In 1994 I was involved in an incident outside Bayshore shopping Mall in Ottawa, Ontario. I was stabbed 13+ times including two in my left leg that I had to have emergency surgery on and as a result I was laid up on a couch for three months. I had to learn how to walk again and due to having my muscle severed in my leg it affected me ever since. That night my life was saved by Ottawa first responders and to show my gratitude for several years after I would randomly bring coffee to fire halls and buy coffee every time I crossed path with a first responder at Tim Hortons.
For almost fifteen years I struggled with PTSD from this incident in Ottawa and I wrote about it for Bell Let's Talk day a few years ago. CLICK HERE
In 2007 a close friend of mine serving in Afghanistan emailed me that they were getting a Timmies over there so at the time Tim Hortons had paper certificates (instead of gift cards) and I thought it would be amazing to send over a few with messages on the back with support. I decided to start a FB page to see if anyone wanted to join me and within a few days it had over 1000 members. It kept growing and growing so much in the first year thanks to the Military Family Resource Center in Toronto giving me an address to send to we had sent over 100,000 in free coffeee all with messages to troops on the back of them.
Over the years we did various projects through the new "Thank A Soldier" page including The Gratitude Project in which we received enough "Thank You" photos to make ten YouTube videos. Many celebs also joined in such as Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed. Fast forward to 2014 and the best thing ever happened to me. My wife and I were blessed with a daughter. About a year ago we were at the playground and she asked me to race her home. I said "I'm sorry sweetie dad can't run because of my leg" she was quite upset.
I decided I had enough of being overweight and needed a plan to get healthy. I needed a plan to keep me motivated so I decided my first goal would be to lose 100lbs. I made a pledge to myself that I would donated $1 for every lb lost to a charity called VETS CANADA. They help get homeless Veterans off the streets all across Canada and also help Veterans who are struggling and on the verge of becoming homeless.
I met the founders of Vets Canada several years ago and have always respected their organization. I had approached them about a month ago about a close friend of mine who was a Veteran and had to move due to unforeseen circumstances. He was stressed about how he was going to come up with his damage deposit so I put him in contact with VETS Canada. A week later his worries were gone as VC came through and cleared it for him taking so much stress and worry from him. He could have asked for more but no he only asked for the exact amount he needed as he said they could use other money to help more Veterans. I still have 50lbs I want to lose so I decided for round two I wanted to help out another amazing military charity called Canpraxis.
If you would like to match my donation of any amount to either of these two charities feel free do so directly to their website and I've posted more information about them below.
Our team of facilitators and clinicians teach lasting skills and strategies through experiential learning and dialogue, using a combination of psycho-education, counselling, peer-support, and Equine-Assisted Therapy. Founded in 2013 by a Canadian Military Veteran and a Trauma-focused clinician, Can Praxis is the leading Equine-Assisted Therapy provider for the Veteran and First Responder community.
We take care of all the logistics and cover the costs for participants (flights, hotels, transportation, childcare) to remove cumbersome barriers that can prevent people from getting the help they need. We restore hope and save lives through our programs, made possible by the generous support of our donors. Check out CAN PRAXIS HERE
This movement has grown into a federally registered non-profit charity that has a network of 135,000 and hundreds of dedicated volunteers across the country, most of who are ex-military/RCMP. They work within the community to identify homeless veterans and quickly re-establish the bond of trust that exists between soldiers.
Working within the community, VETS Canada members attempt to move veterans from the streets or shelters into affordable housing (if available). They also connect the veterans with needed health care, help them access benefits and services from other organizations, and support them in finding suitable employment. The volunteers stick with these veterans every step of the way and do everything possible to help them re-establish themselves. To do this, VETS Canada has a national Board of Directors composed of volunteers and has outreach across the country. In 2014, VETS Canada was awarded a contract by Veterans Affairs Canada whereby they are now approved Veterans Affairs Service Providers in the field of homeless and in-crisis veteran outreach.
VETS Canada has evolved from just assisting homeless veterans to also providing support to those who are not necessarily homeless but who are “in crisis”. Whether that crisis is not being able to afford groceries or a hydro bill, or it’s an emotional/mental health crisis, VETS Canada is available to provide support. In 2015, VETS Canada launched it’s Guitars for Vets program which offers peer support through guitar lessons. Donate to VETS Canada HERE
I've also received a lot of messages asking me how I've lost weight and posted an article here.
 |
