Call For Action - Affirmative Ventures-Main Street Centre

 Dear (Donor,)

 Two weeks.

 I had just escaped a very toxic environment, but I had no place to go. I could stay with relatives for two weeks, then it was out on the street for me.

 At the time, I was just starting a new job, but I didn’t have a permanent address to give to my employers. I had no money for the deposit on an apartment and nowhere else to go. It was my rock bottom.

 Desperately, I turned to community supports to see if they knew of anyone who could help me. As luck would have it, 211 provided me with Affirmative Ventures phone number, who later offered me a home on Westwood Drive in Dartmouth. After a seven-month residency there, I was offered an affordable apartment in the association’s Affirmative House, where I now live.

Having a place to live has given me the gift of stability, and the reassuring feeling of having a home to go to. I’m able to plan and save now, and I am building my own place in the community independently.

Affirmative Ventures is embarking on a major campaign to raise awareness and money to assist with our newest project, “Main Street Centre.” The centre will be a community hub for social enterprise and an affordable residence for consumer survivors and seniors.  As a member of our community, we are hoping that you will dig deep into your pockets and donate today. Our goal is to reach one million dollars, and we wanted to give you the opportunity to help us build new homes and, in turn, rebuild lives.

Make your donation today! Donations are being accepted via the association website at www.AffirmativeVentures.ca. For more information about this and many other initiatives the association is embarking on, please contact ___________ at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Managing Your Debt vs Paying Your Debt

Debt is one of the most challenging and stressful matters we must deal with.  If you don’t have the money to pay your debt when it comes due, it can be even worse.  For people living in low-income situations, people who may be unemployed or anyone living through a financial crisis, debt can be a heavy burden to carry. 

 Paying bills on time and never incurring more debt than we can afford is the ideal goal.  But what if you have experienced a life set-back?  Maybe you’ve been laid-off, maybe there was an emergency life event that has put you behind on paying your bills.  Maybe you have old debt that you haven’t been able to pay yet.  Most of us will avoid the phone calls from the creditors, or we will ignore the notices and letters coming in the mail and we will stress out over it.  But we don’t have to; we can manage our debt even though we don’t have the money to pay it right away.  The key for success when dealing with you bills is contact and communication.

 Creditors and bill collectors want only one thing – they want money.  However, they do recognize that people may not always be able to pay in full on demand and most are willing to work with individuals to get the situation solved.  This is where managing your debt vs paying your debt comes in.

 We will always have the obligation to pay down our debt, but we can manage it in the absence of the ability to completely pay if off.  Simply put – managing debt requires staying in contact with our creditors and bill collectors and be willing to have open and honest communication with them regarding our financial situation.

 Contact your creditor and ask for their help.  Explain your situation and your plan for paying your debt.  Never tell a creditor what you are going to do without their input – rather, work with them to develop a strategy for making your plan work for both of you.

 Other tips for managing your debt:

 Be Realistic:  Offer to make payments you can safely afford and don’t make promises you can’t keep.  If you can’t pay it now, strongly communicate that in a polite but adamant fashion and offer to update the creditor on a regular basis.

 Be Reasonable:  Creditors want their money within a reasonable amount of time.  The longest time frames for most are between 3 and 5 years.  Managing your debt may not immediately mean making payments, but it does mean that you are working on a plan to eventually pay it.  That plan has to be a reasonable and realistic plan – one that you can stick to safely and affordably. 

Be Specific:  Make the details of your repayment plan very clear.  If it’s going to be a long-term plan, be very clear in the time-line.  If it’s going to take a year to start your plan – let them know that.  

A creditor may try to pressure you into making payment arrangements which you may not be able to keep.  However, it is important to remember that this is your debt, your management \ repayment plan and it is your responsibility to ensure that you manage your debt until such time as you can pay your debt.

 So – rather than being afraid of the phone calls or the notices and letters from creditors, manage them with a good plan, open communications and regular contact.  You will find your stress level decreasing and your chances of ultimately being debt free increasing.

 Managing your debt does not necessarily mean paying your debt this instant, it means planning for a time when you can safely and affordably pay your debt.

 For more information on debt services contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

Frauds and Scams

It’s probably one of the most vulnerable feelings you will ever experience.

