HELP US ENSURE
YOUNG CAREGIVERS
ARE NO LONGER HIDDEN
TO DONTATE: YOUNGCAREGIVERS.CA
June • 2022
globalheroes.com The power of positive, solution-based journalism.
Keeping Families Together: Inside the World of a Young Caregiver This is Hana. Before she leaves for work this afternoon, she has to help her dad get dressed and put on his prosthetic legs, translate for her mom at a medical appointment, and finish school assignments. Hana is a young caregiver. There are over one million young caregivers like Hana in Canada. A Canadian study shows that young caregivers provide 14-27 hours of care per week, equivalent to a part-time job. This unpaid care being given by young caregivers saves $25,000-$50,000 for the family and healthcare system. Yet, these young carers are often unrecognized and unsupported by the professionals they engage within health care, education, and community services. WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Canada has an aging population. This, along with an overloaded health care system, is putting a great amount of stress and demand on family caregivers. The difference for young caregivers is that, unlike adult caregivers, they are children and youth who
HANA ASSISTING HER FATHER WITH HIS PROSTHETIC LEGS © IMAGES COURTESY OF YOUNG CAREGIVERS
are in their developmental stages of life and exploring their own identities and interests. At young ages, their ability to cope, their skills in managing stress and communicating effectively, and their ability to identify their own emotions and needs are still being developed. Without sufficient recognition and support, young caregivers are at risk of increased stress and depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, high anxiety levels, loneliness and isolation, difficulty relating to peers, self-harm and even suicidal ideation. According to Dr. Stamatopoulos,
“The ‘young carer penalty’ incurred by such child and youth caregivers poses short- and long-term harm to their academic, social, and professional development, ultimately compromising their well-being and development in the absence of national supports and safeguards. The young caregiver experience is not standardized. Data is needed to deepen our understanding of the needs of young caregivers and their families in order for Canada to develop policy that improves the recognition and support of this huge chunk of our population.
One organization has paved the way for better understanding and supporting of young caregivers in Ontario. Young Caregivers Association™ (YCA), established in 2007, is exclusively dedicated to improving the well-being of young caregivers through the delivery of programs, specialized counselling, support groups, and social recreation. This initiative addresses the negative impacts of caregiving on young caregivers and uses rigorous measurement practices to ensure evidence informs its practices. With a recent grant received by the Petro Canada CareMakers Foundation™, YCA is developing a national awareness campaign targeting the health, education, community services, and social work sectors in order to increase the identification of young caregivers. Professionals are being encouraged to SEE young caregivers, include them in conversations, and show interest in how they are doing. In addition to awareness, this grant will allow YCA to formalize its position as the thought leader
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around young caregiving while sharing knowledge and research through a ‘knowledge hub.’ HOW WILL THIS HELP? Young caregivers’ immediate desired outcome is simply to be acknowledged and included. “I wish medical professionals would listen to me and know that when I talk about my father, I know what I am talking about. I see it every day. I am the one caring for him every day.”—*Sam, age 16 A group of young caregivers supported by the YCA created a video sharing their views on what it means to be seen. By building the capacity for professionals who interact with children, youth, and families, we can improve the identification of young caregivers and offer support. It is time for young caregivers in Canada to be seen, heard, and offered support. Visit youngcaregivers.ca to watch the video and learn more.
(*) NAME CHANGED
Father’s Day Gifts that Give Back This Father’s Day, share the love with all the fathers in your life with gifts that give back! These companies support community initiatives and give back to charitable causes and efforts. From cozy socks to local coffee, the dads in your life will adore these charitable gifts. No matter who you’re shopping for, these gifts are sure to keep on giving.
WIRTH HATS
RESCUE COFFEE CO.
Since immigrating to Antigonish, Nova Scotia from Syria in 2012, Peace By Chocolate has offered delicious, fine chocolates that share messages of peace and forgiveness, specialty holiday items, and tasty snacks to share with family and friends. The Peace Bar is made with creamy milk chocolate and crunchy hazelnut pieces, which is sure to add a little peace to your day. A portion of the proceeds from the Peace Bar is being donated to the Red Cross for missions in Ukraine.
Founded in honour of Jakob Wirth, WIRTH Hats was Jakob’s dream. After Jakob’s death by suicide in 2014, Ben Miller started the company with Jakob’s namesake to continue his legacy and raise awareness and money for men’s mental health initiatives. WIRTH Hats also offers counselling services and encourages conversations about mental health to end the stigma. The Midnight Oil cap is handmade in Vancouver, B.C. and a portion of the proceeds from the purchase go towards the WIRTH Foundation’s Counselling Fund.
