-0477. For information about the ICWA’s programs and services, go here.
6. Volunteer Edmonton is offering a grant writing essentials workshop on April 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Baker Centre, #400, 10025 – 106 Street. “You will learn how to prepare yourself and your organization to make this targeted appeal for support, about the world of funders, and how to determine if your project fits within the funding interests of the prospective funder and within your organization.” The cost is $145. To register, go here. For more information, contact Madeleine Smith at or 780-732-6649.
7. Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel will host a Women's Spring Symposium - Building Leadership and Community on April 7 at the Westin Hotel. The event is “an opportunity for women to enjoy a day of networking, learning and exploring ways to empower women to participate in diverse communities and government”. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. For an event poster, go here. For a timetable that includes the session barcodes required when registering, go here. To register, go here. The symposium will include an Inspiring Futures Marketplace, at which agencies are invited to have a display booth.
8. Volunteer Edmonton is inviting non-profit organizations to participate in its third annual Edmonton Volunteer Fair on April 20. “This is an opportunity for your organization to engage the crowds by promoting the good work you are doing in the community and recruit new volunteers to support your initiatives.” For more information and to register, go here.
9. April 21 to 27 is National Volunteer Week. To access materials from Volunteer Canada that will help you celebrate, go here. Resources include “communications templates, video seminars, the new Campaign Planner, resources for media and government relations, as well as helpful social media tools”.
10. Alberta Caregivers Association is hosting Facilitator Training for Walking With Grief, a six-week facilitated bereavement program for those living with loss, beginning April 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and continuing the following two Thursdays. The cost is $25 for three classes of two hours each (book and cd also available). The classes will be held at Fulton Place School, 10310 - 56 Street, Edmonton, and will be led by Carol Kodish-Butt, founder and past director of the Edmonton Bereavement Centre, columnist for Edmonton Seniors newspaper, and author of the blog Musings for the Age Gifted (check it out here). For more information on the classes, go here.
11. The Alberta Centre for Active Living will hold its annual Physical Activity Forum in Edmonton on May 14 and in Calgary on May 15, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The event will focus on “physical activity and the aging brain. More generally, it will be about the benefits of physical activity as we age.” For more information, go here. “The forum is designed to meet the information needs of practitioners, not the general public.”
12. The University of Alberta will hold its Geriatric Medicine 2013: Successful Healthy Aging Conference on June 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lister Conference Centre. The event is both a meeting for internists, geriatricians, family physicians and allied health professionals, and a course with “workshops and debates covering some of the challenging areas in the clinical management of geriatric patients”. The keynote speaker is Dr. Adrian Wagg, Director of Geriatric Medicine at the U of A. For more information and to register, go here.
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WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SENIOR-SERVING SECTOR
No items this week.
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ITEMS FOR BOARD MEMBERS
1. On March 20 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., Alberta Culture community development officer Karen Doyle will present a board development session on the pros and cons of Partnerships and Collaboration. This session will be presented via videoconference. End-point registration is $40 per site. Endpoints may charge participants to cover their site cost. To register, contact Jo Goebel at or call 403-854-2099 ext. 206.
2. Vantage Point is offering the webinar, The Abundant Not-for-Profit, on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost is $20. The target audience is executive directors, board members and other not-for-profit leaders. “Learn how a People Lens culture allows you to attract, meaningfully engage and integrate the abundance of talent available in the community. This webinar will challenge scarcity thinking in our sector and illustrate how you can increase human resources exponentially, within your current budget.” For more information, go here.
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ITEMS FOR SENIORS
1. “The Edmonton Public Library is marking its 100th birthday by giving Edmontonians a big gift: free library cards for 2013. The library made the announcement at its centennial year celebration kick-off event at City Hall on Tuesday. Mayor Stephen Mandel proclaimed March 13 as Edmonton Public Library Day.” To read more, go here. To sign up for a free card, go here. Adult cards regularly cost $12.
2. The Seniors Task Force of Public Interest Alberta has developed a position paper to “outline the scope and essential elements of an effective and economically viable Home Care system that enables frail seniors and the disabled to remain in their own homes as long as possible”. Such as system would reduce the need for institutional care and relieve the pressure on the health care system, particularly emergency rooms and acute care hospital beds, PIA believes. For more information, go here. Individuals and seniors groups may wish to “use the position paper for their own evaluations as well as for discussion with Alberta Health and MLAs”.
3. The Edmonton Oil Kings play their final home game of the season tomorrow (Saturday) and Seniors Assisted Transportation Society (SATS) is selling tickets for “only $10”. To purchase them, call 780-732-1221. SATS will also be selling tickets for playoff games for the same price. SATS offers “safe and affordable transportation to seniors with the assistance of our volunteer drivers”.