Posts Tagged ‘why i commit’

Why I commit: Zahra

Zahra in an NDG park

“I commit because what Head & Hands achieves for the youth of NDG and beyond with so few resources is incredible to witness. If I can give them just a little bit more to work with, how many more youth can they help?”- Zahra

In 2010, Zahra came to Head & Hands as a six month videography intern, and we felt so lucky to have this multi-talented lady on board! She left her mark with a series of rad videos including the Do my Ladies Run This?! mini documentary, the Ask me about my Faggity Ass profile, and Since 1970, our 40^th anniversary video. Zahra had been rooting for us during last fall’s Aviva competition, and when she found out we didn’t make the cut, she signed up as a monthly donor to ‘do her part’ to bring Street Work services back to NDG.

Name: Zahra B.

Monthly since: February 2013

I fill my days with: I work as an administrator and communications coordinator for a non-profit, and I am also a classically trained singer.

As a teenager I was: Hermione Granger (an insufferable know-it-all)

If I won a trip anywhere in the world I would: Take all my friends with me.

Is there a particular Head & Hands program that you are passionate about? I think each one of them is great. But the two I connect with most deeply are the counseling and Street Work. I know how hard it is as a young person to access affordable, non-judgmental counseling services. I know some friends who could have used it. And as for Street Work, there are too many youth who are given up on, who really just need someone to support them in practical and uplifting ways. We need this program.

Song I have stuck in my head right now: Whatever we’re working on in choir or my voice lessons.

If I could change one thing at Head & Hands: Maybe a bigger building

Signing up as a monthly is safe and easy, and makes a big impact! Click here to find out more!

Why I Commit: Meet our Monthlies

Why I Commit 2013: Meet our monthlies, and find out how you can become one, too!

In the lead up to our AGM this year, we’re shining the spotlight on our beloved monthlies— extra special donors who give each month to keep our youth services steady and healthy. We’ll also be running our 4^th annual monthly donor drive, where we ask our beloved community to Commit to our Core!!

In our Why I Commit blog series you’ll meet the people that keep this organization going, find out why they do it, and learn some personal stuff too! And we promise you, these people are pretty juicy!!

In addition to giving credit where credit is due (and we are only showing you a piece of the beautiful monthly pie! We have 60 monthly donors in total), we will also be running our annual “Commit to our Core” monthly donor drive! Our goal is to sign up 30 new monthly donors before our AGM on June 12th. If you love Head & Hands, we encourage you get involved, by signing up or spreading the word!

Please visit our “Give Monthly” page to find out more about why monthly giving can make such a big difference, and how you can sign up.

THANK YOU!!!

WOW! This March, our Commit to Our Core campaign brought in 38 new monthly donors (and counting)! We are so grateful for your support, and so excited to have you as members of Head & Hands!

This month we profiled 7 fabulous monthly donors in our Why I Commit series. Wanna be like them? It’s not too late!

Monthly gifts are fantastic because they are stable, and we can rely on them each month through changes in government and funder priorities. They contribute directly to our core costs, like our rent, which can be difficult to fund. Thus, monthly gifts also increase our long-term strength and autonomy! For all these reasons, monthly gifts make a big financial impact for us, without breaking the bank for our members.

THANK YOU to all our existing and new monthlies! We couldn’t do our work without you.

Why I Commit: Because H&H Supports Our Future Leaders!

Oh how we love the Coop La Maison Verte, the socially and environmentally conscious cooperative business a block over on Sherbrooke Street West!! Over the years, monthly donor Kurt Houghton and the rest of the Coop team have generously supported Head & Hands, offering discounts, gift certificates, and stepping in when the going gets tough. Last fall, upon hearing that we’d lost funds for our Emergency Food Pantry, the team and members at the CLMV stepped in, designating a percentage of their coffee sales to help bring back this vital service. Thanks to monthlies like Kurt, we know the power of solidarity-based fundraising models. Together we are strong!

Name: Kurt Houghton
Monthly since: April 2011
Day job: Store Coordinator of Coop La Maison Verte
How I first fell in love with Head & Hands: When I first started working at the Coop, we didn’t have a microwave and I was told I could go down the block and use H&H’s. We’ve since gotten a microwave, but eating my lunch with H&H was a great intro to the neighbourhood.
As a teenager I was passionate about: Video-games, but thankfully I’ve moved on to more interesting pursuits.
On a lazy afternoon I: sit around playing with my son and his (our) Lego
Song I have stuck in my head right now: “Money I$ King” by Lee Fields & the Expressions
Fave MTL restaurant: There are too many to choose just one so it depends on the kind of food you’re in the mood for. In no particular order: Burritoville, Edouardo’s, Zero8, Jean’s, Bonaparte, La Banquise, 5 Saisons, Maison India, and the list goes on and on.
Midnight snack: Can’t always be too picky at that hour, but something salty (chips, popcorn, etc) is my preference
Current activism, community involvement, other projects: I’ve been really busy with school these days, but prior to that I was involved in community economic development as a board member of the CDN-NDG CDEC. It’s the kind of work I’d like to do more of in the future.
First thing I do when I get home is: Sadly, these days its laundry or dishes or something like that, but ideally it’d be put on my slippers and play with my family.
Can’t live without: Karina (Editor”s note: awwww)
One wish: That there were more hours in the day
Fave book, zine, magazine, blog to read: Protégez-vous, The Dominion, The Onion, and the amazing variety of articles, blogs, etc. through my social network friends
Why I commit to Head & Hands: Despite the fact that everyone was once young, it’s surprising how little our society listens to and respects their future workers & leaders. Thank you to H&H for making this a priority.

