For anyone who has negative thoughts or doubts about the youth population today, I suggest you take a trip to Montreal and visit the A is B team. Seriously. They are a breath of fresh, inspiring air. Enjoy!
This is long overdue, but I am so glad to finally share with you a little bit of the magic that is Apathy is Boring. From the moment I stepped into their office in Montreal, I felt like one of the gang. From the executive director (Ilona) who has achieved so much good in her 31 years, to an amazing artist (Moe) who offers her artistic expertise on an (often) volunteer basis, to a lovely staff member (Devon) who doubles as a food blogger -- they were all so incredible. For anyone who has negative thoughts or doubts about the youth population today, I suggest you take a trip to Montreal and visit the A is B team. Seriously. They are a breath of fresh, inspiring air. Enjoy!
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It's time for the newest volunteer/non-profit profile video, featuring Farmers Helping Farmers from Prince Edward Island. This organization has been around since 1979 and is 100% volunteer-based - completely impressive. Their hands-on commitment to helping farm families in Kenya is admirable, and I really love that they involve PEI's youth in the process. It was a pleasure to spend time with Farmers Helping Farmers while on my favourite island! I am excited to see them continue their journey of international philanthropy. Enjoy!! 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. It's hard not to have fun on the road! In addition to the volunteering, organization profiling and other project related tasks, I try to squeeze in as much exploring as possible. Below is the second travel video from the road, featuring the rest of Atlantic Canada. Be sure to check out my first volunteer video, too! You have no idea how great it feels to be posting this video (below) up. It has been a long, overwhelming and frustrating process to rifle through but the first non-profit profile video is finally complete. The most important thing to note is that For the Love of Learning is a fantastic, worthy and change-making organization in St. John's. Although I arrived during an unusual week - I was still able to grasp the importance of their programming and see the pride and dedication everyone had for the organization. I was particularly impressed with the extremely open and welcoming environment - it didn't matter if you are a University grad, a person struggling with homelessness or a University grad who is homeless. Some may not understand how art, theatre and creative writing helps at-risk youth, but I can assure you that this program and similar programs do. After meeting some participants, hearing some stories and reading some of the work that was created in the space - there is no doubt in my mind that FTLOL is an organization who is doing great work in St. John's. "A lot with a little" as Peter (in the video) said - I couldn't agree more. It was a fantastic first organization for the roadtrip. I left feeling grateful, inspired and excited - my brain was swimming with potential workshop ideas and ways to get involved. Perhaps it's time for me to move to St. John's .... heh! If you have some extra change in your pocket or artistic skills to share as a volunteer, I highly suggest you get in touch with For the Love of Learning. Enjoy! xo P.S. After many years of renting the Gower United church gym for multiple years (although they are a non-religious org), FTLOL are in the process of seeking a new space in the St. John's area. If you have any rental tips or opportunities to help find the organization a new home, please get in touch! I finally have a video to share with you. FINALLY! I cannot begin to explain the frustration level that was reached during the editing of this - so many complications. Far too many! It's still not perfect but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and move on, which is exactly what I am doing. All you really need to know is that Newfoundland was spectacular. Enjoy! xo Hi Friends, I am officially back in Nova Scotia after an amazing last few days in Newfoundland. I am so, so sad to leave that magical province behind, but excited to see what Nova Scotia has to offer! Volunteering with For the Love of Learning was a great experience and I am excited to share it with you in video form on Friday! I also had a great time exploring the city of St. John's. One of my last few evenings was spent getting 'Screeched In' with Mayo, my couchsurfing host, and some other surfers. It was an awesome night and I am glad to now have a certificate that says I am an "Honourary Newfie"! Check it out :) Picked up the keys to the 2011 Chevy Cruze today! It's an AMAZING vehicle with top-notch features - what an addition to the Roadtrip with Reason project. I feel BEYOND lucky & cannot thank Chevrolet Canada enough for their support. 7 days until departure. Holy moly! Excitement. xo |
What is this?Welcome! My name is Becky. I took a roadtrip across Canada, from July to November 2011. This roadtrip was a special one though, because it had reason! Tweet. Tweet.Archives
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