David is committed to change in our community through various endeavors and initiatives. Please check back here often to see what we’re working on, and how you can help out.

Put it in the Bank

David will have a guitar case, piggy bank or some kind of coin friendly receptacle placed at the front of the stage at each show. This will serve as a pressure free fundraising vehicle for the projects David has taken an interest in where audience members can donate whatever they wish – be it their loose change, or otherwise.

Emanuel

In September of 2009 I will be filming a documentary/music project for my song ‘Emanuel.’  I would like to enlist your support for a project that seeks to raise awareness and motivate individuals in the fight against cancer. 

A man who lost his son to cancer a number of years ago is the inspiration for this film entitled “Emanuel.”  To help deal with his grief Emanuel dedicated his days to picking up empty bottles at schools, in parks, and from dumpsters, exchanging them for money at the local bottle depot and donating the money to the BC Cancer Foundation.

My film will centre on a series of bottle drives that I am organizing, the proceeds of which will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation. Currently I have the participation of five Vancouver public schools with the strong possibility of the participation of two more.  I am posting this here to ask you to conduct your own neighbourhood bottle drive, the proceeds of which will then go to the BC Cancer Foundation.  If you are interested in this cause please email me.  I will send you a letter you can place in your neighbours’ mailboxes that tells them about this project and designates a time when you can pick up their collectables.  The letter will tell them to attach the letter to the bag they would like picked up for your convenience.  If you are in the area we can include you in the film and if you’re not and would like to document your own journey you can send the film/proceeds into us.   

Please email me if you are interested.  I want to make to make this project as widespread and successful as possible to help create awareness and motivate individuals in the fight against cancer, as well as to inspire others to make positive change within their community.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Open & Close

Queen Alexandra Elementary opened and closed its show, “Voices From the Wall,” with four amazing, successful runs.  Everyone who offered to volunteer to sell the greeting cards at the event were blown away by the heart, poignancy and level of professionalism of the show.  We sold $350 worth of cards – all profit that will be handed back to the production to help them gravitate above the red line.  

A huge ‘thank you’ to those who brought these cards to light: Kathi Ward, Catriana van Rijn, Marnie Poettcker, Catherine Feniak, Mark Sanchez, Brandon Ostlund, Ben Rankel, Silvija & Josip & Cynthia, Shawn, and the students of Queen Alexandra Elementary.

One Heart Project

When you purchase greeting cards from the SHOP section you will receive an insert in each card that will tell you what you are supporting.  Below is what is written on that insert. 

One Heart Project 
Supporting Queen Alexandra’s production Voices From the Wall.

What Is It?
Original artwork crafted by students of the Queen Alexandra Gr. 6/7 class and supportive, concerned members of the community.

What Am I Supporting?
The students from the grade 6/7 class of Queen Alexandra Elementary School have created a play that has provided the foundation for this year’s academic curriculum.  Throughout the drama project the students were engaged in learning activities that integrated the fine arts with their academic areas of study.  Many professional artists were hired to help guide the process of the play.  The play focuses on the issues that affect their lives and ultimately strives to teach, connect and empower the students.

This year’s play is called Voices From the Wall.  It explores why the world we live in is so fragmented and what we can do to create community. 

 Voices From the Wall:

“These boxes contain our stories.

Stories of hurt…despair…hatred…

Stories of hope… joy… and love.

Stories of our past.

Stories of our world.

Once we lived together.”

Queen Alexandra Elementary is a school with a culturally diverse population of students in Vancouver, BC.

New Supplies Delivered Safely to Ejura

I received this email a couple of weeks ago from a fellow Vancouverite who helped transport another fresh batch of medical supplies to Ejura that I had sitting in my garage at home.  This stands as a great big thank you to all of you who helped to support this project!

 

Update on Medical Cupboard in Ejura, Ghana West Africa

The medical cupboard that was built, stocked and transported to an elementary school in Ejura, Ghana through the helping hands of a community of generous souls is now being re-stocked a year after its arrival.  I had a stockpile of supplies that were sent to me after the cupboard arrived and a few left over from the first batch I received that I have now handed over to a returning volunteer to Ejura.  Here is an excerpt from a recent email she sent me:

“One of my daughters is an RN,(who spent 9 months in Angola with MSF)  so I had her come over and help me choose the most important stuff you had…My daughter helped me know which items should go to the hosp. or 1/2 to hosp. and 1/2 to the school.  She was delighted to see many of the items you had…she figured someone who works in a hosp. must have helped you.  Per her, you have some really good stuff picked for Africa.”  

Here is a note I received from one of the two volunteers that helped to train the locals in first aid.  She was in Africa many months ago and had trouble sending the update sooner because of her close attachement to the region and all the feelings that come up when you re-visit a fondly remembered time and place through memories.

