Tag: health

Lawtons Serves Its Communities

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To our Valued Lawtons Customer,

We have all experienced many changes in our lives in the past few weeks. The unfortunate reality is that these unpredictable changes are much harder on vulnerable members of our communities. At Lawtons and within our family of brands, we are doing everything we can to help our local communities.

More than just keeping our stores open to feed Canadians, our store teams have a pulse on the direct needs of their local community. And as always, they’re stepping up. They are donating food and supplies to local food banks. They are making home deliveries to those in isolation and to vulnerable members of our communities. With everything our stores are going through, they haven’t forgotten about their local communities, because that’s just who they are.

And that’s why today we are announcing our Community Action Fund, empowering our more than 1,500 grocery and pharmacy stores coast-to-coast to create localized solutions to help address their communities’ most urgent needs. Inspired by our stores and designed for them. Our stores know their communities best and this program will result in millions of dollars being immediately infused into local communities, in ways that are immediately meaningful.

We’re already seeing it happening. This past Thursday, our Stonebridge store in Saskatoon donated 2,000 paper bags to the Saskatoon Friendship Inn. With reduced hours and a transition to “take out only”, this community center has been working tirelessly to feed those at risk in Saskatoon. The Stoneridge Sobeys donation helped ensure the community centre could shift their operations from free meal service to take-out meals quickly. This donation helped provide safe meals to thousands of neighbours. A small example, but one that is having a big impact for those most in need in Saskatoon.

We are also working with food banks in urban areas to help alleviate the strain on their services by providing products, cash donations and gift cards. Daily, we are hearing from community support organizations about the increasing needs they are facing as more and more people reach out and ask for help. This investment will enable them to do even more to help their neighbours in need.

As we start putting our Community Action Fund into action, we also have to remember our teammates are continuing to provide essential services in-store. We’re empowering the most important leaders in our company – our store managers and franchisee partners – and know by putting this investment in their hands, we can truly make a difference where and when you need us most. This is the time for all of us to come together.

Sincerely,

Michael Medline
President & CEO

Guts & Gore!

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Wheelchair servicing 101. The patient fought poor Jeff every step of the way! But in the end Jeff conquered the beast!

Photos courtesy of Sara Alsaudi

The Precipitous Enemy…… Doubt!

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Today I became abundantly aware of how pernicious DOUBT is. – Doubt of self, Doubt of others, Doubt of the good that YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE!!! Lets confront doubt with everything we’ve got in us!!!!

Doubt hurts! Doubt can and often does destroy! STOP DOUBTING!!!! (I’m telling myself as much as anyone.)

Stop The Shock!!!!!

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On April 24th, 2014, the FDA held their first hearing regarding the use of shock devices at the Judge Rotenberg Center. That hearing was the result of decades of advocacy. Every year since then, activists have pushed the FDA closer to releasing a rule to end the use of shock devices on our community members. Thanks to your advocacy, this year the ban is on the FDA’s legislative agenda, and we’re closer than ever to ending electric shock torture at the JRC. We can’t stop now — we have to keep up the pressure on the FDA until they #StopTheShock for good. You know what to do! Check out the email below for scripts and tips.

How have you taken an action to #StopTheShock? Let us know by tweeting #WeAreStillWaiting along with what you’re doing to fight back. Remember, you can spend as little as five minutes or five seconds during your day to help end the use of shock torture against our community members. Acceptance is an action-we’re counting on you to take it.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Date: Mon, Apr 1, 2018 at 4:00 PM
Subject: 📣 Acceptance is an Action. #StopTheShock with us this Autism Acceptance Month 📣

Autism Acceptance Month is now underway. Acceptance is not passive—it is an action, and that includes taking action when members of our community are in danger. Last April, we began a campaign to #StopTheShock at the Judge Rotenberg Center, where autistic people and those with other disabilities are currently being tortured using electric shock devices. The FDA has announced plans to ban these devices, but they have not released the ban yet. We need YOU to tell them that #WeAreStillWaiting and demand that they act NOW to #StopTheShock.

Here’s how we’re telling the FDA that we’re watching out for our community members:

April 24th will mark five years since the first FDA hearing on electric shock devices. In those five years, our community members have faced torture at the Judge Rotenberg Center. We are closer than ever to seeing these dangerous devices banned for good, but #WeAreStillWaiting – and so are they. Join us to #StopTheShock now!

Support our work

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

PO Box 66122

Washington, DC 20035

When You Need’em Most

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Ahhh! It’s so nice to know that when you’re in your most vulnerable medical need, our Emergency Health Services (i.e. the paramedics / ambulance) are right there for ya….with a bill – that you can’t afford to pay.

In Nova Scotia, for some bizarre reason, our ambulance service is privatized, which means and depending on where you are when you need an ambulance service, you’re gonna pay for it,  and if you’re like the majority of those with a disability who’s on low income, you’re gonna pay BIG!!!

On December 29th, after several days of being sick with Strep Throat plus a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic for the Strep, I arose with extreme pain in both upper arms. I immediately realized that I could barely drive my power-chair within my apartment, never mind driving to a bus stop, or a long trek (by foot/wheel) to emerge. Still, I needed to know fast what thee hell was happening to my arms! Was this going to be a long term / permanent condition? If so, how the hell would I get around – even in my own apartment?

So at my direction, my attendant called 911. The paramedics were great. Both were very kind and helpful. They got me to emerge quickly. I would like to be able to say that once in emerge all went well, but I can’t. Even though it’s on my medical data that I’m allergic to Sulfa, (and with any allergy, the triage staff always put a red identifying band on your wrist) I unknowingly was prescribed a medication which contains Sulfa. This led to a second allergic reaction, resulting in blisters developing on both wrists for several days.

All this was by no means fun, but it’s life. Shit happens, as they say. But then a short time later, (when I barely had time to start recovering) I get 2 EHS bills (one for going to emerge and the other for going home since I didn’t have my power-chair with me) totaling nearly $300!  Ouch man!

I’ve been told in the past, that if you’re taken by ambulance from a public place, i.e. a minor street accident, the EHS is free, but if they’re required from your home, look out for a huge bill.

In thinking about this, the EHS billing criteria seems more than unfair. If you get a few scrapes, you get a free ride – literally, but when you no other means to get to emerge from your home, you pay through the nose.

My hope in posting this little story is that someone within the system will read it, recognize the problem affecting many people in situations similar to mine, and will work on finding a fairer billing fee structure.