All posts by James W. Breckenridge

Consider, Municipal

Granting credit to offset Need

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I was speaking with a Special Olympics swimmer at the pool and our conversation turned to the City’s recreation credit program for citizens on some form of income support or special needs.

This program is a very good idea but I do feel it needs a review since it has been the same for several years now. As was pointed out to me, this means a very limited (small) number of visits or requires that you go to special price swim sessions in order to stretch the credit into as many visits as possible. Unfortunately many who need this credit lack the ability (i.e. transportation) or flexibility of schedule to go only to these cheap swims. At between $4 and $5 the current credit is quickly exhausted.

As people who use the recreation centers know there is a picture swipe card system in use. Thus it is would be easy for the City’s credit program to be changed to grant a certain number of visits as opposed to granting a (low) $$$ credit amount. I believe that using this method would be a better method of ensuring those citizens in need of help reasonable access to the recreation facilities of Abbotsford.

The recreation centers also have a special lower price for those who drop in for just a shower. Since cleanliness is such a challenge for the homeless, and the picture swipe card system already exists, the city needs to examine putting in place a shower program for the homeless. The facilities exist, the picture swipe card system is in use and the Salvation Army and others interface with the homeless so that for next to $0 such a program could be instituted. Allowing for the City to successfully, in a certain sense, clean up the streets – or at least add a little cleanliness to the City’s citizens residing on the City’s streets.

As stated, I think the recreational credit program is a much needed and beneficial program. However I also think that a review would ensure it is meeting its original objectives and allow us to examine what changes would enhance the provision of service to those in need of a helping hand. Not to mention giving our Special Olympic swimmers more opportunities for needed practice.

Consider

Unfair Judgement Abounds

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I ran into a friend at the library this week. Conversations with him are interesting, but admittedly a little difficult due to his hearing impairment. I suppose most would say he is deaf. Between lip reading and hearing aids he can understand what you are saying and his speech is remarkably clear, all things considered. When speaking to him you have to choose your words with a little thought as you may need to repeat any he misses. You also want to avoid words such as anticholinergic. Paying attention when he is talking is a must along with not being embarrassed to ask for a repeat of anything you could not understand. People seem especially embarrassed to admit missing any words when speaking with someone severely hearing impaired. Because of the concentration required conversations tend to be a little slower, but quite interesting. What a concept – conversations where participants listen carefully and choose their words with some thought and care. As I said, it makes for out of the ordinary conversation.

We met as we were, and unfortunately continue to be, job searching with the need for access to the internet, He has a BA Physical Geography and is currently working on a BSc at UCFV while continuing his search for employment in biological research, a field where he gained experience when working in Montreal. Given the boom in bio-tech this would seem to be a good field to be seeking a job in. I had not run into him for a while as I was barred from the Job Zone for using the internet connection for non-job search uses. They felt that felt that maintaining a web site etc. were not networking to find employment and thus non-job usage, consequently I have had to make use of other more flexible but limited access.

Since we had not spoken recently the conversation turned to employment. He had applied had applied to a firm advertising for someone with his skills and experience and as an added bonus it was an Abbotsford firm, Neova Tech.. By the third interview he was speaking with the CEO and he felt things were going very well. Suddenly in the fourth meeting the company plans had changed and while my friend was disappointed, things happen.

Shortly thereafter the advertisement for the position reappeared in the newspapers with the company even sending a fax to UCFV seeking for someone to fill the position. Ironically the faculty as UCFV felt my friend was perfect for the job and brought it to his attention. As you might expect he was somewhat upset over this and contacted the company. The “explanation” this time is that they had some kind of vague “safety concerns” which they were not able to give an example of, making for a rather lame excuse.

Francis’s educational accomplishments demonstrate his ability to learn, communicate and perform at a high level. Yes it takes a little extra effort to communicate verbally, but it has been my experience that those who are in situations similar to those of my friend make excellent employees with a willingness to go that extra mile for those willing to make the small effort required for them to work effectively with you. In fact, one could argue that Francis’s hearing impairment gives him an ability to concentrate and not be distracted by conversation or noise around him and thus is in fact an advantage.