“I had at least 10 teachers who came, but no photos of the session because I wanted to assure them it would be as quick and straight to the point and painless as possible…I do however, have a photo of my silly self with your wonderful first aid kit! (which is actually wonderful, it was a great help having material objects to use in a first aid session, practical and therefore more meaningful – madame gifti dressed a nasty wound on sala’s leg quite well thanks to your supplies!!). So in any case, the kit now resides in the store room, Martins possesses the key (incase anyone is on a paracetamol scavenger hunt?) and the teachers are all well aware of its existence.”

Thanks to everyone who has helped in this project.  I am still receiving medical supplies for anyone that wants to send them for next years re-stocking.

Update on Greeting Cards

The current change project is raising money for a production that the students of a Vancouver inner city school write and perform dealing with issues close to their hearts.  You can read more about it in January’s blog.  Here is the update on this project.

I’m told the art is coming along well from the students and that they were excited by the project.  It shouldn’t be too much longer before I’m off to the printers to finish them off and have them packaged by the aesthetic eye of my girlfriend.  I’ll let you know when they’re ready and I will post the various cards in the SHOP section.  You can order the cards from me and I will mail them out, you can buy them at shows, or purchase them at the Whipper Snapper’s events.

The Whipper Snapper is an independent art gallery in Toronto that has graciously given the green light to sell the greeting cards created by the students at all of their upcoming shows.  They have also allowed this project a free spot in their popular summer works showcase.  This is a wonderful gallery, exhibiting lots of new and exciting up and coming artists.  I was thrilled by their last show a couple of weeks ago.

Keep posted to the site to find out when the cards will be ready!  I’m hoping to get them out before April.

Opus Newsletter

Check out the November Opus Newsletter that features an article about our last CHANGE project that involved the Cystic Fibrosis Ward at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.  http://www.opusframing.com/newsletter2/2008/nov/com_stpauls.html

More Medical Supplies Received

Thanks to the generosity of Priyanca from Kitchener Ontario, whom I met on 4REAL.com, we are now on our way to re-stocking the medical cupboard for next year.  Thanks, Priyanca!

The Power of Art

Last year, 12 and 13 year-old students at Queen Alexandra School, an inner city in east Vancouver, wrote and performed a play called ‘Welcome To My Life,’ tackling some big issues that deeply affect their lives – homelessness, poverty, environmental damage, body image and bullying – and put on what many called an almost professional level performance, with dance, song, and video.

As one of the students involved in the play said later, “Yeah, everyone in this school probably thought we couldn’t do it before.  But as soon as they saw the play, everyone’s mind changed.  For us, we’re an inner city school, people think we can’t do stuff like this, right.  So then when we pulled it off everyone’s like, it was amazing, everyone’s mind just changed.”

One of the adult members in the audience added: “I was completely overwhelmed with the whole production.  I think it is one of the most outstanding, moving and memorable events that I have seen.  I was completely impressed but I was also saddened that children 12 to 13 years old, understand, conceptualize and can articulate such extreme social conditions.”

Chris Kelly, superintendent of the Vancouver School Board characterized what the students accomplished as “a highlight of my many years in education.”

During the almost year-long writing and rehearsal process, the students became like a family. One of the boys in the class describes it this way:

“Before the girls never hung out with the guys, right, and then during the whole process we started hanging out with each other.  And then it got really close, like say one of us got hurt or something like that, right.  Everyone would be, oh are you okay, how are you feeling?  Before that no one even cared about each other and after the whole process of the play everyone started caring for each other.”

The students also felt proud when after dedicating their play to children and youth with eating disorders, they were able to present the Looking Glass Foundation, a resource for adolescents with eating disorders, with a cheque for $1558.

This year, the students at Queen Alexandra are going to do it all again, focusing this time on why the world is so fragmented today, and what each of them can do to create lasting connections in the world. – but they need your support.

Any contribution you could make to give these students the opportunity to share their message and experience this success again would be appreciated.  If you would like to contribute please send an email to email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Thank-you!  — LCT

PADS

We played a fundraising show for the “Pacific Assistance Dogs Society” last Sunday for 3 hours in the pouring rain.  Needless to say, the turnout wasn’t quite what they were hoping for however, they ended up exceeding last year’s fundraising efforts.  Here is a bit about PADS.  You can donate to this worthy cause by visiting www.pads.ca

Pacific Assistance Dogs (PADS) raises and trains assistance dogs for people who are facing the daily challenges of life with a physical disability or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.  These dogs allow our clients to experience a greater level of independence and an enhanced quality of life.

PADS is a charitable, non-profit organization located in Burnaby, B.C. and serving people in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. PADS relies entirely on fundraising, grants and donations to finance the care and training of our amazing dogs.

