For More Information Click on the Links Provided s3
The Link-Letter Sept. 6, 2013
v. 8-36
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 board of directors is organizing a Meet the Candidates Breakfast event for Oct. 15 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Chateau Louis Conference Centre, 11727 Kingsway. This is an opportunity for executive directors and board members of ESCC organizations to speak with municipal council and mayoral candidates about issues of concern and interest to seniors and to the senior-serving sector. Mayoral candidates have been invited to speak briefly to the entire group and attendees will have the chance to educate and influence council candidates through informal face-to-face discussion. The deadline to register for this free event is Oct. 4. Email Rich at or call 780-423-5635.
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NEWS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. “These talks may not change your life,” says Donna Sapolin, vice-president of Next Avenue, the PBS website “where grown-ups keep growing,” “but I guarantee they will intrigue you, open your eyes and make you think differently.” To check out her choice of The 11 Greatest TED Talks for Anyone Over 50, go here.
2. The Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) is requesting feedback on proposed revisions to policies concerning volunteers and unpaid workers. Although employers may apply for coverage for volunteers, it is not mandatory. Coverage for unpaid workers (e.g. learners), however, is mandatory. “Some within the non-profit sector feel that a policy that leaves coverage for volunteers optional devalues their contribution and might deter individuals from volunteering,” the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations points out. To participate in the consultation, go here. The deadline is Sept. 13.
3. Alberta Blue Cross has launched a Healthy Communities grant program. “Four $50,000 grants will be awarded each year to support community amenities and facilities that promote active living.” For more information, go here. For an application form, go here. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30.
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EVENTS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. The University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services present this year’s Dr. Gerald Zetter Memorial Lecture Geriatric Grand Rounds at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital at 12 p.m. on Sept. 10. Guest speaker David Oliver will address the topic Services in England for Prevention and Treatment of Fall and Fragility Fractures in Older People. For an event poster, go here. To register, go here.
2. Vantage Point, a Vancouver-based organization, is offering The Abundant Not-for-Profit webinar on Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost is $20 ($30 if you want to receive an electronic copy of the publication). The webinar is intended for executive directors, board members and other not-for-profit leaders. Authors Maria Turnbull and Lynda Gerty “challenge scarcity thinking in our sector” and maintain “we do not require more money to have more impact.We can attract, engage and integrate highly talented people into our organizations, and pay them with meaning.” For more information, go here. To register for the webinar, go here.
3. The Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging will hold a Home Support Exercise Program Facilitator Training Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 16 at Villa Margueritte, 9810 – 165 Street, Edmonton. The course cost is $315, tax and manuals included. For more information, go here. To register, contact Nazia at or 1-866-661-1603 ext. 82059.
4. The Alberta College of Social Workers offers a Category A workshop on elder abuse prevention and intervention on Sept. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the South East Police Station, 104 Youville Drive East, Edmonton. The workshop will be led by Pat Power, Melanie Perka and Const. Wilson Lee. The fee is $25 for ACSW members and $50 for non-members. For more information and to register, go here.
5. Westend Seniors Activity Centre is hosting Mayor Mandel’s Farewell and Thank You Tea from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 19. “Join us in the café to thank Mayor Mandel for all the wonderful things he has done for the centre and community.” For more information, call 780-483-1209. The centre is located at 9629 – 176 Street.
6. Volunteer Edmonton offers a Volunteer Management Fundamentals workshop on Sept. 23, 24, Oct. 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Participants must commit to attend all four sessions. They are intended for staff new to volunteer management and organizations just beginning to implement a volunteer program. For more information contact Amanda Sokol at or 780-732-6649. To register, go here.
7. Catholic Social Services offers its next Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26 and 27. “This workshop is helpful to all people who wish to understand what people at risk of suicide are needing from the caregiver. This program is designed for all people interested in learning suicide first aid skills.” Registration is $185. Sessions are held at 8212 - 118 Avenue, Edmonton. To register, contact Kari Boult at 780-420-6081 or . For a complete course description, go here.
8. The Alberta Caregivers Association will present a My Fair Fashion Show in conjunction with its tenth annual luncheon and silent auction fundraiser on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Chateau Louis Conference Centre, 11727 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton. Tickets are $45 or $400 for a table of 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, go here or call 780-453-5088. For an event poster, go here.
9. Alberta Culture Days, Sept. 27 to 29, celebrate “our heritage, arts and cultural diversity”. They provide a platform for organizations to spotlight their cultural programming. For resources to “help you plan and promote your events” go here. For more information, go here.
10. “Food security means all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods.” On Oct. 1 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Shaw Conference Centre, the Edmonton Community Foundation and Edmonton Social Planning Council will launch Vital Signs, “a report on food security in Edmonton”. For an event poster, go here.
11. Alberta Health presents an International Wellness Symposium on Oct. 1 and 2 at Lake Louise. To find out about the program for Wellness: It’s For Life, go here. To register, go here.
12. The Institute for Strategic Funding Development is offering a Strategic Grant Proposal Workshop at the University of Alberta from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 to 4. It will “teach individuals and groups a comprehensive overview of effective grant development techniques, including finding best fit funding sources, creating innovative programs, grant proposal writing, grant research, grant submittal process,and planning for funding sustainability”. For more information, go here. To register, go here. The cost is $548.
13. The Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations is accepting registrations for its Oct. 3 and 10 Financial Management for Non-profits workshop series. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Commonwealth Stadium Green and Gold Room. The first week’s sessions cover financial roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, and developing and tracking budgets. The second week’s sessions deal with financial statements, audit preparation, and compliance and reporting. For more information contact Mandie at . To register, go here. The cost is $200.