Why I Commit: Because H&H Respects the Teens I Hang With!

Like many of our supporters, Tara got involved with Head & Hands through our monthly queer dance party, Faggity Ass Fridays, because it was a “good way to meet babes.” This year the former FAF door volunteer continued to invest in the Sense Project, training our Sense Animators in working with adolescents with learning disabilities. Here, Tara gives the inside scoop on what Head & Hands means to MTL teens, as well as that little guy she can’t live without. Meow!

Name: Tara
Monthly since: March 2011
Day job: Professional role model. Private tutor.
Other than being a monthly, how do you or how have you connected with Head & Hands: Ancient FAF door volunteer
As a teenager I was passionate about: Julia Roberts
Song I have stuck in my head right now: Damian Marley’s “Affairs of the Heart”
My momma always said: “You can order anything you want, as long as you finish it.”
Fave MTL restaurant: Les Sandwichs Volant, keeping me alive since 2008.
First thing I do when I get home is: Drape my cat around my neck like a fur stole and turn on the comedy network.
Standby or favourite dance move: Fist pump
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): Marisa Tomei: yesterday, today, tomorrow.
St. Viateur, Dads, or Fairmount, and why? Fairmount. No need to justify this correct answer.
Can’t live without: My cat, until he dies, and then I’ll have him stuffed.
One wish: Eternal health.
Free trip, where do you go? Right now I’m planning a trip to Portland, Jamaica, so I’ve got that on the brain. Otherwise probably Calabria.
Why I commit to Head & Hands: I commit to Head & Hands because I hang with teens on a full time basis. Some make use of the youth health services, a fair number have attended Sense workshops, one carries the drug guide around in his backpack. They may not be familiar with the Head & Hands mission statement, but they know that this organization respects their rights and their needs. I commit to Head & Hands for them.

Why I Commit: Because I Believe in Youth Empowerment!

I caught up with long-time monthly supporter Jax in the hallowed halls of the McGill School of Nursing where she currently studies. In the gentle afternoon light, we had the pleasure of catching up on three of my fave topics: cardigans, femme-dom, and youth empowerment! Below, Jax talks high school passions, the end of capitalism, veggie pulled pork, and CIARA!

Name: Jax
Monthly since: 2009
Day job: Nursing student
Languages spoken: English, sort of French, barely Arabic
As a teenager I was passionate about: Robert Smith (The Cure) and being a goth
Fave MTL restaurant: I don’t know if I have a favourite place all together, but I’m really into the veggie pulled pork at Le Pick Up.
Midnight snack: my leftover veggie pulled pork
Passions: deep lez, fiber arts, plants, K.D. Lang
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): CIARA!
Can’t live without: social contact and alone time!
On a lazy afternoon I: sit in bed and watch old episodes of Roseanne
One wish: A real simple one – the end of capitalism.
Free trip, where do you go? Egypt and Greece (where my mom and dad are from. I’ve been meaning to go for years).
Fave book, zine, magazine, blog to read: amanaday.tumblr.com
Why I commit to Head & Hands: because I really believe in the importance of empowering youth!

Why I Commit: Because Sex Ed Makes a Big Impact!

Upon the recommendation of Michele Thibodeau-Deguire at Centraide, Bob came to Head & Hands with a desire to to give back. He says he “walked in the door and stayed five years,” serving two terms on the Head & Hands board of directors, driving carfuls of hay around, and volunteering as a math and science tutor. Here, this chocolate-chip cookie and opera aficionado tells us about dining in the shadow of the Rolling Stones, and why he stays connected as a monthly donor.

Name: Bob Edgar
Monthly since: May 2009
Day job: Retired… but I still periodically consult in the industry where I worked.
Languages spoken: English, French and there is Dutch waiting to be unlocked after a long absence of use.
Other than being a monthly, how do you or how have you connected with Head & Hands: I started as a volunteer, helping students with math and science, and hauling hay in my car for a Halloween gig (editor’s note: lore has it that this was for a sweet Meow Mix fundraiser for H&H!). After that I was on the board for four years. I learned a lot more than I gave.
As a teenager I was passionate about: Golf.
Song I have stuck in my head right now: “The First time I Ever Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack
Fave MTL restaurant: XO in the Hotel Le St-James, where the Rolling Stones stay. I can only afford to go once every five years.
Passions: Golf, opera, and long distance travel once every two years.
First thing I do when I get home is: Whistle to Micheline to see if she is at home (she whistles back) and then open the fridge.
Standby or favorite dance move: I just love (to watch) tango.
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): Ann Margret
Can’t live without: Chocolate chip cookies and ice cream – and Micheline.
One wish: That our society (and our governments in particular) would be more caring.
Free trip, where do you go? Back to the islands of Greece – especially Santorini
On a lazy afternoon I: sit on my balcony, reading and dozing (summer only).
Why I commit to Head & Hands: If people did not give back to their community, we would all be so much worse off. I can’t bring myself to pick one service at Head & Hands over another, but perhaps the Sense Project could potentially have the greatest overall impact.

