Before lunch was brought out to the 38 elderly women seated in the dining room of Fulford Residence on downtown Guy St., employee Sandra Glover rang a little bell in her hand to get everyone's attention.
"Good afternoon, ladies," she said. "I will just remind you that the pub crawl today begins at 2 p.m."
Montreal is a city with a rich, colourful history when it comes to clubbing. But nothing quite matches the semi-annual pub crawl of the women of Fulford nursing home, under the careful chaperone of the Montreal police force.
Sure enough, just as Glover had said, a Montreal police paddy wagon pulled up in front of Fulford shortly before 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. The weather outside was terrible. A late spring snow shower was falling.
But that didn't deter some of the women of Fulford - like 95-year-old Hester Kerr.
"Mrs. Kerr says she wants to go," nurse Celi Glover whispered into managing director Donna Girard's ear.
"But she's in a wheelchair," Girard said.
"Well, she says she's going to walk today," nurse Glover said.
Out of the paddy wagon came Constable Eric Charbonneau and his partner, Constable Bruno Delli Colli. Handsome men, they looked like they had come out of GQ magazine, too.
Charbonneau put his arm around Kerr and helped her down a ramp into the paddy wagon. The two officers worked with Fulford employee Marie-Anne James and four Fulford volunteers to escort another seven women into the paddy wagon.
A Vietnamese Woman Whispers And Helps Create A Powerful Noise
“I try to forget my past,” Bui My Hanh whispers. “But I can’t forget the night my daughter passed away in my arms. I wish I could have exchanged my life with hers. But God did not allow me to do that…”
Three months after she lost five-year-old daughter, Bui My’s husband also died, just as her little girl had, of AIDS.
Bui My’s husband and daughter were amongst the swelling tide of victims. But Bui My’s touching story, one of three artfully told in the compelling documentary A Powerful Noise, is as inspirational as it is tragic. (See the trailer and buy the movie from Amazon at the links below.)
In a country where HIV/AIDS is regarded as a social evil due to its
connection to drug use and prostitution, blameless individuals such as
Bui My suffer discrimination from their families and society.
Teenager Jazzy Jordan Runs Across America & Wins Hearts Everywhere
Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Jordan dreamed of competing at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.
But she chose to put her dream on hold to help others achieve theirs.
Jazzy, as she is affectionately known, is running across the United States to raise awareness about medical insurance, as well as money for the St. Christopher’s Fund, which supports truckers in need.
This determined young woman, whose family is in the trucking and transportation business, gave up her Olympic dream to honour Sheila Grothe, a family friend who died of cancer on April 17, 2009.
“On that day I made a decision,” Jordan says on her website, “that I will do something to change the system so people who don't have medical coverage to pay for treatments like the ones Sheila needed will have options (to help them get better).”
Jordan began her run in Los Angeles, California, on September 1, 2009, and has covered an average of 15 to 20 miles every day since. (To put that in perspective, an Olympic marathon is a little over 26 miles.)
Her courage, heart and tired feet have carried Jordan about two-thirds of the way to New York City, New York, her final destination.
Along the way, she has garnered huge support from American truckers, and a host of others, who are inspired by her quiet determination to make a difference.
Trucking veteran Granny Mozes sums up Jordan’s spirit on www.thetruckstar.com's live radio show with host Daniel Audet, and guest Susan Macaulay, founder of www.amazingwomenrock.com:
Posted by By John Njoroge & Ann Njeri
April 1, 2010
“I have seen the hand of God in the hosting of these needy children” says Lillian Ndaro, a 75-year-old woman who accepted the burden that society had rejected.
She runs Lilly Orphans' home, located at the Subukia market centre, just at the foot of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.
”This has become my life," she says, "and I have no regrets.”
Lillian Ndaaro has helped the needy since a young age and as a devoted Christian she felt God’s call during her long service for the church and the call to help become stronger later in life when she met neglected children, giving them food, clothing and a place to stay.
She later teamed up with a group of women and started a self help group to address the needs of orphans and those affected or infected with HIV-AIDS. The group started in 2005 with about 20 needy children who were looked after at Ndaro’s home. But in august 2006, the group of women broke up due to a disagreement over the management of resources.
When the other women withdrew from the group Lillian was left all alone with the kids. She couldn’t abandon them as they had nowhere to go and she couldn’t let them go without food of clothing either so she kept the home running.
If you ever wondered what true exhaustion feels like, or claustrophobia,
or utter loneliness for human companionship, Katie Spotz can
enlighten you.
And if you wonder whether these things can indeed be
overcome, then this young endurance athlete can answer that too. Among
many other feats to her credit, she's rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
Alone.
As endurance is her strong suit, she's run 150 miles across the Mojave
Desert and biked 3,300 miles across the US (averaging 85 miles per day).
Not to mention an impressive swim-the full 325 mile length of the
Allegheny River. Then there was the Half-Iron Man, and that 62-mile
marathon too.
But this time, she's rowing the Atlantic Ocean- A 2,500 mile row from
Dakar, in Senegal to Cayenne French Guiana, and she's only 22 years old.
She's also responsible for inspiring and enthralling many of us
land-lubbing coach potatoes along the way and raising awareness, for her
cause: Water.
