Note: Due to the theft of my Macbook Pro and it's files (all photo/video footage), I have had to adapt the way in which I share and reflect on each organization that took part in the Roadtrip with Reason. You can view a few video profiles that were already posted prior to the theft here. Thanks for your support!

Before I share the tale of my volunteer experience with the Napi Friendship Association (through the Muskoka Foundation), it is important to explain how I found myself there…

While planning my Roadtrip with Reason, I connected with Jay & Sharon from Service Driven on Twitter.  These two have been journeying across the United States (mostly) since February 1st 2011 - volunteering their time and enjoying as much beer/bacon/bikes as possible. Naturally, our projects had a lot in common. In June of 2011, they were passing through Ontario and stayed the night at my apartment in Bracebridge where we discussed their journey, my upcoming journey and Jay’s (hilarious) fear of moose. A month or so later, they sent me an e-mail about The Muskoka Foundation and the ball got rolling.

The Muskoka Foundation is an organization whose vision is to “to create a network of hundreds of modern day explorers, traveling overland in communities around the world, using their professional skills to do good as they go.” They provide the ‘traveling participants’ with programming framework, tools and support to help carry out activities while on the road. I was sold! Plans were made for September to have me volunteer at the Napi Friendship Association (NFA) in Pincher Creek, Alberta.

 I arrived to Pincher Creek without knowing very much about the place. It turns out that Pincher Creek is a small ranching town (approx 3,370 people), directly east of the Canadian Rockies. It is known for its strong Chinook winds (& subsequent wind turbine development), surrounding aboriginal communities, and close vicinity to Waterton Lakes National Park.

I met with Earlene (the Youth Coordinator at NFA) to discuss my volunteering plans for the week and was equal parts nervous and excited. Prior to this experience, I hadn’t had much direct exposure to aboriginal culture and was unsure of how I would be received. No issues here! We decided on a video blogging project for the participants – the plan was to work collectively to create a video about what living in Pincher Creek (or on the Pikkani Reserve) meant to them.

I showed up to the NFA the following day, full of excitement for the project plan that I had created overnight, and was very disappointed to find only 3 participants – very different from the approximated number of 15. I tweaked the program as much as I could and got down to work with the girls…

The plan was to a) Discuss my Roadtrip with Reason thus far & how video blogging played a role; b) Brainstorm ideas about what living in Pincher Creek meant to them, choose 3 main ideas; c) Adventure around Pincher Creek to get both photo and video representation of the main ideas (mountain, prairies & culture); d) Interview girls for additional footage and sound bytes; e) Edit video collaboratively

After strolling around Pincher Creek and making visits to all of the “hot spots”, their school, the trails, some family/friends etc for photos and videos; we warmed up to each other and questions began flowing back and forth. I was extremely curious about their daily lives (typical teens), how their culture played a role (big role), their experience living in this little part of Alberta (not too bad), any racism/prejudice they experienced (some) and their hopes for the futures (lots). They seemed to be equally curious about my project, why I was doing it, what brought me to them and how life was on the road. The day ended with all of us taking beautiful footage of the prairie land, while the sun was setting over the Rockie mountains in the distance. It was a stunning sight (prancing deer included) and I got the sense that these three were more proud of their home than they had originally expressed.

The following day was deemed ‘editing day’ and I showed up to find no one there. Ouch! It turns out that there was a family wedding and some miscommunication with Earlene – she had forgotten that it was a PA Day, which meant that the girls didn’t have transportation from their home on the Pikkani reserve to Pincher Creek. Regardless of the reason, I was disappointed and felt like I had failed as a volunteer/workshop leader. I spent the rest of my afternoon at the Napi Friendship Association uploading/sorting through the hours of footage and began the editing process. I was about a quarter of the way done when the centre was closing. The completed video was too large for online file sharing, so I had intended on sending it to the girls via snail mail. Unfortunately, the video didn’t make it to the girls before the theft my laptop. Another project lost!

Although my experience at the NFA was not ideal or perfect, it still was put on the “meaningful memories” and “what I wouldn’t have done before” lists. I learned so much about Aboriginal culture (something I am very interested in) and was shown so much kindness by the staff, particularly Earlene who lent me her couch for those nights.

I wish that I could’ve shared more experiences with more participants, taught them more about the uses of vlogging/social media and had more of an affect, but what can you do? Earlene kindly reminded me that by sharing my own roadtrip journey with the girls, I was positively influencing them and showing them that their dreams are achievable. I don’t know if that is actually the case, but it felt good to hear at the time.

