Keeping my values in check.

I’m almost gritting my teeth as I write this. It’s always experiences that prompt me to go on these informative rants (if you want to call it that) and let it all flow.

I was recently contacted by someone who runs a charity event to benefit a local Autism Centre. She asked me if there was any way I wanted to be involved and immediately I got quite defensive and a bit angry. I should have controlled my emotions a bit better but it was seemingly obvious that she had not viewed any of my content prior to contacting me.

She told me they raised over 200,000 in the past for this centre with their different events. That’s all well and good until you see who one of the main sponsors is for the centre.

AUTISM SPEAKS CANADA.

Anyone who knows me or has viewed my content has probably seen how outspoken I am against them. Just look up “Boycott Autism Speaks”  on google and you’ll yield 266,000 results! There are plenty of reasons as to why I will not be involved in ANYTHING that is remotely linked to them. I have values and self-respect.

The conversation went like this:

Do you really want to help the Autistic community? I’m always quite disheartened by the fact that so many of these opportunities are laden with no information OR misinformation. It makes getting the message of advocacy/activism/equality/rights much harder to convey.

If you want to donate funds, here’s some things you can do:

• Contact your local Autistic Meetup group and ask what they need
• Support Autistic individuals by purchasing their art or offerings
• Make a donation to http://autisticadvocacy.org

If you are reading this and you have more ideas of what would be essential to my list, please leave a comment or get in touch.

Margaux

Why ‘Bell Let’s Talk’ doesn’t sit well with me.

I want to make it evidently clear that I am all for mental health awareness and supporting related causes. I have always struggled and believe that funding is entirely necessary.

Bell is a Canadian Telecommunications giant. For one day each year, the #BellLetsTalk campaign overtakes social media, with Olympian Clara Hughes as their Spokeswoman.

They make sure you are aware of the campaign through every advertising platform imaginable. I can’t imagine the money they put in to advertising alone.

They utilize the hashtag to get their customers and even non-customers talking about it to which they make a donation to their own fund.

I just don’t think this is the right way to do it. I have most definitely had real-life disagreements on this subject as well.

Here’s why I don’t think it’s okay:

1. According to Forbes, Bell Canada (BCE) has a market cap of 40.5 Billion Dollars.
2. Bell’s employees do not get equal or fair treatment in regards to their own mental health. CBC has written about this and there are various other articles online too.
3. They have various ways you can get involved and they donate 5 cents to different initiatives. As far as I am concerned, they can make a sizeable donation without using the hashtag to, essentially, get very cheap marketing for their brand.
4. The Bell Community Fund has a financial cap of $25,000 and has all kinds of exclusions including: Anti-stigma projects and event sponsorships etc.

I believe we should get to the point where talking about our mental health is a regular thing we can participate in and completely free of judgment. I don’t believe it is right to capitalize on mental health/wellness/illness for financial gain. I also don’t think it should be segregated to one day of the year that is decided on by a multi-billion dollar telecommunications giant.

Let’s talk about it, I think we need a new hashtag.

#LetsTalkAboutMentalHealth maybe?

Margaux

Disclaimer: This is my own opinion and should not reflect the brands or companies I have graciously partnered with.

The Best & The Worst

I’m reading “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and it explains how we should see the best in people and if they are not being positive it’s because they are dealing with something in their own life. I work with people most days and have lots of retail experience. I see people’s projecting all kinds of different moods and I remind myself that there are life experiences behind that.

I’m pretty content in my own life. Of course, I worry about finances and I don’t have anyone (but myself) to fall back on so I pinch pennies almost obsessively.

There is someone I worry about and wish I could do more for: My Family.

Specifically, My Mother, who has provided me with so much knowledge, empowerment and life.

I just found out she’s going to be evicted from the trailer she’s been living in, which belonged to her husband’s family. My Mom lost her husband last year to Cancer. She relies on food gift cards (which have been disappearing, probably stolen, before ever arriving in her mailbox) from a family service agency and can not work due to a degenerative spine disease.

I feel so powerless.

Do I crowdfund?

Do I start some kind of fundraiser?

Do I sell some art?

I wish I could win the lottery. I just want to make it all better.