14. The Canadian Institute for Continuing Care Education and Research will present the results of its Community Needs Driven Research Network consultations on Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 2-140 at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 - 87 Avenue. “Through exploring the social organization of care in continuing care facilities, participants will increase their understanding of the organizational systems that both support and inhibit responsive leadership behaviours. Recommendations for strategic initiatives that cultivate responsive leadership practices will be presented.” For more information, go here. To register, go here. You can join the session through audio or video link if you cannot attend in person.
15. The Good Samaritan Society is accepting registrations for its annual spirituality and wholeness workshop on Oct. 11 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Sherwood Park. The event will feature Dr. Robert Neimeyer on the topic of Grief and the Quest for Meaning: The Spiritual Arc of Tragic Loss. For more information and to register, go here. Early bird registration until Sept. 10 is $80.
16. Homeward Trust Edmonton is seeking individual sponsors for its Homeless Connect event on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “It is a one-day, broad-based, community inspired initiative that provides free appropriate services to people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of becoming homeless.” Seventy service providers connect with 1,500 guests at the event, held twice a year. To become a sponsor, go here.
17. This year’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation Spotlight on Research Breakfast will be held Oct. 23 at 7 a.m. at Northlands. The guest speaker will be Dr. Jane McGonigal, game designer and futurist. For a biography, go here. She will demonstrate “how Internet games can help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our world”. The event will include “interactive displays to showcase innovations such as virtual reality and robotic systems which can improve rehabilitation across all sectors”. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
18. The Royal Canadian Artillery Band presents A Musical Salute: A Tribute to Our Veterans on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Edmonton City Hall. Admission is free. “Featuring the Rhythm Gunners Big Band and the RCA Pipes and Drums, the performance will celebrate the ‘good times’ of military life.” RSVP to . Email to invite “our Windage Salon Orchestra to visit your institution during September and October to perform WWI and WWII music favourites” and “notify us if any veterans require transportation and/or disabled seating at the (City Hall) concert”. For more information about the band, go here.
19. Reach Edmonton is offering a free workshop on The Ins and Outs of Alberta Privacy Legislation from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Boyle Street Plaza, 9538 – 103A Avenue. It’s for staff in the human services field who “wake up at night worrying about privacy issues” or at the very least have questions about “what information you can and cannot share when working to help your clients access supports and services”. The registration deadline is Oct. 30. For more information, go here. To register, go here.
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WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SENIOR-SERVING SECTOR
1. Mill Woods Seniors Activity Centre is hiring a part-time (20 hours per week) Human Resources Administrator and Programming Supervisor. The successful applicant will report to the MWSAC’s Board of Directors and be responsible for “effective supervision, administration, operations and programming of our busy seniors centre. A university degree or equivalent professional experience or training in human resources, public relations, or programming experience will be helpful. Position will remain open until suitable candidate is found.” For a complete job description, go here.
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ITEMS FOR BOARD MEMBERS
1. The Florida-based Bristol Strategy Group, self-proclaimed “experts in sustainable fund development for non-profits” (for more information, go here) has an answer to the question of how to get board members to donate money to your organization. It’s based on a “Give, Get or Get Off” philosophy. To find out more, go here.
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ITEMS FOR SENIORS
1. The Alberta Caregivers Association presents Compass for the Caregiver workshops at Strathcona Place Senior Centre, 10831 University Avenue, Edmonton, on Wednesdays Sept. 11 to Oct. 30 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (call 780-453-5088 to register), and at North Edmonton Seniors Association, 7524 - 139 Avenue, on Thursdays Oct. 10 to Nov. 28 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (call 780-496-6969 to register). The workshops provide “a safe and understanding environment to help you reduce stress, decrease guilt, learn how to get the most out of the system, and begin to care for yourself”.
2. Calder Seniors Drop-in Society, 12963 - 120 Street, Edmonton, holds its Welcome Back Lunch on Sept. 12. Doors open 12 p.m. Entertainment with Ron Williams follows at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members and $12 for non-members. For more information call 780-451-1925.
3. Poet, composer and singer Vinod Bhardwaj aka Nashad Raza Jaunpuri will appear in concert on Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor College, 1525 – 23 Avenue, Edmonton. Admission to the event, presented by Bazm-e-Sukhan Society and the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association, is free. "Nashad sings his own poetry, which is of a genre or style which dates back about four centuries.” He was inducted into Edmonton’s Arts and Culture Hall of Fame in 2008. For more information, call 780-450-2239 or 780-490-0477.
4. Nominations for Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards are now open. “From students to seniors, volunteers are the backbone of our communities and you can help to recognize their selfless generosity.” The awards honour volunteers whose “efforts and contributions have made a significant difference in their community and helped to improve the lives of community members”. Two awards are intended for seniors. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 16. For more information, go here.
5. Coffee Break, the Alzheimer Society of Canada's “major nationwide annual fundraiser”, gets underway Sept. 19 and continues into October. “Participants at these events make a donation in exchange for a cup of coffee. The money raised stays in that province or community to help support local programs and services.” For more information, go here. To contact the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories’ Edmonton office, call (780) 488-2266 or email .
6. Home Instead Senior Care will offer a free Family Caregiver Alzheimer's Dementia Care Workshop on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westend Seniors Activity Centre, 9629 – 176 Street, Edmonton. “This workshop will help you learn the causes of Alzheimer's and other dementias, recognize the symptoms, discover how the diseases are diagnosed, and understand more about the behaviours common with Alzheimer's and other dementias.” To RSVP, email or call 780-439-9990. For more information, go here. The workshop will also be offered on Oct. 26.