That is, clean, viable drinking water.
Water is very likely, the number one thing we, in developed parts of the
world, all take for granted. But the truth is, 1 in 6 of us on God's
green and mostly blue Earth, don't have access to this most basic of
human necessities. This should, at the very least, make us think twice
about leaving the water running when brushing our teeth.
Katie's quest to raise awareness for Water issues in the developing
world, is no question being realized as she rows across the Atlantic,
solo. Aside from raising awareness, another important goal was to raise
$30,000. But that's long been been surpassed. Her efforts have amounted
now to well over $50,000 and growing. But this will only cover a small
portion of our fellow men, women and children who live, on a daily basis
without the access to clean, safe drinking and bathing water.
Check out her website Row for Water
and watch her progress which is being charted by GPS.
See her location in real time, cheer her on by leaving a note of
encouragement, and by all means donate what you can. For
$30 you can offer someone a lifetime of safe drinking water, as we in
the comfort of the developed world recognize how good we have it, when
we turn on the faucet every morning to wash our face and brush out
teeth.
Amazing Maria Travels The World And Ends Up In A JAM
Susan notes: My friend Maria is a force to be reckoned with: smart, sexy, sporty, street savvy and SO much more. She makes me go WOW! every time I talk to her, and I never know what she's going to be up to next. I want to be just like her when I grow up :)
Posted by Maria Petit
December 15, 2009
It’s December 2009, and I’m writing this profile in between chukkas in Argentina.
I’ve been living out of a suitcase since fall 2007, when I was relocated by my former employer Motorola Ltd to London, UK, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
I had been living the Dubai ‘Golden Years’ as Motorola’s Middle East, North Africa and Turkey Financial Controller. It was the highlight of my nine-year career: business was booming – it was the year of the ‘razor’, Motorola V3 – and I lived in my home overlooking Dubai Marina.
Just in time for my 30th birthday, I was promoted to the position of Commercial Director Mobile Devices Business, Europe Middle East and Africa. The promotion meant I had to relocate back to the UK where I had previously spent two-years.
The movers packed my belongings for the third time in four years (Miami-London-Dubai-London) for a sea voyage, leaving behind two suitcases of mostly work clothes to keep me afloat while I transitioned and closed on a property I planned to purchase in London.
Had I known a month of transition would become two years of transformation, I would have at least packed my polo gear, which in retrospect was the one thing I missed the most, and which was thankfully replaced with relative ease. (That's me in the red helmut, having replaced my gear and giving it my all on the polo pitch :)
Rescuing Child Rape Victims In South Africa: Two Letters Of Courage, Compassion, Love & Hope
Susan notes: Patty Melnice went to South Africa as an independent volunteer to work for six months for Bobbi Bear, a small non-governmental organisation which rescues and supports children who have been raped.
She worked directly "in the trenches" with the Zulu women who are Child Safety Officers at Bobbi Bear. She rescued children, took them to the hospital for anti-retroviral drug treatment if appropriate, and followed their cases through court.
She also worked with the police, hospitals, schools - to educate them about child abuse, HIV, and the court system.
If these two letters don’t speak directly to your heart, nothing will. Read more at Melnice’s website Tough Angels .
Mid-December 2009
Dearest Friends,
I am flooded with a range of emotions . . . elation, fear, anticipation . . . I am fatigued, but grateful. Always grateful.
For the past month, the sun has taken leave. It is as if someone ran off with the sky and left this thick, heavy, low-lying ceiling that is suffocating at times. It is void of any color, texture, or light variations. It is just blank. We have had pouring rains and everything is soaked and muddy, including our attitudes.
It is supposed to be sunny, beautiful summer weather now so few are coping well with the unexpected climate. The weather has put a hold on the construction of Lady Fair’s house, and I have had to let go of any hopes that I will see even the walls go up before I leave. I have no doubts though that it is left in good hands and will advance quickly, as soon as the ground dries up. (Click here to read more about Lady Fair, who cares for 11 children, only two of which are her own).
Yesterday, I decided to take the day to begin organizing myself for packing and tying up loose ends before moving back to America. A lot has to happen before I leave and no sooner had I begun than I received a call that I would be picked up for a call-out on a 15-year old rape victim...
Before lunch was brought out to the 38 elderly women seated in the dining room of Fulford Residence on downtown Guy St., employee Sandra Glover rang a little bell in her hand to get everyone's attention.
“I try to forget my past,” Bui My Hanh whispers. “But I can’t forget the night my daughter passed away in my arms. I wish I could have exchanged my life with hers. But God did not allow me to do that…”
Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Jordan dreamed of competing at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.
Jordan began her run in Los Angeles, California, on September 1, 2009, and has covered an average of 15 to 20 miles every day since. (To put that in perspective, an Olympic marathon is a little over 26 miles.)
She runs Lilly Orphans' home, located at the Subukia market centre, just at the foot of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.
If you ever wondered what true exhaustion feels like, or claustrophobia,
or utter loneliness for human companionship, 
She worked directly "in the trenches" with the Zulu women who are Child Safety Officers at Bobbi Bear. She rescued children, took them to the hospital for anti-retroviral drug treatment if appropriate, and followed their cases through court.
