Women face many unique financial challenges in life.

 I was doing a workshop for a group of women called Women Helping Women on end-of-life planning. This is important for both men and women but more so for women. I did not realize that eighty percent of women die single while 80% of men die married. The main reason for this is that women often marry men who are a few years older than them

A friend of mine who was a few years younger than me, just died, his wide was younger than him, I think when he died, she was 57. She was not far off the average. The average woman becomes a widow at 58 ½. Most households suffer an income loss after death. Today, most households are dependent on two incomes. In a retired family on Social Security, one check goes away at the first death. If there is a pension, it may end totally or be reduced in half.

The lack of income creates a major problem since most living expenses do not go down with death. Property taxes, utilities and maintenances remain about the same. The only savings are for food and personal purchases for the deceased. These are often minor parts of the budget.

One expense that does increase dramatically is income taxes. Often this may be several hundred percent. This is because you get only half as much untaxed money from your personal exemption and tax brackets are only about half the size for people filing single when compared to married filing jointly.

Women work an average of 12 years fewer than men. This is often caused by staying home to care for young children, or maybe leaving the workforce sooner to care for elderly parents.

If you visit a nursing home, you will notice probably 85% of the patients are women. This is because when the man needs help with long-term care, the wife is often still there. When the wife needs help, she is often a widow. Women also spend more on health care costs than men, likely because of the longer life expectancy.

These are some of the reasons why women should have a written plan to deal with all of these challenges. Anticipate and plan well ahead and you can be better prepared down the road.

Options for people who need help with food security

  In BC we have a provincial phone line 211 which is a free and confidential service that connects people to helpful and vital resources in their community. Throughout British Columbia, the 211 services is provided by 211 British Columbia Services Society (BC211) in partnership with the United Way and the Government of British Columbia. BC211 is a Vancouver-based, non-profit that strengthens communities by connecting people to the help they need.

BC211 is accredited by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) and meets international standards relating to call response, privacy and confidentiality, and the quality and accuracy of resources listed in the database.  

211 provides information and referral to a broad range of community, government, and social services that assist with:

·       basic needs like food and shelter,

·       mental health and addictions support,

·       legal and financial assistance,

·       support for seniors, and much more

It is time to support your local food bank and I do. But I decided to find out what other services there were for low-cost and free food options for people in my area. I did a search for free and low-cost food options within a 20K radius of my home and found the following through 211:

1.  BC Association of Farmers' Markets (BCAFM)

BC Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon Program

A healthy eating initiative that supports farmers' markets and strengthens food security across British Columbia. Collaborates with community partner organizations to provide coupons to low-income families and seniors participating in food literacy programs.

2.  Our Lady of Assumption Parish

Come to the Table Soup Kitchen provides free meals from 12 noon to 1:30 pm every fourth Saturday for those living in the Tri-Cities (except December). Wheelchair accessible. Non-profit, registered charity.

3.  Friendship Baptist Church

Hosts Club Freedom which offers free weekly community dinners for local residents in need, from 5 pm to 6 pm, every Sunday.

4.  Trinity United Church

Operates a thrift store that sells clothing and household goods; temporarily closed due to pandemic. Hosts a lot of programming by other service providers in the community; food hampers, support groups, and early years programs. Remote office hours are 10 am t...

5.  Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society

Distributes food hampers for special dietary needs including vegan and religious restrictions to low-income individuals and families (including immigrants, refugees, and refugee claimants) in Metro Vancouver. Registration with picture ID, proof of address required.

6.  Guilford and Whalley Food Depot

a)  Provided by: Surrey Food Bank Society

Distributes food hampers from 10 am to 12 noon every second Wednesday. New registrations can be done at this location. Current and previous food bank clients are required to update here every six months. Serves Surrey residents in the Guilford and Whalley neighbourhood.

7.  Surrey Urban Mission Society (SUMS)

Partners with other organizations and faith communities to offer free meals for anyone in the community.

8.  Red Braid Alliance for Decolonial Socialism

A grassroots organization that organizes on the front lines with communities facing displacement in BC. The goal is to support the development of people's power in working-class and Indigenous communities and build alliances between peoples' struggles. Campaigns c...

9.  Not-for-Profit Grocery Market - Surrey

a)  Provided by: Quest Food Exchange

10.      Bread4Life Program

a)  Provided by: Lookout Housing and Health Society

Provides free nutritious meals seven days a week, with the participation and assistance of community-based organizations and individuals.

11.      Djaef Mahler Grocery

a)  Provided by: Lookout Housing and Health Society

A specialized, high-protein food bank for residents of Surrey and Metro Vancouver who are living with HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis C and in need of support. Operated in partnership with Djaef Mahler AIDS Benefit Society, Quest Foods, and Surrey Food Bank.

12.      SHARE Food Banks

a)  Provided by: SHARE Family and Community Services Society

Volunteers distribute food to residents in need living in Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody. Recipients can attend every two weeks. Applicants require proof of local address, income information, and identification for all household me...

b)  SHARE Christmas Programs

Provided by: SHARE Family and Community Services Society

Volunteers distribute Christmas food hampers to Tri-cities residents in need (Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody) on two food bank Wednesdays each December; registration is required at the food bank. Also offers a toy/gift program for ...