© COURTESY OF PEACE BY CHOCOLATE
© COURTESY OF WIRTH HATS
PEACE BY CHOCOLATE PEACE BAR —$5.50—
MIDNIGHT OIL CAP —$65—
BEDI
PROVINCE OF CANADA
Offering fair-trade organically grown coffee, Rescue Coffee Co. combined their love for coffee and passion for animals in need to create the New Brunswick-based company. The coffee is made by local farmers and businesses, and 10 percent of the proceeds go to their partnering animal rescue organizations, like the Nova Scotia SPCA, Save Our Scruff, and more. Go Fetch! is the brand’s most popular roast and is a mediumdark roast with flavours like spice and dark fruit.
Striving to create accessories that leave behind a positive impact, BEDI creates their bags from recycled materials that clean up our oceans and landfills. Their bags are handmade locally in Canada, operating on the mindset that “one day everything new will come from something old.” The EARHART Duffle Bag is handmade with recycled materials from retired Air Canada planes. Utilizing the materials from seat covers, the bag helps to clean 494 feet of plastic waste from Canadian shores.
From starting online with a humble t-shirt collection, Province of Canada has expanded over the last seven years to include well-made sweatsuits, everyday basics, and home accessories. Did you know that socks are the least donated but most needed clothing item among Canada’s homeless population? This is what led to the launch of Province of Canada’s One-ForOne Sock Program. For every pair of Province of Canada socks purchased, they donate a pair to a Canadian homeless shelter.
© COURTESY OF RESCUE COFFEE CO.
© COURTESY OF BEDI
© COURTESY OF PROVINCE OF CANADA
GO FETCH! —$23—
EARHART DUFFLE BAG —$377—
BUY ONE, GIVE ONE SOCKS —STARTING AT $18—
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#BrainTumourWalk Weekend: A Walk for HOPE Every day, 27 Canadians will hear the words “you have a brain tumour.” Brain tumours are unpredictable and complex. They can affect vision, hearing, memory, balance, and mobility. Their effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. Kelly Northey was eight years old when she was first diagnosed with a brain tumour. The year
was 1981, and at that time, there the creation of the Brain Tumour with a united goal—to see an end was little organized support or Foundation of Canada. to brain tumours. brain tumour research being conducted. Patients diagnosed with “One of the things I’m so proud “Being the family member of a brain tumour struggled alone of as an organization is all the someone with a brain tumour with the physical and emotional information we have… We means you must watch them effects of the disease. have resources for patients struggle everyday with the fact In January of 1982, after a and caregivers. We even have that they are losing the ability six-month struggle, Kelly final- a colouring book and a stoto manage simple, everyday tasks ly succumbed to the disease, but rybook for the kids; there’s so that you take for granted. Our her legacy was to live on with much more now thanks to all family walks for Brain Tumour the support we’ve received over Foundation of Canada because the years!”—Steve Northey, we have lost two beautiful rays Kelly’s father and co-founder of light in our family to this disease. Every effort is needed to In this 40th anniversary year, raise money for a cure and help we at Brain Tumour Foundation those struggling every minute of of Canada, are celebrating our every day!”—Karen, Belleville past, thankful for the present and looking to the future with The Brain Tumour Walk is hope. Every day, we strive to our largest volunteer-led, peerbring HOPE to all those af- to-peer fundraising event to raise fected by a brain tumour. money to fund brain tumour reHOPE through support. HOPE search, compassionate support through information and educa- services, trusted information, and tion. HOPE through research. advocacy to help brain tumour HOPE for a cure. patients and survivors live longer, The Brain Tumour Walk Week- better, and with hope. end is an opportunity for patients, Participants can walk individusurvivors, and their families to ally or as a team. They can choose come together across Canada to to do it in a day, across multiple BRAIN TUMOUR WALK © COURTESY OF BRAIN TUMOUR FOUNDATION OF CANADA celebrate and remember. We walk days, or even split the distance
JOIN THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS, SURVIVORS, AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR THE BRAIN TUMOUR WALK WEEKEND!
across their team and do it as a relay. They choose the time, the distance, the route, and how they want to make an impact. “I’m walking in memory of my beautiful niece, Jennifer, who passed away at the tender age of 28 years old in 2008 from glioblastoma. She fought such a hard battle and never gave up. We, her family, will never give up hope of finding a cure. We walk to honour her memory.”— Anna, Brampton With every dollar raised, Brain Tumour Walk participants make it possible for people affected by a brain tumour to live longer, better, and with hope. They make it possible for critical research to advance, trusted education to spread, and compassionate support to continue. They bring us one step closer to finding a cure. Register for the #BrainTumourWalk Weekend at www.braintumourwalk.ca and help us #EndBrainTumours.
