Hey everyone, next week is Emergency Preparedness Week, and there will be a test taking place of the national Alert Ready system! Check out more info (and emergency preparedness resources and info!) below:
Emergency Preparedness Week (May 1 – 7)
ZEN ZONE: Part 5!
Hey there everyone and welcome to the ZEN ZONE, where we have taken time out each Friday in April to zoom in on stress management information, resources, and strategies.
Some of the questions we’ve looked at this month were:
- What is stress?
- Where does stress come from?
- How can we best respond to stress in the moment?
- How does stress cause damage?
As we’ve been exploring our own stress management strategies this month, we can check in on how things went.
Did you use The Stress Management Society’s 30 Day Challenge resources to find strategies that worked for you? Did you track the activities you did for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing? Which tips and tricks worked best for you? Did you learn something new about managing stress this month?
At the end of the day, we are all different – and our best stress management strategies will all be different too!
Making the Zen Zone part of our health and safety month this year has been about exploring new ways to look at stress, trying new ways to manage stress, and (hopefully!) feeling the difference that managing stress proactively can make in our daily lives. Let us know how it went in the comments!
Safely active springtime!
Hey everyone, welcome to Health & Safety Month 2022! Today, we’re looking at how to be safe while staying active.
It’s springtime – and the days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting higher, and the plants are getting bigger! For many of us, springtime brings sports, hiking, picnics, gardening, and just generally getting outside more often.
Being outside can also mean sports injuries, insect bites, allergies, sun exposure, storms. HealthLinkBC has a great page full of resources to help you be prepared as you venture out to enjoy spring, including:
- Common Sports Injuries and First Aid (bruises, elbow injuries, hand/finger/wrist injuries, leg injuries, head injuries)
- Insect Bites and Stings (allergies and toxic reactions to bites, home remedies, insect vs spider bites, insect repellant and DEET, tick bites)
- Plants and Wildlife (rodents, moths, wilderness and wildlife risks, poison ivy, oak, sumac)
- Seasonal Allergies (allergy triggers, allergy shots, medications, hay fever)
- Sun Safety (heat protection, ultraviolet radiation, sun safety)
Most importantly, the website can help you learn about the benefits of physical activity, how to add more physical activity to your life, how to set physical activity goals, and how to stay safe while being physically active.
So let’s get out there and enjoy springtime – safely!
Driver safety!
Fire Safety – new program
Hey everyone, there’s a pilot program taking place in Kelowna to help residents make their properties more fire-safe and reduce the impact of wildfire on the community by offering free removal and chipping of specific woody debris. Check it out!
Hey everyone, you can check out CLBC’s latest update for individuals and families here! There are some great events coming up, you can find them in the Self Advocate Corner.
Reconcili-Action!
Hey everyone, a local organization called Global Citizen Events is planning an entire month of activities in the Okanagan to promote reconciliation!
- Participate – Indigenous Discovery Tours! Mar. 11, Mar. 12, or Mar. 13 (family gathering)
- Attend – Water ceremony (and ongoing events through the month) Mar. 22
- Live-stream – Stories and song with Cheryl Bear! Mar. 12
There are many more ongoing events on the Global Citizen Events website, including Arts for Social Change. Check it out!
If you haven’t heard of Global Citizen Events, they are an annual initiative that promotes the UN Sustainable Development Goals and celebrates the impact of local citizens in global and humanitarian efforts through their mission (Entertain, Educate, and Inspire to Action). You can learn more about them here.
International Women’s Day!
Today we’re celebrating International Women’s Day! The theme this year is #BreakTheBias — check out videos submitted by the global community about celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness against bias, and taking action for equality (or make and submit your own!).
Do you use social media? Consider posting using a selfie card to encourage others to commit to taking action – check them out here.
Celebrate International Women’s Day!
Hey everyone, Kelowna Museums is hosting Women of the Okanagan — a virtual celebration of women. Tickets include interactive packs, fun props and coupons for local businesses, and additional proceeds are in support of the Kelowna Women’s Shelter. If you’re interested, check out the info here!
CLBC COVID-19 Update for individuals and families…
Hey everyone, CLBC is hosting their next update for individuals and families on March 10th (12-1 pm PST) using MS Teams. You can register by sending an email to clbc.administration@gov.bc.ca asking to attend. Email your COVID-19 questions to CLBCInfo@gov.bc.ca by Tuesday, March 8 @ noon, using the subject line: Mar 10 COVID CALL.