Of course, you’re not aware when someone is setting you up for a fraud or a scam. Everything seems right in your world until a clue is revealed indicating that you have been had. That clue could be any of several things, depending on where the fraudsters have been focussing on.

Take our friend Kate, a happy grandmother to three grandchildren. She was enjoying a quiet afternoon at home when her phone rang. The person on the other end of the line claimed to be her grandson, and he was in a bind. He said that his friend he was travelling with had been stopped for speeding, which led to a subsequent search of the vehicle he and his friend were in and went on to say the police found drugs in the trunk of the car.

Of course, this took Kate quite by surprise. Her grandson had never been in trouble with the law. She consoled who she thought was her grandson by assuring him that everything would be  OK, and that he should contact his parents immediately to deal with the police and the pending charges.

Kate spoke with her grandson for the better part of a half an hour. Despite being a fake, the person seemed to know many of the circumstances surrounding the family, including dates and times of birthdays and holidays, family members and recent events that had occurred within the family realm.

As the call continued, Kate became more and more worried about the situation her grandson was in. According to him, he was in jail, and he would remain there until someone came up with eight thousand dollars to bail him out.

It was at this point that Kate realized that she was speaking with a very talented, convincing fraudster. If he really was her grandson, he would have known there was no way that she could come up with that amount of money. Her heart sank and she felt violated. Upon realizing that she was speaking with a scam artist, Kate immediately hung up the phone.

 Shaken by the event that had just happened, Kate called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Fraud Squad. She described what happened to the officer on the line, who said, unfortunately, this was a scam that was happening all over the province, and there was little to nothing they could do without an illegal transaction happening with the fraudster in person.

 So, what is the moral of this story? It’s almost a shame, but you have to be careful who you are talking to on the phone. A good scammer can convince you of the immediacy of their plight to suck money out of you. Kate eventually recovered from the phone call she received and was very lucky she wasn’t convinced to give up any cash, but many people aren’t so lucky.

Scammers and fraudsters will stop at nothing to get your information if they think that you are a good mark for easy money. And they can be relentless in their search for a victim, and quite frankly, they do not care who they are scamming.

There are many types of scams to look out for. According to an investigation performed by the American Federal Trade Commission, the top scam type is Romance scams. Romance scams tug at the heart strings of the victim, convincing them to give up cash and gifts in exchange for the attention of a would-be suitor.

Next on the list is Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries scams. With these types of scams, you get convinced that you are the winner of a substantial prize, but you must pay a “processing” fee for a much larger payout. There is never any payout.

Business Imposter scams also top the list. This type of scam is very hard to detect, because with the proliferation of technology, it is easy for a scam to be put together with computer software and burner phones.

For instance, you might get a call from someone who claims to be from your bank, and your call identifier may confirm they are calling from a number that displays as coming from your financial institution. But really, it is a computer program making the call look like it is coming from the bank. NEVER give out banking information over the phone from an inbound source. Banks do not typically make calls out to clients unless for a very specific reason.

Government Impostors, Investment Representatives and Tech Support scams work in a similar way to the Business Impostor scam. The scammer will try to convince you that you owe money to their organization, or they have a “golden egg” of an investment that you can take part in. Tech support scams are usually supported by malware on your computer – meaning the scammer places a program on your computer either to collect information or prompt you to call them to recover your computer from a crash.

Other scams include Online Shopping scams, Impostor scams, Timeshare Sales/Resale scams. This list is not exhaustive; fraud artists are always figuring out new and improved ways to part you and your money.

Are You a Victim of Identity Theft?

Another, even scarier type of fraud is identity theft. To determine if you might be a victim of identity theft you should look for the following:

 • You are contacted by a creditor because an application for credit that you did not apply for was received in your name and with your address.

• You receive a phone call or letter informing you that you have been denied or approved by a creditor that you never applied to.

 • You receive credit card statements or other bills with your information that you never applied to.

 • You no longer receive your credit card statements or any of your mail.

 • You are contacted by a collection agency informing you that they are collecting for a defaulted account established with your identity that you never opened.