Featured on 4REAL.com

The story of the medical cupboard we sent to Ejura, Ghana West Africa was recently featured on 4REAL.com as a success story.  Follow this link to read about the journey: http://www.uptilt.com/ct.html?s=3k7,117w3,2i6b,laze,b087,ltg9,e8zm

DVD’s and Art Supplies for St. Paul’s Hospital

With the completion of the medical cupboard, we’ve found our next project.  We’re very excited to get going on it.

Eva Markvoort, A good friend of the band as well as my girlfriend, was born with Cystic Fibrosis.  Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians.  CF is a multi-organ disease affecting primarily the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, CF causes severe breathing problems. A build-up of thick mucus makes it difficult to clear bacteria and leads to cycles of infection and inflammation, which damage the delicate lung tissues.  These complications often lead to prolonged stays in St. Paul’s hospital.  There is no known cure for CF, and it is ultimately fatal.

Currently, there are DVD players and TV’s for CF patients to use while staying in the hospital, but there are no DVD’s.  Furthermore, St Paul’s recently got rid of its entire VHS library after the super-bug MRSA was found on the VHS tapes, rendering them unsafe for patients to handle.  This is not a problem with DVD’s as they can be easily wiped down.

We’re asking video stores in the area to donate, or offer at a discounted rate, whatever used or overstocked DVD’s or gift certificates they can to Ward 8A in St. Paul’s hospital.  The ability to watch movies makes long days in the hospital a bit shorter and more enjoyable for many people living with CF. The DVD’s will remain in a locked room where only CF patients have access.

In addition to this, we’re putting together small individual packages with quality art supplies to help motivate and interest the patients.  Due to the risk of infection, CF patients cannot come into contact with each other, and so cannot share materials.  As a result each art “kit” will contain an individual project such as card making, painting supplies or a sketchbook.  We will be putting together these kits that will remain in an office on Ward 8A in the hospital for patients to take out and use.  We’re asking for:  Pencils, Acrylic paints, Small sketchbooks or pads of paper, Paint brushes, Small wooden frames, Glue sticks, Scissors or any useable scrap material.

We’ll let you know how the donations from various video and art stores goes.  In the meantime we’ll be accepting used or new DVD’s, cash donations for Art supplies, as well as any of the supplies listed above at live shows only.  As soon as we’re able to accept in addition to live shows we’ll let you know.

Hope to see you all next Monday June 16th at the Beaumont theatre in Vancouver.

Greg

The Icing on the Cake

This morning I received news that the woman who is tranporting the medical cupboard to Ejura has decided to put some of her own luggage aside to save us from the excess baggage fees which would have cost us $180 USD.  A generous and helpful offer and the icing on our first successful cake.  Thanks, Melinda.

Medical Cupboard: Built . Stocked . Sent to First Destination

After a couple of months of phone calls, emails and visits to numerous medical centres our first CHANGE initiative, the “Medical Cupboard Project” for the Neo-Humanist Primary School in Ejura Ghana, West Africa is nearing completion.  My skilled carpenter of an Uncle, Bruce Conley, built a cupboard (which you can see in the photos above) that was small enough to fit into a donated suitcase to tranport it in and big enough to fit everything necessary for basic First Aid.  It has a handle on the top and is relatively light in weight making it portable to take to any emergency site.  It is sealed with latches and two locks to prevent theft which has been a problem in the past.

I was thoroughly impressed when I saw what Bruce had done and just as impressed when I received a box FULL of First Aid supplies from Beth Summerl, a woman from California whom I met through the 4REAL community online.

I purchased the rest of the supplies necessary through a company that sold them to me at cost.  A kind gentleman named Todd Buffett helped me out on this end and assures me he will continue to do so in years to come when refills are in order.

I also received a number of donations from some generous souls to help with shipping costs and the purchasing of supplies.

All the while I was challenged and encouraged by an amazing friend who helped me cover every angle of the project: Marnie Poettcker.  She asked me questions about things I hadn’t thought of, solicited donations, cut out newspaper clippings that related to this project, called all her doctor friends and all the while encouraged and focused me.  What would I do without you Marnie.

It’s amazing how these things come together through a community of people willing to contribute in their own way.

My deepest heartfelt thanks to those of you who helped glue this project together:
Marnie Poettcker, Todd Buffett, Beth Summerl, Nancy Ehlen, Margaret McGregor, Christie Little, Shelly Mintz, Amy Khera, Nicole Rae Nielsen, Melinda Stock, mom and to all those who donated at our show.

The suitcase is now in Toronto being picked up by a woman who will be volunteering at the school in Ejura in September.  The local teachers have been trained this past month in basic First Aid by a registerd nurse from the States named Nicole and will continue their training in September with Amy from Australia who agreed to draw up a basic manual for the teachers.

Now I send the check away to cover the excess baggage weight and wait to see some photos!

We’ll soon post the details on our next project.  Thanks for reading.