13.      Low Entropy Foundation

14.      Hub Food Programs

a)  Provided by: Oak Avenue Neighbourhood Hub Society

Provides groceries by donation for the general public from 11 am to 12 noon on Tuesdays; also accepts food donations. A Community Dinner (by donation) is held at 4:30 pm every second Saturday of the month; doors open at 4 pm

15.      Community and Family Services - Burnaby

a)  Provided by: The Salvation Army - BC Division

The drop-in centre helps meet the immediate and short-term needs of people in distress through assistance with food, clothing, household goods, emergency disaster services, and lay counselling. Provides youth recreation programs, including basketball.

16.      Community and Family Services - New Westminster

a)  Provided by: The Salvation Army - BC Division

Helps meet the immediate and short-term needs of people in distress through assistance with food, clothing, household goods, emergency disaster services, and lay counselling.

17.      Food Programs - New Westminster

18.      Provided by: The Salvation Army - BC Division

Offers community breakfast on Saturdays at 10 am. Bread and snacks are provided at 1 pm daily. Produce Day serves residents of New Westminster and the Tri-Cities at 1 pm on Wednesdays and residents of Burnaby at 1 pm on Fridays; proof of address and assistance required.

19.      Safe Seniors, Strong Communities

Provided by bc211 - AKA: 211 British Columbia Services Society

Matches eligible seniors age 65 and over who are living in the community and in need of assistance, with volunteers available to help with non-medical services such as grocery shopping and delivery, meal preparation and delivery, medication pick-up, and social.

20.      Food Programs

a)  Provided by: CityReach Care Society - AKA: City Reach Care Society

Food for Families program offers a free nutritious food bank for low-income households in East Vancouver and Port Coquitlam; a government-issued photo ID is required for first-time clients.

21.      Food Not Bombs

Volunteers provide free vegan and vegetarian meals to individuals in need, on an outreach basis. Advocates for sustainable food systems and food recovery. International collective, with BC chapters active in Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Nanaimo.

22.      Food Stash Foundation

Rescues surplus food from producers and suppliers, and redirects it to local nonprofits and food-insecure households and individuals throughout Metro Vancouver. The Rescued Food Box Program provides a weekly delivery of a grocery box to members for $10 per delivery.

Quotes to end the year

 Some Quotes on life as we enter the last month of the year

Life is a chance to do things your way, not the cheapest way, not the most popular way, and not how others think you should.

And this is a very, very, very precious chance, at that.

The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed. Eminem

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Robert Byrne

The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination. Carl Rogers

Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it. Ernest Holmes

Life is a journey that must be travelled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations. Oliver Goldsmith

Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise. George Gershwin

Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it. Danny Kaye

Life's too short to dwell on things. When you go through experiences that are bad, it's a good thing. You learn from it - become a stronger person. Life is a roller coaster, and you don't know what's going to be thrown at you next, so all you can do is give it your best shot. Alesha Dixon

As time goes by, we're getting more accepting of the differences between one another - whether it's gay or transgender, whether it's black or white - but there's still a lot of people in the world who don't feel that they can express themselves as they want. Alesha Dixon

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. Charles M. Schulz

Some humour for a change

 You are what you eat

A man was out to lunch with his friend one day. The man was explaining to his friend how he had been exploring and studying different methods of healthy eating and their effects on your body. "After all," he said, "you are what you eat."

The man sat down at a table with a salad, a lite vinaigrette dressing, and a small unsweetened green tea, while his friend had a fried chicken sandwich, a large Coke, and fries with some extra salt on the side.

As they were about to dig into their meal, the man realized he didn't grab a fork for his salad. As he was off getting his fork, his friend, playing a prank, dumped some of his extra salt into the man's tea. The man returned, sat, and took a sip of his tea and gagged instantly, spitting the tea all over the table.

Immediately furious, the man snapped "what the hell did you do to my tea?" The friend answered the question with a question: "Didn't you say that you are what you eat?" The man's expression shifted from anger to disappointment. "If so, then this prank must've made you a little salt-tea.

Ghostly Advice

When I was about 7 years old, I accompanied my father to the funeral of a co-worker of his, someone I didn't even know. When we got there, I stood in a corner waiting for the time to pass. A bitter-looking man approached me and said, "Enjoy life kid, enjoy it because time flies. Look at me now, I didn't enjoy it."

Then he passed his hand over my head and left. My father, before leaving took me with him to pay honours to his friend. When I looked in the coffin, I was horrified to see that the man in the coffin was the same man who had spoken to me!! I was so traumatized I couldn't sleep properly. I had terrible nightmares. I was terrified of being alone.

I saw many psychologists, endured much turmoil throughout my adolescent years. It got better as I aged, but I would still occasionally wake up screaming in fear. It was many years later when I discovered something remarkable that completely changed my life.

That bastard had a twin