.jpg)
Are you cold? Lord knows I am!
If you are below 39°N of latitude, you may not be quite as frigid, but let me share some temperatures with you (including wind chill).
• Toronto: -25°C (-13°F)
• Montreal: -29°C (-20°F)
• New York, NY: -17°C (5°F)
• Washington, DC: -18°C (1°F)
So, say you wanted to go out in temperatures like this, you’d likely require: a good winter coat, and preferably a multi-layered one, a tuque, gloves, a scarf, maybe a few extra layers of clothes, and I’d also recommend a decent pair of boots. Wouldn’t you agree?
Unfortunately, in the cities mentioned above, there are so many people who do not have proper clothing; who might not have shelter; and who probably need something warm to eat. I encourage you to check out the local missions or food banks, the Salvation Army in the US or in Canada, and of course there are a plethora of other sources. They are all in need of donations; can you help?
___
It’s funny – not “funny, ha-ha”, just funny interesting – to mention this today. I recall, a few weeks ago when the winter cold settled into the GTA, we had to buy scarves. When we did, Nichole turned to me and said: “OK, how do I do this?”
“Um, do what?” was my answer.
“Put this scarf on? I’ve never had one – so not really sure how this goes.”
WOW! The things we take for granted. I’m sure she could have figured out how to put it on, but when you have to rush through something you’ve never done, the simplest things seem so foreign.
Nichole never owned a pair of snow pants or water proof (resistant) boots; not even as a child. And, to be clear, she did not live in an area “below 39°N of latitude” so certainly, those pieces of winter clothing would have been welcomed!
___
What does any of this “cold air” have to do with learning and generating hope? Well, a couple of things, among others…
First, if you are in the situation Nichole was in – or anyone who does not have proper food, shelter or clothing – what are the chances of success in school? It is proven that children who are hungry have weaker academic performances. The Children’s Emergency Fund gives us a few indications of what happens when children go to school hungry.
Secondly, if you have opportunities: a regular (reasonable) pay check, transportation, and a basic education (high school graduation), your chances are much higher that you can acquire the above-mentioned clothing for yourself and for your family.
Take a look at this survey from the Daily Food Bread food bank. The additional questions I would ask are: “Which of these do you have?” and “Which of these are you willing to give up?” I could, for example, see how one might think that something like “access to Internet” is not a mandatory requirement for surviving in Ontario, but are you willing to give it up? And, if you lost it, how would you feel?
We take so many things for granted, including (often times) the warmth of our homes and clothes. We are quick to judge what “basic needs” are without truly being willing to give up on things we consider “luxuries”. It’s time, this year, to give back… And, I would encourage you, in these frigid temperatures, to help keep people warm!
If people feel safe, warm, fed, and hopeful, they will be have more clarity to seek out, to identify, and to seize the opportunities which will allow them to become self-sufficient.
If you are below 39°N of latitude, you may not be quite as frigid, but let me share some temperatures with you (including wind chill).
• Toronto: -25°C (-13°F)
• Montreal: -29°C (-20°F)
• New York, NY: -17°C (5°F)
• Washington, DC: -18°C (1°F)
So, say you wanted to go out in temperatures like this, you’d likely require: a good winter coat, and preferably a multi-layered one, a tuque, gloves, a scarf, maybe a few extra layers of clothes, and I’d also recommend a decent pair of boots. Wouldn’t you agree?
Unfortunately, in the cities mentioned above, there are so many people who do not have proper clothing; who might not have shelter; and who probably need something warm to eat. I encourage you to check out the local missions or food banks, the Salvation Army in the US or in Canada, and of course there are a plethora of other sources. They are all in need of donations; can you help?
___
It’s funny – not “funny, ha-ha”, just funny interesting – to mention this today. I recall, a few weeks ago when the winter cold settled into the GTA, we had to buy scarves. When we did, Nichole turned to me and said: “OK, how do I do this?”
“Um, do what?” was my answer.
“Put this scarf on? I’ve never had one – so not really sure how this goes.”
WOW! The things we take for granted. I’m sure she could have figured out how to put it on, but when you have to rush through something you’ve never done, the simplest things seem so foreign.
Nichole never owned a pair of snow pants or water proof (resistant) boots; not even as a child. And, to be clear, she did not live in an area “below 39°N of latitude” so certainly, those pieces of winter clothing would have been welcomed!
___
What does any of this “cold air” have to do with learning and generating hope? Well, a couple of things, among others…
First, if you are in the situation Nichole was in – or anyone who does not have proper food, shelter or clothing – what are the chances of success in school? It is proven that children who are hungry have weaker academic performances. The Children’s Emergency Fund gives us a few indications of what happens when children go to school hungry.
Secondly, if you have opportunities: a regular (reasonable) pay check, transportation, and a basic education (high school graduation), your chances are much higher that you can acquire the above-mentioned clothing for yourself and for your family.
Take a look at this survey from the Daily Food Bread food bank. The additional questions I would ask are: “Which of these do you have?” and “Which of these are you willing to give up?” I could, for example, see how one might think that something like “access to Internet” is not a mandatory requirement for surviving in Ontario, but are you willing to give it up? And, if you lost it, how would you feel?
We take so many things for granted, including (often times) the warmth of our homes and clothes. We are quick to judge what “basic needs” are without truly being willing to give up on things we consider “luxuries”. It’s time, this year, to give back… And, I would encourage you, in these frigid temperatures, to help keep people warm!
If people feel safe, warm, fed, and hopeful, they will be have more clarity to seek out, to identify, and to seize the opportunities which will allow them to become self-sufficient.
CLARIFIER:
I believe that if you work hard for something, you deserve it. I believe that no one should take that away from you. But, I also believe that if you’ve worked hard for something, you probably had an opportunity to work hard for it. Therefore, what I am saying here is not to give anything up, but rather to allow others the opportunity; to help them find it. If people have opportunities and do not seize them, then we’re having a different conversation altogether. However, in many instances of poverty and homelessness, people have simply not had opportunity, or have had opportunity taken away from them.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment