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Two Choices, What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the sa...me choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. Athe pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them. You now have two choices: 1. Delete 2. Forward May your day, be a Shay Day. MAY GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO DECIDES TO PASS THIS ON.

If anyone needs to get out of the cold. ----- Kamloops Curling Club will now be a Shelter to take in the homeless out of the cold by mid January.. But, the Memorial Arena is still currently available for 50 people. Other available places are mentioned in this news article.

Do you have lived experience of homelessness? Please take a moment and send a message to our political leaders. Your voice matters in a recovery for all!

A Way Home Kamloops is going to need your help dear community! I am making a plea to all of the community who believe in the legacy of Katherine McParland, ple...ase make a donation or drop off a Christmas gift that can be wrapped for a youth this year...make any small or big donation of money to support ongoing programs to keep youth safe and off the streets this Christmas! Thank you donations can be dropped at A Way Home Kamloops, 653 Victoria Street. The Youth Advisors who work so hard to honor and walk the pathway of light that Katherine has paved a road to journey for us all, fostering hope and bringing change, they need us now more than ever! These young people deserve some kindness while they are grieving the loss of their leader and foundation. Please be kind...Many who she created Christmas for year after year will be needing your support more than ever... Katherine stood rooted in action to walk people home...please stand by AWHK I am asking that you make a donation today or this week or whenever you can....Please. Let’s all do our part to walk Katherine home by carrying on her passion to end youth homelessness... in her memory... Rest In Peace, be free sweet one.. PLEASE SHARE IN KAMLOOPS AND ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA

We reached the end of the GAP season harvests and here are some stats! 2020 was challenging due to COVID19 but the Kamloops community came together to prevent ...food wastage and share locally grown food with the vulnerable population! We want to thank our community for volunteering their gardens, trees, farms, and time to make this season a success! See you next season!

Saw this on our walk today in Pineview:)

Join us for our virtual December network meeting on Wednesday, December 2nd. The December network meeting is focusing on race awareness and the food system. It ...is the first meeting in a series that will be hosted by Fauve Garson, Bonnie Klohn, and Deborah Ogundimu that will take a closer look at dismantling racism and guiding the work of the KFPC through this lens. The intentions of this series of network meetings are to: - Listen to equity priority groups’ view on the food system and how the work of the KFPC can help advance these agendas - Learn about cultural food systems of our network/community - Understand what the BIPOC food experience is like in Kamloops and outside of Kamloops If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, subscribe at https://kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com/#subscribe After subscribing, you should receive an email prompting you to register for our network meeting! We hope you can join us!

I didn’t write this but it stopped me in my tracks. I had to share this. The inability to receive support from others is a trauma response. Your I don’t need ...anyone, I’ll just do it all myself conditioning is a survival tactic. And you needed it to shield your heart from abuse, neglect, betrayal, and disappointment from those who could not or would not be there for you. From the parent who was absent and abandoned you by choice or the parent who was never home from working three jobs to feed and house you. From the lovers who offered sexual intimacy but never offered a safe haven that honored your heart. From the friendships and family who ALWAYS took more than they ever gave. From all the situations when someone told you we’re in this together or I got you then abandoned you, leaving you to pick up the pieces when shit got real, leaving you to handle your part and their part, too. From all the lies and all the betrayals. You learned along the way that you just couldn’t really trust people. Or that you could trust people, but only up to a certain point. Extreme-independence IS. A. TRUST. ISSUE. You learnt: if I don’t put myself in a situation where I rely on someone, I won’t have to be disappointed when they don’t show up for me, or when they drop the ball... because they will ALWAYS drop the ball EVENTUALLY right? You may even have been intentionally taught this protection strategy by generations of hurt ancestors who came before you. Extreme-independence is a preemptive strike against heartbreak. So, you don’t trust anyone. And you don’t trust yourself, either, to choose people. To trust is to hope, to trust is to be vulnerable. Never again, you vow. But no matter how you dress it up and display it proudly to make it seem like this level of independence is what you always wanted to be, in truth it’s your wounded, scarred, broken heart behind a protective brick wall. Impenetrable. Nothing gets in. No hurt gets in. But no love gets in either. Fortresses and armor are for those in battle, or who believe the battle is coming. It’s a trauma response. The good news is trauma that is acknowledged is trauma that can be healed. You are worthy of having support. You are worthy of having true partnership. You are worthy of love. You are worthy of having your heart held. You are worthy to be adored. You are worthy to be cherished. You are worthy to have someone say, You rest. I got this. And actually deliver on that promise. You are worthy to receive. You are worthy to receive. You are worthy. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to prove it. You don’t have to bargain for it. You don’t have to beg for it. You are worthy. Worthy. Simply because you exist.

Hello, everyone! The Neighbour-to-Neighbour (N2N) program has relaunched with a simplified program and fewer restrictions. Requests for help can be registered... at www.KamloopsCares.ca or by phone at 778-696-2039 if you don't have internet access. The meals program partnership with Mt. Paul Community Food Centre is also still running -- the sign-up forms are on our website as well. Be well, people! And please share this post to let everyone know that folks in our city are standing by to help those who need it. (Volunteers can register to help via the website as well).

It’s cold outside... I hope no person has to stay outdoors. This is a map of the emergency shelters in B.C. There are 3 emergency shelters here in Kamloop...s (as shown on the map): The Mustard Seed - 181 Victoria St W; CMHA 185 Royal Ave (North Shore) and the shelter on 259/271 Victoria St.

Hi Everyone! With cold weather on its way and the festive season approaching let's help the Kamloopsian homeless. My friend Tracy Roche and I will be collectin...g clean, new or used winter clothing..warm socks, boots, coats, mitts, toques, sleeping bags etc. Also Tim Horton GC's or McDonald's. We will be taking donations until the end of November and these items will be going to the Kamloops Covid Meal Train. Please drop off at 1006 Pine St. Or 6752 Furrer Rd. See more

This video is sad but it’s a necessary conversation we need to have as a country! Raising the Roof / Chez Toit