4REAL.com

When I returned home from Africa I was asked to give a talk at a Vancouver wide highschool conference called Youth in Action.   I was to ignite youth into initiating positive change in their communities and/or communities abroad using my own experience.  The key note speaker for that day was a man named Sol Guy – one of Canada’s leading music executives and co-creator, co-producer, and host of 4REAL.  A veteran artist manager, Sol has worked closely with some of the highest profile artists of our time such as Lauryn Hill, P Diddy, India Arie, k-os, Rascalz, The Roots, Outkast, Kardinal Offishall, Dead Prez, B.I.G. and The Wu-Tang Clan.

In 2004, Sol co-founded Direct Current Media with Josh Thome to utilize the power of media and the Internet to educate, inspire and empower others to make a difference.

4REAL is a project that began as a documentary television series and has expanded to include an online global community (4REAL.com), educational materials (4REAL School), the 4REAL Foundation and special events.

The television show, 4REAL, is a series of half-hour episodes hosted by Sol Guy that takes celebrity guests on adventures around the world to connect with young leaders who, under extreme circumstances, are affecting real change on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Beyond the exposure that 4REAL provides, these young leaders are partners in the show, with 50 per cent of the show’s profits going directly to their initiatives.

4REAL.com is a site where individuals can connect with global communities on pressing issues and create profiles to start their own initiatives for change.

This is an incredibly positive and inspiring vehicle for change and I urge you all to check it out and get involved.  The link will send you to our personal page but you can explore the rest of the site from there.

Thanks for reading.

David

Training Locals to Help

I have been communicating with a woman who is enrolling in University to be a nurse. She has already completed courses in advanced First Aid, including oxygen therapy, asthma and allergy management, advanced resuscitation/defibrillation and airway management. She has agreed to create a simple First Aid Manual and train 4 or 5 responsible local staff at the school in Ejura who will then be able provide basic emergency first aid and follow up care.
This is an immense relief as sometimes projects are started at the school and immediately wither and blow away with the wind when the person who instigated them leaves. This should be a load of encouragement to all of those who are helping out.

Progress on the Medical Cupboard

I was over at my uncle’s a couple of days ago and we were working on designs for the cupboard. We are making sure it will keep out the sand/dust/dirt, labeling it and creating cubby holes for all the supplies and making it small and light enough to pick up and take over to the scene of an emergency. He will have it finished in May and we will send it stocked with supplies with a volunteer who will be heading over to Ghana from Canada in the late Spring/early Summer. My aunt and uncle have agreed to take the cupboard with them on their cross Canada trip to deliver it to whomever will be headed to Ejura.
There have been a number of people who have reached out and said they will help find donors for the medical supplies. If you too would like to help email me at email hidden; JavaScript is required and I will provide you with a letter you can take to potential donors. Thanks.

Benefit at Lime

On short Notice, we’ll be playing a show on friday March 21st at Lime, formerly Rime, on commercial drive in vancouver. This is a benefit for a friend of a friend who has been recently diagnosed with blood cancer, and has subsequently had to quit his job and get behind on some bills. Tickets are $20 at the door, with a whole hord of comedians doing there thing, with LCT closing out the night.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who spared some of their loose change at our album release party on Friday night. Thanks to you we raised $101.59. There is still a ways to go as the cupboard was estimated to cost between 2 and 3 hundred dollars and the medical supplies will be another $200 but every little bit counts. Thanks again for your support.

Fundraising for a Medical Cupboard

I spent the last 3 1/2 months in Africa, and the final 2 1/2 in the central region of Ghana volunteer teaching in a tiny town in the mountains called Ejura. The experience was incredible, to say the least. There are two projects the band has decided to focus some of their time and energy on that I believe are in need of attention. The first is written below – this is an excerpt from the Ejura newsletter which is distributed on the Kids World Wide web page, the organization I was working for.

Upon witnessing the large number of gory unkempt wounds the children seem to attract here, in conjunction with the sparse and disorganized medical supplies inadequate to treat such inflictions, I, along with my band, Loose Change Trio, have resolved to raise funds to provide a new medical cupboard, stocked with supplies, to the International Neo-Humanism Primary School of Ejura.
When I arrive home in January 2008 I will inquire at St. John’s Ambulance what it will require to most effectively supply a primary/junior secondary school with adequate first aid provisions. The goal is to send these supplies over from Vancouver , BC by March/April 2008.
Secondly, I will provide Dada, and a couple of the volunteers I worked alongside in the fall, with funds to buy a new cupboard and lock for the medical supplies with instructions I will send on how to label and organize the cupboard.
It is my belief that an organized and well stocked medical cupboard will be beneficial for the well being of the children, helping to prevent infection and further sickness that may arise when these problems are not dealt with in a timely and adequate fashion.

- David