Friday, April 3, 2020

COVID 19 Scams


The COVID 19 disaster has brought out the best in most people, but it has also brought out the worst in others. There are a lot of scams in play as those without a conscience try to take advantage of our curiosity and anxiety. Be sure you access reputable sources for information – BC Center for Disease Control http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/ or Canada Health Serviceshttps://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Do not open unsolicited emails about COVID 19 and above all, do not open attachments or links in those emails.  To do so invites another kind of virus into your computer which may steal your personal and credit card information.  See the Canadian Anti-fraud Center - https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/features-vedette/2020/covid-19-eng.htm

The Little Black Book of Scams provides general information about protecting yourself and is available from the Competition Bureau of Canada. 


Physical Distancing – not social distancing!
Now is a good time for us all to pick up the phone or message a friend, neighbour or family member.  It’s a bit lonely for some of us to stay physically isolated for such a long time but we need to make that extra effort to keep up our social connections!

We Can All Do Something
We want to help, to contribute, to work for a better world. Right now it may feel that all that goodwill is being bottled up at home. How frustrating!

But even if we can’t get out and about like we want to, there is one activity that is guaranteed to do good: Reach out! Pick up the phone and reach out to your isolated neighbours. Send a note by email to someone you know who is working hard at a medical facility or serving in a grocery store. Chat with the sibling that you meant to call but could never find the time. Play Scrabble online with your grandchildren.

If You Need Help
The Office of the Seniors’ Advocate has a phone line and a website to provide personal supports for seniors.  Call 211 or http://www.bc211.ca / to access their services.

And Finally: Getting stir crazy? Here is a list of things you can do:
ü Email and video calls to family and friends
ü Volunteering in the community – community kitchen; meals on wheels, etc.
ü Getting outside each day for a walk
ü Going through closets to put together give-away items
ü Reviewing photo albums, rearranging, re-organizing and reminding of better times
ü Puzzles, board games, crokinole,
ü Shredding documents that are no longer needed
ü Netflix, Crave, Apple TV – binge-watching
ü Cooking – creating and trying new recipes
ü Home improvement projects
ü Reading
ü Eldercare
ü Spring Cleaning
ü Listening to music
ü Yoga
ü Dance – Line Dance, “Dancing as no one is watching” – because no one is!
ü U Tube videos
ü Write, draw, paint, photography
ü Play an instrument, sing, dance, act
ü Take a shower or a bath
ü Go for a drive
ü Watch cute kitten videos on YouTube
ü Play a game
ü Write a note to someone you care about
ü Care for or play with a pet
ü Make a list of inspirational quotes
ü Make a gratitude list
ü Write a list of goals
ü Take a class or webinar
ü Write a list of strengths
ü Exercise
ü Laugh at least once per day
ü Get enough sleep
ü Eat healthy foods
ü Create a good routine
ü Eat a little chocolate
ü Limit caffeine
ü Practice deep/slow breathing
ü Pray or meditate
ü Enjoy nature via video, movies or magazines
ü Prioritize important tasks


Thursday, April 2, 2020

Test your balance


Test Your Balance

Try these three moves to see how well, you can balance.

On both feet: Stand with feet together, anklebones touching, and arms folded across chest; then close your eyes. Have someone time you: Though it's normal to sway a little, you should be able to stand for 60 seconds without moving your feet. Next, place one foot directly in front of the other and close your eyes. You should be able to stand for at least 38 seconds on both sides.


On one foot: Stand on one foot and bend your other knee, lifting non-supporting foot off floor without letting it touch the standing leg. (Do this in a doorway so you can grab the sides if you start to fall.) Repeat with eyes closed. People age 60 and younger can typically hold the pose for about 29 seconds with their eyes open, 21 seconds with their eyes closed. People age 61 and older: 22 seconds with eyes open, 10 seconds with eyes closed.


On the ball of your foot: Stand on one foot with hands-on-hips, and place the non-supporting foot against the inside knee of the standing leg. Raise heel off the floor and hold the pose—you should be able to do so for 25 seconds.



Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Financial Supports for citizens of BC.


If you live in BC and are worried about your financial situation, the following from Bowinn Ma, the MLA from North Vancouver should help. 

Below you will find a summary of financial supports that are available to support people and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
New and updated information is highlighted. (Current as of March 30, 2020)
HOUSING
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
⚡ BC HydroBill deferral, payment plans, as well as crisis funding is available.Call 1-800-BC-HYDRO or apply online.
🏦 Freeze on rental ratesNo rent increases are allowed in BC, effective April 1.No action needed. Contact RTB with questions.
🏦 Rental supplementProvides up to $500/month towards rent, paid directly to landlords.Check back for application instructions.
🏘️ Mortgages (CMHC-insured)Mortgage payment deferrals available for CMHC-insured loans.🍁Check with your lender.
🏘️ Mortgages (non-CMHC)Check with your lender about payment deferral options.🍁Check with your lender.
🛏️ Emergency HousingExisting shelters still active and additional emergency options may be available.all 2-1-1  or search online.

PERSONAL INCOME – WORKFORCE
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
💵 Employment Insurance (EI)Existing EI benefit continues to be available. Provides up to $573/week to people who have lost income.🍁Apply online.
💵 EI Sickness BenefitOne-week waiting period has been waived.🍁Call 1-833-381-2725 or apply online.
💵 Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)Provides $2000/month to workers who lose income due to COVID-19, including contractors and self-employed people.
(Note: Previous description implied only those who do not qualify for EI are eligible for CERB. However, CERB may actually take the place of EI for new applicants when available. In the meantime, those who qualify for EI should continue to submit for EI, as it is a benefit that lasts up to 45 weeks and can continue after the CERB benefit ends on Oct 3.)
🍁Check back early April for application instructions. More info here.
💵 BC Emergency BenefitOne-time additional tax-free payment of $1000 to those on EI or CERB.Check back for application instructions.

INCOME SUPPLEMENTS FOR PEOPLE
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
💵 GST-creditOne-time boost of up to $600 per eligible couple, $400 for eligible individuals in May.🍁Benefit is paid out according to your income tax return. More info here.
💵 Climate Action Tax CreditOne-time boost of up to $564 for eligible families of 4 and $218 for eligible individuals in an enhanced payment in July.Children under 18 years old must be registered for the CCB to qualify. No other action is needed; benefit is paid out according to your income tax return. More info here.
👪 Canada Child Benefit (CCB)One-time boost of $300 per child in May.🍁No action if you are already registered for CCB. Otherwise, apply online.
🤸 Youth in CareYouth in care will not age out of services during the pandemic. Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program payments will continue despite school closures and training interruptions.
🧘 Young Adults Program (AYA)Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program payments will continue to former youth-in-care despite school closures and training interruptions.
💵 Income AssistanceExisting Income Assistance program continues to be available for those in need with no other resources.Apply online, by phone at 1-866-866-0800, or visit your local office.
♿ People with DisabilitiesExisting Disability Assistance program continues to be available. See also full list of additional supports here.Apply online, by phone at 1-866-866-0800, or visit your local office.
👵 SeniorsExisting programs continue to be available, including:
—–Old Age Security (OAS): $614/mo (max)
—–Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): $916/mo (max)
—–Allowance/Allowance for Survivor: $1389/mo (max)
🍁 Eligible seniors are automatically enrolled, but applications can also be submitted online.
OTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
🚘 Hospital parkingParking is free of charge at all health authority owned/operated health care sites.
🚗 ICBCMonthly payment deferral for up to 90 days with no penalty.Call 1-800-665-6442 or apply online.
👪 Emergency Child Care FundingChild care providers receiving emergency government funding cannot charge parent fees for any periods of closure or for vacant spaces and must reserve spaces for families, starting April.Check with your provider to see if they are in this program.
🏫 BC Student LoansSix-month interest-free moratorium on repaymentstarting April.Repayment will be paused automatically.
🏫 Canada Student LoansSix-month interest-free moratorium on repaymentstarting April.🍁Repayment will be paused automatically.
🚌 BC Transit & TransLinkFare-free boarding on all buses. Enter through rear of the bus, unless accessible loading is required.
👵 Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs)Minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) has been reduced by 25% for 2020.🍁Learn more here.
✈️ Emergency Travel LoanEmergency loan of $5000 available to Canadians travelling abroad.🍁Dial +1 613-996-8885 or send an email.
🧾 Income tax returnThe filing due date is deferred to June 1. Payments owed are deferred until after August 31.🍁
BUSINESSES (GENERAL)
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
⚡ BC HydroBill deferral and payment plans.Call 1-800-BC-HYDRO.
💵 Canada Emergency Wage SubsidyCovers up to 75% of wages for businesses, charities, and non-profits that have lost more than 30% of their revenue. Max subsidy of $847 per week per employee, backdated to March 15.🍁Check back for application instructions.
💵 Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)Financing support for small and medium-sized businesses. Available mid-April.
—–Canada Emergency Business Account: Loans of up to $40,000 for small businesses and not-for-profits, interest-free for one year. A portion may be forgivable. Available mid-April.
—– Loan Guarantee: Operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to SMEs. Available mid-April.
—–Co-Lending Program: Co-lend term loans to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements. Eligible businesses may obtain incremental credit amounts of up to $6.25 million through the program. Available mid-April.
🍁Speak with your financial institution. Learn more.
🧾 Federal income taxPayments owed are deferred until after August 31.🍁
🧾 BC business taxesPayments for Employer health tax (EHT), provincial sales tax (PST), municipal and regional district tax, tobacco tax, motor fuel tax, and carbon tax are deferred until after Sept 30. Scheduled April 1 increases to provincial carbon tax and PST are deferred.
🧾 School TaxCut of 50% for business and industry property classes, to be passed onto tenants on triple-net leases.
🧾 GST/HSTPayments owed deferred to June 30.🍁
🧾 Customs duties & taxesPayments owed deferred to June 30.🍁