Following the time of volunteering and at the advice of the NFA staff, I decided to spend the rest of the weekend camping at Waterton Lakes National Park (about 50km away from Pincher Creek). I drove towards Waterton Lakes feeling a little disheartened and blue, but ended up finding one of my most favourite places across Canada – a place that I hadn’t even heard of prior to my visit at NFA. One of the ‘Elders’ in Pincher Creek had told me of the Waterton's long spiritual history in providing needed energy and ‘warmth’ to its visitors. Funny how things work out!

I am so grateful to the Muskoka Foundation for organizing this experience for me. I am absolutely in love with the actions they are taking, and what they are promoting through their organization. I look forward to using their services on one of my future adventures!

“Go into the world and do well,
but more importantly,
go into the world and do good!”

Yes, yes, yes!

For more information on The Muskoka Foundation, go to their website HERE. You can also purchase a 2012 Nature Calendar, full of beautiful photographs taken by youth in their volunteers’ workshops. 100% of the sales (above costs) go back to the host communities and their youth.

Note: Due to the theft of my Macbook Pro and it's files (all photo/video footage), I have had to adapt the way in which I share and reflect on each organization that took part in the Roadtrip with Reason. You can view a few video profiles that were already posted prior to the theft here. Thanks for your support!

I made a stop in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan while on my Roadtrip with Reason and was thoroughly impressed. It's a little prairie city with a big prairie personality, and one that showcases a lot of diversity. I was extremely surprised (and puzzled) to discover representation of so many cultures in Saskatoon, until I later learned that Saskatchewan is "making efforts to attract at least 5000 newcomers each year to contribute to its growing economy."

Ah, hah! Puzzle = solved.

I had made plans to volunteer with the Global Gathering Place, a "non-profit drop-in centre that provides services for immigrants and refugees in Saskatoon." The reason for their existence (in Saskatoon) became much clearer once I was introduced to this culturally diverse city, placed in the Canadian Prairies.

The Global Gathering Place (GGP) are committed to providing “holistic, adaptive and person-centered services to support the efforts of refugees and immigrants to overcome challenges and participate fully in Canadian life as equal members.” They also “educate the public about refugee immigrant issues, address misconceptions, and highlight the valuable contributions that refugees and immigrants make to our community.” Essentially, they act as a support system for immigrants and refugees by creating a community-like atmosphere and by offering programs and services that help them adapt comfortably to their new home.

From the planning stages of the Roadtrip with Reason, I knew I wanted to include an organization that dealt with diversity in some way. Diversity plays an extremely important role in defining Canada and I felt that it was a necessary subject to cover. The Global Gathering Place was the perfect fit!

One morning I arrived to a classroom, knowing that I would be volunteering to help the Instructor with her English Level 1 class. There were approximately 10 students, probably between the ages of 30 – 70, who were newcomers to Canada and were proactively trying to learn the language. They were all from different countries, different educational/professional backgrounds, and were at different levels of English skill. The similarity between every single one of them was the amount of hard work they were putting into the class, the frustration they displayed when they would make a mistake, the pride they felt when they did well on an activity, and the absolute desire to master the English language.

As the girl who did very poorly on her Spanish Level 1 in University (who, me?! heh), I really appreciated their commitment and overall attitude to what was clearly going to be a serious challenge. It is also important to mention that they were incredibly genuine and sweet human beings who were so excited about their new learning opportunity. I left the class hoping that they would eventually succeed and lead a happy life here in Canada.

I also took on the (extremely fun) task of assisting with the first cooking class of the year. Myself, the instructor and the 15 participants sorted through the recipes as a group and chose our favourite main course, salad and dessert – which were all going to be made during their following classes. It was really interesting to sit down with a group of people from all over the world and talk food. Many of the participants were curious about ‘Canadian’ food and had a good giggle over some of the recipes, which sounded so foreign to them. They also shared great stories of eating their favourite meals from home, and by the time we were heading out to the grocery store, I felt really comfortable with my group.

Who needs to worry about language barriers when food is the subject?
It’s an international language, it seems.

We all went over to the local grocery store with a task of finding the items necessary to create the meal. I had never thought about how difficult grocery shopping would be to someone who had no experience in a big-box store. Some of them had journeyed to this grocery store already, where as others (who had only been in Canada for a very short period) had steered clear and were baffled by its size. Many of the people in my own group spoke reminiscently of shopping at little markets, but were also so excited to find items from home in the ‘International’ section. Overall, it was a successful shopping trip and I am sure they had a great time cooking (& eating) their recipes in the following class.

