Our blog
A New Year… and New Faces!
Threads of Life is delighted to welcome two new members to our small but mighty staff team. Shari Hinz lives in Saskatchewan and is our new Regional Development Coordinator (RDC) for Western Canada. Christine Kennedy-Babineau, from New Brunswick, takes over as Regional Development Coordinator for Atlantic Canada and Quebec. They join Lorna Catrambone, our Central Canada RDC. Threads of Life’s RDCs work closely with volunteers and partners in their regions to advance our mission. As we get to know Shari and Christine, we thought you’d like to learn a bit about them too. I asked each of them to share a bit about themselves.
How to connect in 2022
We know that human connection is vital to our health. The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that a lack of connection can be more harmful to our health than obesity, smoking or high blood pressure. Living in the aftermath of a tragedy can make you feel especially isolated.
It’s time for some good news
Well, it’s been a year, hasn’t it? Another trying, tiring year. It can be hard to see the light during these short days and long nights of winter, but often the glimmers are there if we look for them.
International Volunteer Day: Building our Common Future
December 5 is International Volunteer Day, a day coordinated by United Nations Volunteers to honour, recognize and promote the tireless work of volunteers across the globe. The theme of International Volunteer Day 2021 is “Volunteer Now For Our Common Future”.
Reflecting back and looking forward together
The past couple of years have provided us with several unique challenges. Join us for a discussion about what the future holds for you and for Threads of Life. The pandemic has challenged us in many ways, yet we know our own resilience. We are survivors and have learned how to live with the unexpected. The lessons we learned while dealing with a life-altering injury, occupational disease or the outcome of a traumatic death have changed us. We had to set new goals for the future.
Who am I away from the grief?
In January of 2020 I wrote about how the 10-year mark after my husband’s death was more than just an anniversary date. Fast forward to almost two years later and I am finally starting to piece together what moving forward and away from the grief looks like for me. This is just my own words and my own feelings as I try to walk this ever-changing and ever-moving road we call grief.
Forget-Me-Not Day: In love, gratitude, and respect
Although Forget-Me-Nots typically bloom in the spring, they hold an extra special meaning in our hearts all year long.
FamiliesConnect: Join us from your own living room
The FamiliesConnect Workshop Series continues to grow as more families sign in each month. The flexibility of an online session is unparalleled — especially as a newcomer to Threads of Life. Choose to engage as little or much as you like, camera on or off, type in the chat. FamiliesConnect workshops offer you a chance to get to know the volunteers, families, and staff behind Threads of Life, from the comfort of your own home.
Steps for Life – Committee Volunteers Needed
Steps for Life walks take place in communities all across Canada – raising funds in support of programs and services and raising awareness of Threads of Life and the importance of workplace injury prevention. All our Steps for Life walks are planned and organized by volunteer committees. We are seeking volunteers to help plan Steps for Life in various communities across Canada.
He Made People Happy: Perspective on a grief journey of 29 years
Twenty-nine years ago on July 17, 1992 at the age of 24, our son Donny (only mom and dad could call him “Donny” and to everyone else it was “Don”), was snatched from our lives in an instant. He was employed for five years in a wire rope facility and was operating a high speed winding machine, winding cable from a large spool onto a small one when the incident occurred.
Maureen Shaw: Stepping forward for health and safety
In the early stages of Maureen Shaw’s life, she would hear the screeching sirens from the local forestry mill. Everyone would wait with quiet breath for word on who was injured or who had died.
FamiliesConnect: Finding Meaning and Purpose in the Art of Photography
Photos provide us with an opportunity to view our present-day lives in a whole new light. Photography can be harnessed as a meditative and mindfulness tool allowing the viewer to look through a new lens and open you up to positive perspectives and healing.