I think I’ve really screwed up the whole stranger danger thing. Sure, my daughter and I have had many talks about safety and what to do if someone threatens her or tries to hurt her. These are frank discussions, and I’m pretty sure she gets it.  read more »

I am back in Canada, sleeping in my nice comfy bed that does not have fleas, with access to fresh running water, and indoor flush toilets; so I am in the perfect position to reflect back on my 10 days in Guatemala.  The irony is not to be lost - how we can accomplish so much in conditions that are "not to North American Standards," is amazing to me.  read more »

You’ve probably heard your parents say, “if you save up enough money to buy your first car, I’ll match you.” So, what would happen if the same was said for giving? What if what you donated was matched by a charity? TOMS – a company that makes shoes does just that. For every pair of TOMS bought, one pair will be donated to a child in need. You may be asking yourself: now what kind of business model is this? Right…that’s exactly what I thought. Can this really be a business that’s focus isn’t on the bottom line, but instead on helping those less fortunate?   read more »

My daughter’s first exposure to volunteering came at an early age. I used to be a regular volunteer for Inn from the Cold (IFTC), an awesome Calgary charity that provides a place to sleep and warm meals to families without homes.  read more »

What would happen if we looked at philanthropy through the lenses of the “Own the Podium” campaign?” This campaign has been the center of much controversy; but as the Olympics culminate tonight, with a gold in Men’s Hockey, I think it’s safe to say much of this campaigns controversy has dissipated. Overall I think all of us are proud of everything our Olympians accomplished, but did the campaign put too much pressure on Canadian athletes? Can we really call this Olympics a failure? How can we as Canadians say we didn’t reach “our” goal? First of all who’s goal is the Canadian Olympic Committee talking about? These Olympians reached a goal that many of us only dream about – they made it to the Olympics. However you look at it, Canada did not only make it to the Olympics, but – today – holds a world record with a count of 14 Gold medals and is third over all. If we approached philanthropy with this all or nothing mentality, wouldn’t we all want to just give up at first sight of trouble? Wave the white flag in defeat like the COC did at the half way point during the Olympics.  read more »

Greetings from Guatemala! This is my first time in Latin America and so far I have loved every minute!  Funny enough, the most difficult part of the trip was leaving the Calgary Airport! Picture 24 hockey bags filled with dental equipment and supplies carried by 8 dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and other support volunteers; each bag being hand-searched.  From this point it has been smooth sailing (with the exception of the earthquake that shook me awake this morning).  read more »

I’ve just finished reading an article in the Calgary Herald and it has spurred much self-contemplation.  The article, highlighting Calgary's second “My World” conference, which was organized by Bruce Johnston, principal at Simon Fraser School. More than 550 students – grades five to nine - from 38 schools across the city attended. Students spent the day learning about 24 different non-governmental organizations and social agencies working to improve access to water, education and economic opportunities in developing countries. While reading this, all I could seem to think of was ‘WOW,what a fabulous idea’ – but why didn’t I have this opportunity as a kid in junior high?   read more »