Spending time at the Global Gathering Place was one of the volunteer experiences that affected me most as an individual. Each participant that I met showcased so much bravery, strength, excitement, and pride for their Canadian journey. Because I was on my own (and very different) Canadian journey, I was humbled by their determination and inspired by their willingness to conquer the challenge.

I left feeling so grateful to live in a country where diversity is encouraged, and for places like the Global Gathering Place who help newcomers feel at home in their new home.

For more information on the Global Gathering Place, please visit their website HERE.

Note: Due to the theft of my Macbook Pro and it's files (all photo/video footage), I have had to adapt the way in which I share and reflect on each organization that took part in the Roadtrip with Reason. You can view a few video profiles that were already posted prior to the theft here. Thanks for your support!

For the first time in my 24-years of living, I journeyed to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
People who had made the trip before had given me their not-so favourable opinions.

“It’s a flat, windy, chilly city.”  “It’s full of homeless people.”
“It’s COLD.” “The only worthwhile place in Winnipeg is ‘The Forks’.”
"Don't bother."

In my first few days as a visitor, I was beginning to fear that their not-so favourable conclusions were true, but then I found Winnipeg Harvest.

Winnipeg Harvest (WH) “is a non-profit, community-based organization committed to providing food to people who struggle to feed themselves and their families.” They opened their doors in 1985 and have since been striving to not only feed the hungry, but are also working towards finding long-term solutions to hunger and poverty in Manitoba.

Meghan Pesclovitch (Volunteer Services Coordinator) took me on a tour of the fantastic WH space and shared some scary statistics, before putting me to “work”.

1. Winnipeg Harvest provides emergency food assistance to almost 58,000 people a month across Manitoba

2. Last year 51% of food bank recipients were children.

3. 1/3 of families experiencing hunger are dual wage-earner families, ie: the working poor

4. In 2010, Winnipeg Harvest moved almost 11,000,000 lbs. of food

Scary statistics, indeed.

I had never experienced the fear of going hungry (thankfully), and had definitely never been exposed to such staggering numbers. I was ready to offer my helping hands more than ever, and was wishing that I had the ability to help on a much larger scale.

While volunteering with Winnipeg Harvest, I ended up with two main roles. Firstly, I assisted Dave, a long-time volunteer, in taking phone calls from clients who were in need of emergency food. There were about 6 other people in the room answering calls for the same reason, and the phones never stopped ringing. Because I was not trained, I mostly sat in silence and listened while Dave made the appropriate responses. I was extremely impressed with the efficiency of their tracking system to ensure that no one was taking advantage of the services provided by Winnipeg Harvest and their 320+ partner agencies.

One phone call really struck me. A single mom, who was a first time caller, was looking to make an appointment with her local agency because she was almost out of food for herself and her two children. You could hear the panic, stress and absolute fear in her voice. After Dave booked an appointment for her (while also offering some encouraging words), we hung up the phone and I asked him how he felt about his role at Winnipeg Harvest. He made it very clear that although he feels great about being able to calm clients’ fears and help them feed their families, he ultimately wishes that he didn’t have to be there at all (meaning that no one would be going hungry in Manitoba).

I also had the chance to help a team of volunteers sort food donations and put them in their appropriate boxes (I wish I still had my pictures, the efficiency of this place was truly incredible). It was here that I saw the magnitude of food that was being donated, sorted, packed and distributed on a daily basis. It seemed that the WH fleet of trucks never stopped coming to pick up more pallets of food.

While taking on this task, I casually spoke with the other volunteers to learn why they chose to give their time to this particular organization. I was surprised to find out that many of them were clients of Winnipeg Harvest and just wanted to give back. I later learned that more than 50% of volunteers at WH are people who use a food bank.

Amazing, I thought.

My time at Winnipeg Harvest was short, but really eye-opening and impressive. I left the building with an overwhelming sense of gratefulness for my own circumstances, and appreciation for the hardworking group at WH. Every single staff member and volunteer displayed so much passion and were 100% committed to fighting this issue.

Fighting hunger and feeding hope.

Their goal at Winnipeg Harvest is to “to reduce by half the need for food banks in our province by 2020.”

To learn more about Winnipeg Harvest, please visit their website HERE. I also encourage you to read "the Myths" about hunger HERE.

After a good time in Saskatchewan (& a great time with the Global Gathering Place), it's time to move forward. Tomorrow morning I depart for Alberta and I simply can't believe it - my second last province. Where has the time gone? Where has this project gone?! Can we go back to the beginning? This next month is really going to fly. Sigh.

I am trying to relish in every single moment.