BUSINESSES (BY SECTOR)
SupportDescriptionHow to Access
🧸 Child care sectorEmergency funding is available for child care providers that stay open and that close.Learn more.
🎭 Arts & Culture sector$3-million Arts and Culture Resilience Supplement to give operating and eligible project clients a supplement of up to $15,000. Clients will receive a 50% advance on 2020-21 funding.Via BC Arts Council.
📰 Publishing and news sectorsSimplified process for Canada Book Fund and Canada Periodical Fund. Journalism Tax Measures.🍁
🎥 Broadcasting sectorCRTC Part I licence fees waived.🍁
🏞️ Tourism businesses in national parks and historic sitesTourism operators in national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas will have payments on commercial leases and licences of occupation deferred without interest until September 1.🍁Wait to be contacted by Parks Canada.
🐚 Seafood sectorSeafood growers, shellfish farmers, and processors, will have access to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program.🍁Via FCC.
🚜 Farmers and Agri-Food sectorAccess to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program.🍁Via FCC.
✈️AirportsRents paid on ground leases waived.🍁

FUNDING BOOSTS TO CHARITIES FOR PROGRAM DELIVERY
SupportDescription
🥫 Food Banks BCFunding boost to Food Banks British Columbia, who will distribute the money among food banks province wide.
🧒🏼 Kids Help PhoneFunding boost to Kids Help Phone, which provides young people with mental health support. 🍁
👵 United Way CanadaFunding boost to United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors, such as: Delivery of groceries, medications, or other needed items, or personal outreach to assess individuals’ needs and connect them to community supports. 🍁

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Self isolation with children? Some ideas

Some thoughts on getting through this self-isolation for harried parents as well as grandparents
1. Play silly charades, says Penny Warner, author of Kids’ Party Games & Activities (Meadowbrook, 1993). Fill out cards with offbeat suggestions, such as Santa Claus on a tropical vacation or a monkey trick-or-treating. Take turns writing or drawing a card and acting out the phrase.