Why I Commit: Because Youth Services Are Important!

Sara first heard about Head & Hands through a presentation in nursing school, and has been connected ever since. This Plateau-based super-monthly made our hearts burst this December when she organized a night of door-to-door caroling in NDG and collected donations for Head & Hands. Here, the self-described “85-year-old grandmother” reflects on the best MTL eateries, Orlando Bloom, and that age-old question: who makes the top bagels in town?!?!

Name: Sara Chalk
Monthly since: January 2010
Day job: Nurse at the Montreal Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
As a teenager I was passionate about: choir
Fave Montréal restaurant: What a difficult question! There are so many…I’ll give you my top 5 (in no particular order!): Blue Lotus, Lola Rosa, Pushap, La Prunelle, Lawrence
Passions: knitting, singing, food & wine
First thing I do when I get home is: feed my cats
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): Orlando Bloom (and his extremely beautiful wife!)
St. Viateur, Dad’s, or Fairmount, and why? Fairmount hands down, no question about it.
Can’t live without: my hubby, he’s the best!
Free trip, where do you go? San Francisco
On a lazy afternoon I: make some tea and knit. Yes, I am an 85-year-old grandmother.
Why I commit to Head & Hands: because they offer services that I feel are important to youth today. Head & Hands is a community organization I am proud to contribute to every month, and to top it off, a monthly contribution is so easy to do.

Why I Commit: Because Every Dollar Counts!

Vaughn knows first-hand what it takes to make this place tick. In his position as Head & Hands Info and Referral Coordinator, Vaughn is often the first friendly face youth and community members see at our home at 5833 Sherbrooke W. Since 2006, the McGill Engineering grad has shown his love to H&H, and has worn the hats of volunteer, contract worker, J2K animator, monthly donor, and coordinator. He’s an interesting guy, so throw on the song he has stuck in his head, (Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat”) and get to know this dedicated and beloved dad-to-be!

Name: Vaughn
Monthly since: April 2011
How I first fell in love with Head & Hands: I always had a thing for H&H…but the first time I fell in love with H&H had to be when I brought some of the J2K participants to see what for many of them was their first theatre performance. One of the youths, a shy 13-year-old boy, pulled me to the side when the play was done, firmly shook my hands and said, “Thanks Vaughn! Today I saw my first pair of live breasts.” I took that opportunity to share information with him on our sex-ed workshops and medical clinic.
À l’adolescence, j’étais passionné de: musique, nourriture, écriture
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx
Dès que je rentre chez moi, la première chose que je fais est: d’embrasser le ventre de Farrah, enceinte de notre premier enfant.
Fave book, zine, magazine, blog to read: The Walking Dead Series, The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
On a lazy afternoon I: listen to some Big Joe Turner and play my fiddle.
Can’t live without: purpose
Je m’investis dans l’organisme À deux mains car: je sais, par mon expérience personnelle, que chaque geste et chaque dollar comptent. La mission de cet organisme n’est pas facile et il faut une bonne dose d’énergie, d’amour et de bidoux pour maintenir cette force vitale en action.

Why I Commit: Because LGBTQ Health Matters!

In 2011, Dr. Martens came to Head & Hands as a medical resident working under Dr. Tellier as part of his “Youth at Risk” rotation. Rather than leaving after the mandatory six months, Dr. Martens stayed on for a second rotation! He says he dug our clinic’s open vibe and noted that “the Head & Hands clinic is one of the few places in the city where we see transgender youth and young adults, and so it’s a good place to learn about their health care needs.” We love David for his wicked sense of humour, his passion for LGBT health, and the many ways he commits to Head & Hands.

Name: David Martens
Monthly since: April 2011
Day job: Adolescent Medicine resident at the Montreal Children’s Hospital
How I first fell in love with Head & Hands: I love talking about sex, drugs and rock and roll with teens/young adults and there are lots of teens/young adults to talk with about these issues at Head & Hands!
À l’adolescence j’étais passionné par: La musique classique et le violoncelle
Song I have stuck in my head right now: Whitney, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody“!! So sad she died!
Resto montréalais préféré: St. Hubert BBQ! lol
Midnight snack: fruit and cheese
Mes passions: le cinéma, le curling et le tennis
First thing I do when I get home is: snack and watch Golden Girls
Fave dance move: I don’t have a move, I have a dance…the Polka!!
Celebrity crush (dead or alive): I’m in love with Meryl Streep!!
Can’t live without: my car!! I don’t do buses
Fave book: Howard’s End by E.M. Forster
Je m’investis dans l’organisme À deux mains car: Pour la santé des personnes GLBTQ

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