Luckily, I have a zillion photographs to keep my memory fresh. Here are a few of my more recent favourites from the journey...you can click on each image to get a better view!
 The rest can be found in a Facebook album, here. 
Enjoy! xo

Ta-da! The 2nd volunteer/non-profit profile video is complete, featuring The Empathy Factory from Nova Scotia.

I am so very glad that I was able to visit The Empathy Factory while on my Roadtrip with Reason. This organization is going places - mark my words - they are going to do incredible things for the youth in this country. It's an honour to know them - they have inspired me, that's for sure. 
I sincerely cannot wait to watch them grow. 

Please do yourself a favour and check them out on Facebook & Twitter -- also, if you happen to be in the Halifax-ish area on October 8th, attend this event: Breathing Empathy. Sounds incredible!

Enjoy xo

I am officially back on the road. Yippee! 
I spent the last few days driving through Northern Ontario and I am now in Winnipeg preparing for the week.

Some thoughts....

1. Northern Ontario is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. I was genuinely surprised! I had anticipated three days of long, miserable drives and boy, was I wrong. Holy wilderness, batman! It was lovely. I highly suggest taking the drive one day, especially for those of you who think Ontario is "Onterrible". 

2. Fall has arrived and it makes me so very happy. It's my #1 favourite season and it's perfect for road-tripping. The leaves have even begun to change up North, which made the drive that much more beautiful. Manitoba, however, feels especially chilly.....uncomfortably chilly? Perhaps it's because Mr. Sunshine is taking a break today, I hope. Brrr!

3. Wildlife is abundant in Northern Ontario. I (almost) hit a deer and I saw a black bear. A REAL bear! I have a terrible track record for viewing wildlife (i.e. it never happens) and I had prepared myself for this curse to continue as I headed West....but just as I was about to pass over into Manitoba I saw a beautiful black bear on the side of the road. Sadly there was no opportunity for pictures so hopefully there is a next time. So exciting!

4. Don't ever set up your tent the lazy way, ever! I arrived to a strange little campground last night as it was getting dark, so I decided to throw up the tent sans pegs. Why not? This morning when I awoke at 7 a.m. to high winds, rain and tent collapse, I had an idea as to why I should've pegged myself down. You should've seen me trying to pack up as everything blew all over the place - running around in my purple sweatpants. Hilarious! Lesson learned.

5. My creative juices are flowing. I just completed my second volunteer/non-profit profile video, and I am working on my third. Check out The Empathy Factory VIDEO & look for a post tomorrow.

Exactly one week ago I pulled myself out of bed in the early morning to prepare for the drive to Montreal. I logged onto Twitter to see what had happened overnight and was overwhelmed with the mass discussion of some very unfortunate news. 

I was shocked. Yes, I saw him on the news during his last public appearance and noted how sick he looked. I just didn't expect that Cancer would win in this particular round, not with Jack. Although I actively participate in the democratic process, I am not one to discuss politics or my political views but I am willing to discuss the greatness that I saw in Jack Layton. He was a gem - passionate, engaging, youthful, and a dreamer. He had that crucial ability to engage 'youth' (i.e. people from my generation) like none other. He also showed a sincere respect for us and made it clear that we were valued in society, something that many other politicians (coughHarpercough) fail at. 
Such a damn shame.

I spent the last week volunteering with Apathy is Boring in Montreal, visiting Parliament, and partaking in the festivities at the Ottawa Folk Festival. There was so, so, so much chit chat about Jack. Everyone, regardless of political views, had great things to say. He was well loved by many and his presence will definitely be missed in Canada.

The perfect words for a heartbreaking end.  
Thanks, Jack. xo

It's official - I have been on the road for an entire month!
One month down, 2-ish to go! It feels like just yesterday when I was pulling out of the driveway from my home base - full of excitement and absolute fear - and here I am with lots of thoughts swirling around in my head....

1. I have adjusted to life on the road a lot better than I anticipated. Aside from a couple "woe is me/it's so hard/I am tired/where's my mommy" days (haha) - it's been great!

2. Canada has some form of beauty lurking around every corner - seriously. The East has set the bar very, very high. Hey, West Coast - you better bring it!

3. People are generally kind - especially Canadians. I have met adventurers from all over the world who always have good things to say about the people here and it's true. I haven't come across a single 'bad seed' in the East - only really, really good seeds who have fed me, housed me, guided me and even took me up in a plane.

4. I love Archie, my 2011 Chevy Cruze. I am absolutely turning into a crazy car lady (worse than cats) and talk about Archie like he's my boyfriend. So, what?! He's been the best road companion a girl could ask for. I have even started reading Archie Comics.....obsessed.