2. Put on a play. Kids can make up their own dramas or reenact favourite movies and TV shows. Use old cast-off clothes to make costumes.

3. Hold a talent show. Film it and send it to family members. All the kids can show off their skills, whether it’s doing a cartwheel, telling a joke, or singing a song. This also can be an opportunity to get to know your grandchildren better

4. Turn your names into a game. Warner suggests drawing a grid of five boxes down and five across; put the first five letters of the child’s name across in the top five boxes and one category down the five side boxes. Set a timer and have the kids write down an object in each category that starts with the letter at the top of the column. For example, if the child’s name is Rebecca, and the category is “Animals,” she could write "Rhino" and then "Elephant." The winner is the person with the most boxes filled when the time expires.

5. Make papier-mache figures. Dip paper strips in a mix of white glue and water (or make your own paste from flour and water) and layer them to cover a balloon. "Any balloon with newspaper, flour and water can become a pig, butterfly, or family bust!" says San Francisco educator Lonna Corder

6. Make soap sculptures. Mix powdered Ivory laundry soap and water until it takes on a clay-like consistency. Mold it into fun shapes. The best part: Any spills clean up easily. 

7. Make gross goo and slippery slime. Warner’s slime recipe is simple: one cup of cornstarch mixed with one cup of water. To make goo, mix one cup cold water and eight ounces of white glue in one bowl. Also, mix one tablespoon liquid starch and one-half cup hot water in another bowl. Add a few drops of your favourite food colouring to the starch and combine the two mixtures. The fun thing about goo and slime is that they are messy! Save yourself from a big cleanup and play outside.

8. Turn your kitchen into a sculpture studio. Make your own clay: Mix four cups flour, one cup salt, and one-and-one-half cups water. Mold figures and bake them in a 250-degree oven for two to three hours until firm. Even easier, use a can of ready-to-bake rolls from the fridge, says Lisa Kothari, a party planner and author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs ... What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties (Peppers and Pollywogs, 2007).

9. Have a scavenger hunt. Sue Johnson, coauthor of Grandloving: Making Memories With Your Grandchildren (Heartstrings, 2007), suggests looking around the house for objects in different categories, such as something squishy or something green. Or hide wrapped candies for a treasure hunt, says Kothari.

10. Have a spa day at home with your granddaughters. Kothari says bring out all your nail polishes and give one another manicures and pedicures.

11. Cook happy-face pancakes together. Have the kids use blueberries or raisins for eyes, melon for mouths, and bananas for hats, says Johnson.

12. Let the kids make outrageous cookie creations. Start with plain cookie dough and help the little ones mix in condiments and decorations found in your cupboards, says Kothari. Some of the cookies may not taste great, but that is all part of the fun. You may discover a future chef in your family.

13. Make a time capsule. Use any old plastic container with a lid. Put in a copy of the day’s front page and notes or drawings from the kids. Bury it and dig it up together for their next birthday or school graduation.

14. Introduce your grandchildren to old-school games. Find a piece of chalk and teach them to hopscotch or use cocktail stirrers and show them how to play pickup sticks.

15. Entertain younger kids by blowing bubbles yourself. Mix one cup of water, two tablespoons of glycerin, and 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid for hours of playtime fun. Use a drinking straw as a blower, or twist a paper clip into a loop or even loop some florist wire into a hoop.

16. Make memory movies, says Johnson. Let the kids use a video camera to interview you and other members of the older generation about your lives. Turn the camera around and let them tell you stories about their often funny lives.

17. Create a superhero. Use paper, pencils, crayons, and markers to help kids make their own comic books.

18. Have make-your-own storytime. Start a story and pass it on to one of the grandchildren to continue. That grandchild passes it on to someone else and so on. You never know where the stories will go.

19. Decorate pickle and mason jars. Make designs out of scraps of coloured tissue paper to decorate the jars. The transparency of the tissue paper makes a nice effect. Paint on your creations with white glue to finish off this crafty keepsake