What To Do If You Are a Victim

If you think you have been a victim of identity theft, here are some important actions to take:

 • Contact your bank or credit card issuer right away – the bank will take the appropriate steps to help prevent fraud in your accounts. These steps could include cancelling and reissuing credit or debit cards, investigating and reversing fraudulent transactions and providing further advice to customers.

• Contact local police – contact your local police force and file a report about the fraud.

 • Contact Canada’s credit reporting agencies – if you suspect that you may have been a victim of identity theft, contact both of Canada’s credit reporting agencies, Equifax Canada, and TransUnion Canada, and obtain a copy of your credit report. If there are creditors on the report that you have not done business with, contact those organizations and let them know you have been the victim of identity theft.

 • Consider a fraud alert for your credit files – Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada can also put a fraud alert put on your credit files. With this fraud alert, creditors that have viewed your credit report will have to contact you before extending credit. This can help prevent someone else from taking out a loan or credit card in your name.

 • Contact other organizations as necessary – other organizations and government agencies may also need to know if your personal information has been stolen and used to commit fraud. For example, you should contact government agencies such as Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) if someone has used your Social Insurance Number to apply for government services.

Now that you know a bit about the type of scams and frauds that are out there lurking in the real world, you can feel empowered to watch out for any suspicious activity on your accounts and personal information.

Remember, scammers and fraudsters will stop at nothing to get your information, cash, or valuables. Don’t give them the opportunity by using common sense, follow the guidelines outlined in this article, and NEVER give out personal information to someone you doubt or don’t know. Go with your gut feeling – if you think the proposition is too good to be true, it probably is.

A year-to-date study by the Canadian Revenue Agency says that there were 90,137 reports of fraud in 2022, with 56,352 victims of fraud and a total of 537 million dollars lost to scammers and fraudsters.

If you would like to investigate scams and frauds further in Canada, go to https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/fraud-scams.html

CBD Oil - A Radical New Experiment

 

CBD, also known as Cannabidiol, is one of the many active compounds found in the Cannabis plant. Out of the several compounds present in marijuana, CBD and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) are the most well-known. The THC that is present in the plant is the cause of the feelings of euphoria and “high” when cannabis smoke is ingested either by inhaling or through eating THC infused products such as gummies, brownies and other baked goods.

 Contrary to many people’s beliefs, CBD is not responsible for the “high” feeling that is attributed to smoking pot. CBD is not a mind altering chemical and does not promote the “high” feeling or euphoria. Although CBD does not produce the “high” effect, it is quickly becoming recognized for its medicinal purposes – though the jury is out as to what CBD does and how it actually benefits a person using it.

 Very little investigation has been done to support the claims of CBD as a wonder drug, though some swear by it. CBD oil is said to relieve pain, anxiety and sleep issues without making you feel “stoned” as THC would. But there are still many holdouts on the effects of CBD. Legislators in the United States are studying the “real” effect of CBD oil on the previously mentioned illnesses.

 Some claim great success with its use, while others remain on the fence as to the therapeutic benefit of CBD. In Canada, where marijuana is legal, CBD oil is enjoying somewhat of resurgence in the marketplace as a miracle cure for many ailments including muscle pain, anxiety and a myriad of mental health issues. CBD oil is being touted as the new “sliced bread” in homeopathic circles, with claims the oil works.

CBD oil is available in Canada at marijuana dispensaries and at marijuana dealers that are sanctioned by government sale. There are many brands of CBD oil available, though the Cadillac of CBD oils in Canada is CBD-North, a full spectrum oil that is touted to work to relieve depression and mood disorders and is rated the number one CBD oil on the market in Canada.

 CBD-North is made with natural organic elements only, and is available in multiple potency levels with fast reaction times and claims that it is highly effective. Medical and related industries are not rushing to embrace the good effects of CBD oil. Many medical professionals are still left undecided, much like the use of medicinal marijuana is (or at least was in Canada) controversial and unusual. In any case the future of CBD oil on the North American market is only expected to increase.

 There is hard evidence that CBD oil is effective in shrinking tumors and aiding with the administration of cancer meds, and there are encouraging studies happening that would point to CBD as a very good addition to cancer therapy. But again, even with this new evidence, the medical community at large has yet to embrace the full power of CBD oil.