Understandably he and his wife are very upset about this prejudicial behaviour. So was I and making use of the verbal skills advantage that having normal hearing grants me (think about it) I chose to write about this unacceptable and damaging behaviour making the public aware of this deplorable corporate behaviour. I told him I would be writing and urged him to seek out any and all help he could to seek to redress the situation, with particular attention to those people and groups who protect the disabled from discrimination. Frances has worked hard to achieve the education and employment he wants and finds that discrimination and injustice is a bigger barrier than his hearing ever was. We are a community and whether the person is handicapped physically, mentally or through homelessness issues they deserve our consideration, help and fair treatment from all of us.

Homeless

Going a little Squirrelly.

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I was sitting the other day when a rather surreal conversation about a plague of squirrels broke out. It seems these rodents are driving gardeners and bird lovers…. Well… Squirrelly. Whether eating plant roots or bird seed both groups are being driven to contemplate squirrel-cide,

Hmmm. A rather interesting question of poetic justice occurs to me. Is this plague a result of a population explosion or a population displacement? In the mindless drive to drive the homeless anywhere but in my backyard many patches of trees and brush were ripped out and left bare. Trees and brush that also served as home to wildlife such as – squirrels.

If this habitat destruction is in fact contributing to this plague of squirrelly behaviour it serves to underline the dangers of unthinking reaction. No one bothered to ask just where it was they expected the homeless to go when driven from where they were residing. Their habitat destruction just forced the homeless into view on the streets and into residential neighbourhoods. Just as the homeless were forced into residential neighbourhoods, the squirrels were forced to relocate as well.

When you do not think about how to actually accomplish the results you want, all to often you waste resources and at best accomplish nothing or set in motion a whole series of new, more aggravating and complex problems. Which suggests the police may want to seriously reconsider their return to harassing and moving from one spot to another the homeless. Otherwise they will just have to live with any unwanted or unintended consequences, running the risk of driving themselves squirrelly.

Homeless

Keeping Faith.

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Last Sunday a lesson in keeping a promise was delivered by the members of the Open Door church, who have pledged to the hungry that they are in for the long haul. Over my time on the streets of Abbotsford I have witnessed several groups come and go in providing lunch to the hungry on Sundays. The people who undertake to provide food on the first Sunday of every month have been dependably there every first Sunday, but the rest of the month has seen churches come and go as the notion took them. Were it not for the members of the Open Door there would have been many hungry men, women and children on most Sundays. These “brown-bag lunch” people have been devoted in keeping their pledge to be there when others were not.

This past Sunday they were gathered out of town on church business, which included a wedding. What of their Word? If ever there was a reason for not being there to hand out bag lunches this was surely it and there were no bag lunches. Nevertheless there were no empty stomachs; in fact people were saying NO to offers of more to eat. Even with all the preparations involved, the people of the Open Door had taken the time to make arrangements to ensure lunch was served. As Pastor Bill told me, they are in for the long haul.

So we want to draw to the attention of the citizens of Abbotsford the faithfulness of these good people and to say a big “Thank You” to both those who work so hard month after month to feed the hungry and those who stepped in to help them keep their pledge. We also desire to extend our best wishes and congratulations to the dirty old man and the sweet young thing on their nuptials; with the good hearts they have shown in their steadfast care for the hungry they should journey well together.

Consider, Homeless

Thank you for your letter Marilyn Kozak

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Editor, The News:

I wish to affirm the letter from Mr. James Breckenridge regarding the deplorable and callous treatment meted out to a homeless person called Kevin (The News, July 15).

On June 28, I spent five hours in an emergency room hallway waiting for my husband to be seen by a doctor. I witnessed first-hand the indifferent way this very, very ill person was treated. It disturbed me greatly.

It was clear that the emergency room staff had dealt with Kevin often and knew him well. He was sent away twice in the time I was there, despite his obvious extreme difficulty breathing.

At some later time, he was admitted to ward Two West, where my husband was also admitted. Once on the ward, he seemed to get the care and kindness to be expected by a patient and it seemed like he was made as comfortable as possible in his final days.

I wish to let Mr. Breckenridge know that Kevin’s death has had a profound effect on both me and my husband, and we won’t soon forget what happened to a fellow human being in desperate need of help.

Marilyn Kozak

The original letter about Kevin is below.