5. I have gained a new skill - I can now (pretty much) sleep anywhere. Nasty motels, fancy hotels, couches of all shapes/sizes, floors (all levels of cleanliness), chairs, car seats & even in church parking lots. Think I should add it to my resume?

6. I have been so inspired by the people I have met. Every organization is different but their one common thread is passion and dedication and a desire to make change!  It's been an honour to meet these do gooders - I can't wait to follow them as their organizations flourish and change.

7. Video editing is difficult - much more difficult than I expected. It turns out that I don't have a special secret skill (I was hoping) and so, the vision in my head never ends up on the screen. The process is frustrating and long and overwhelming....but I am trying. I want my non-profit videos to be worthwhile and useful and decent which is why it's taking so long. Thanks for keeping up your patience (even when I have lost mine).

8. Live music, campfires and ice cream are still my favourite things. Who said travelling changes people? Not I! 

9. I have discovered an independence in myself that I didn't even know existed and it makes me feel awesome. I used to be the girl who was terrified to sit and eat alone and now I do it on the regular - and actually enjoy it. It makes me glad to know that I can be happy, with or without people surrounding me.

10. I continue to be incredibly grateful to my sponsors, family, friends and viewers for making this journey a reality. I am trying to absorb every moment as it passes me by and take full advantage of what being on this Roadtrip with Reason means. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Off to edit, I go...xo

Hi Friends,

Surprise! I am still in Oakville. Today was supposed to be departure day but I was feeling a little too disorganized to hit the road this morning. The 3-hour sleep didn't help either. I decided to give myself this extra day and head out tomorrow in the morning. I am super glad I made this choice because I am already feeling much more prepared and EXCITED! 

Today I had the chance to visit Dudley Clarke at the FareShare Food Bank in Oakville. We encouraged the attendees of the Roadtrip with Reason launch party to bring some food goods with them, as we were collecting food to donate to the local food bank. My friends and family did not disappoint! We ended up raising about 400 pounds of food. 400 POUNDS! Impressive, I think.

A lot of people don't even realize that there is a need for food banks in Oakville. We were informed that the FairShare Food Bank has been around for 23 years and is 100% volunteer run. Dudley (who has been a volunteer there for 19 years) also said that they serve about 1100 families every month. Clearly, there is a need .....and they aren't the only food bank in Oakville.

Big thanks to my friends & family for helping out with food donations. Dudley was a happy man when we showed up!

Can't wait to meet many more like Dudley throughout the next 3-months.

Love Love Love!

Warmly,
Becky xo

Hi Friends,

I am 19 days away from departure. Can you believe it?! There are so so so many little bits & pieces that I need to tie together, and that includes the announcement of some more non-profits. I am so grateful that I found out about this organization from Vancouver, BC and I can't wait to visit in October. I have a feeling that I am going to learn a lot...

What is the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation? 
The Foundation was established in 2000 to support the Take a Hike program. In partnership with the Vancouver School Board, the Foundation provides the resources and funding for programs operations, therapists and outdoor activities. The Foundation has raised over $1 million in support of Vancouver's at-risk youth.

What is the Take a Hike program?
It's an alternative education program that engages at-risk youth through a unique combination of adventure-based learning, academics, counseling, and community involvement.

Take a Hike guides and empowers these youth to blaze a trail, a positive path with positive outcomes. With Take a Hike's guidance, every youth will have an opportunity to blaze their own trail--one that is right for them, that empowers them, that gives them survival skills for life.

Who participates in the program?
Students in the Take a Hike program often struggle with issues that have inhibited their success in the mainstream school system such as drug and alcohol addiction, physical and mental abuse, criminal activity, low self-esteem, depression, and/or trauma. Most students are referred to the program by school counselors or social workers for an opportunity to make lasting change in their lives.

How can we help?
a) Volunteer - be a positive role model in the classroom & outdoors
b) Donate - spare some "change" to help Take a Hike make change
c) Spread the word - join their online community

Incredible, right?! I haven't even volunteered with them yet and I already feel inspired. Take a Hike has some similarities to a program that I took in Grade 11 called the Bronte Creek Project. It had such a positive affect on my life - an unforgettable experience. I am so glad that similar programs exist in other locations across Canada and I can only imagine how amazing the Take a Hike program and foundation are. I simply cannot wait to learn more about their program when I role into the Vancouver area in October.

Take some time to read more about them. They are a special group to follow!

Happy trails & travels!

Warmly,
Becky xo