 

Seven Reasons to Have a Podcast

1. Compared to text and video content, audio content is more accessible for users. They don't have shift time away from what they're doing to focus exclusively on your content. They can listen to your podcast while they're exercising or driving, for example. Your podcast won't take them away from those activities; it will enrich them.

2. When you publish your podcast on platforms such as iTunes and Stitcher, you expose your content to thousands of potential listeners for free. These platforms are search engines, and people use them to find podcasts as well as hit singles. That organic exposure helps you increase your reach and grow your audience.

3. Recording a podcast episode is far less time-consuming than writing an article or recording a video. To create a podcast episode, all you have to do is record yourself speaking (something you do naturally every day). Get a decent microphone and a program for recording and editing your episodes, and you'll have everything you need to produce audio content.

4. The popular interview format allows your audiences to learn from your guests' expertise, successes and failures. At the same time, you get to add more expert connections to your network. That's a definite win-win. Plus, if your guests decide to help promote these interviews, you'll get free exposure to their audiences, too.

5. Podcasting picked up some serious momentum during the past few years, but there's still plenty of room for more shows. Depending on your niche or topic, you may have the advantage of facing very little competition. Hosting a podcast can help you immediately stand apart from rivals in your marketplace and position you as the go-to authority in your field.

6.  Audio content is very personal. When someone hears you speak, they hear your personality and your authenticity. They can detect the excitement in your voice and feel your passion for helping them while you discuss topics that are relevant to you both. This makes it easy for them to meet, like and trust you. Podcasts help your target market feel as if they already know you on an individual level.

7.  At the end of each podcast episode, include a CTA (Call To Action). Give listeners a clear direction, and make sure your landing page, email subscriber list or other tools are ready in advance. Make it as easy as possible for listeners to follow through and create your desired result. 

I recently learned how cold it had to be before I froze my toes off.

Last weekend's storm left my household without power for more than a day. I often wonder what people with children do when there is no tv or video games to entertain?

We entertained ourselves by watching the frozen smoke billow from our lips every time we opened our mouths. It was minus twenty one in the living room, and it seemed as if my feet would never be warm again. 

At one point, just before the last candle blew out, we attempted hudling on the couch; three big people together in one giant pod. That, thank God, only lasted a minute. I'm clostrophobic. 

Bottom line was we were freezing, and the only thing that we could really do is go to our respective bedrooms and huddle up with as much blanketing that could be found. I found a really ugly grey, wool fabric blanket amongst the throng of blankets on my bed and wrapped up. 

We endured that for just over a day. I know. That's not a very long time. But let me tell you, living without electricity in the country means that you also lose the water. Gross. That means you have to fill up the tub before weather starts so that you can flush the freaking toilet. 

The cold weather was an experience, but all in all, I'd say we made it through pretty good. Our experience proves one thing; it pays to be prepared.

The Holidays Are Upon Us

I'm not the Grinch who stole Christmas, but I'm pretty close.

It's not that I have a problem with people celebrating their faith. No, I have no problem with that at all. However, I do have a problem with Christmas carols being played before the middle of December. It kind of freaks me out.

The seasons go so fast, it hardly seems right to complain about Christmas carols. Before you know it, we'll all be looking forward to the Easter Bunny jumping around our back doors and, much like one of my friends, stuffing our faces with mini eggs.

I understand the importance of staying ahead of the game when it comes to market share and consumer awareness about products, but does that mean we must constantly be bombarded with messages about the next approaching holiday?

The jury is out on that idea, but it is apparent that we will have to endure this Christmas thing at least until the 25th of December, after which point Boxing Day sales will ensue, intoxicating the general population in retail sales therapy.. something that I'm sure will work until they receive the bill for the holiday season on their respective credit cards.

So, is this a holiday do-good post? Not really. I would like to remind everyone who "have" to remember those who do not. I firmly believe that it's all about giving, in one way or another. You don't have to break the bank. A simple act of kindness will ensure that at least one person during your holiday season has experienced some sort of positive human interaction.

As you can probably tell, I'm not much of a Christmas person. But I am very spiritual, and I believe that acts of kindness have a place like no other during the holiday season. It stresses me to think there actually is a child who will go hungry this year, but as statistics would have it, that is bound to happen. Please donate to your local charity or food bank year round.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!