We have all come to recognize Staples® as the place to go to make things ‘easy’.  Office supplies, back to school gear, printing materials, we’re running through those red sliding doors on a regular basis to make our lives run a little smoother.

Nation wide however, Staples® is there for us in more ways than just a friendly smile and a good price on sticky notes.  Staples® has made a commitment to making a difference for their customers,  for their associates and for the planet.

That’s where ‘Staples® Soul’ comes in.  On several designated days throughout the year, Staples® employees give back to their communities by volunteering at a number of different charities and organizations.

“We just want to give back,” says Lesley Duffney, Sales Manager Business Development at Staples®.  “We are a large, fortunate company and we want to give back to those companies that support us.  We want to support them as well.”

On Thursday, June 13, 2013, several Staples® employees dressed in black T shirts with the phrase: Community Matters proudly displayed across the chest, made their way to the Crashbeds section of Community Mental Health Programs.  With towels and window cleaner in hand they went to work brightening an otherwise dreary place.  “I worked downstairs in the kitchen [several years ago],” says Jaysene Palmer, Business Development Manager at Staples®.  “It was a great experience,” he recalls.  Palmer explains that those same experiences brought CMHP and the Men’s Mission & Rehabilitation Centre to the forefront when choosing a charity to support.  “When I thought of doing an event, this is the first place that came to me,” he says.

Mission Services of London extends sincere thanks and gratitude to the employees of Staples® for this endeavour.  We are immeasurably thankful to all our volunteers who help us continue to provide the services that make such a difference.

For more information on Staples® programs and services click HERE

For more information on how you can volunteer click HERE

On Wednesday, June 5^th, 2013, employees from BMO rolled up their sleeves and flexed their muscles for a few hours in an effort to give back to the community.   These enthusiastic men and women were participating in BMO Volunteer Day – an initiative which provides employees with the opportunity to do charitable work during business hours while learning first-hand about the needs of those around us.

‘It is a core belief of BMO to give back to the communities in which we work,” says Peter Johnston, VP & Market Manager at BMO Harris Private Banking.  “It’s part of who we are.”

Teams of BMO representatives sporting bright blue BMO shirts arrived at Quintin Warner House and Rotholme Women’s & Family Shelter ready to work.  “This is a tremendous opportunity,” says Ted Goss, Branch Manager at BMO’s Masonville branch.  “We have a proud partnership with Mission Services of London and we want to help as much as we can.”

From scrubbing stairs, to weeding gardens, to tearing down and repurposing an old wooden shed, these volunteers proved their commitment to the community and their compassion for our fellow Londoners.  “ It’s very gratifying for us to be here,” says Johnston. “We’re all touched by the things that go on in these homes.”

For more information on BMO projects and initiatives click HERE
For more information on how you can help Mission Services of London click HERE

The June 3, 2013 issue of Maclean’s magazine includes a commentary written by former Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant, titled “Playing Our Cards Right”.  This was a rather timely article, given the City of Toronto’s recent rejection of a downtown casino, and now the City of London is pondering out loud whether a gambling location is better suited downtown than in the Western Fair District.

In making one of his points, former A-G Bryant suggests that we read the fine print on the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming) website. So I did.  It took me a while to actually find it.  It is, after all, fine print. The following is a summary of what I found (emphasis added).

1. There is nothing you can do to guarantee a win.
2. Loss is inevitable in all casino games over time.
3. House advantage is the mathematical edge that ensures the house always has the long-term advantage.
4. No system of betting can overcome the house advantage.
5. OLG is the house, and will always have the house advantage.
6. In the long run, advanced players too will almost always lose money.
7. The house advantage guarantees that the longer you play, the more likely you lose money.

 What am I thinking?  Let me get this straight.  OLG encourages us to play for enjoyment, to have fun, and to dream. OLG knows the more we play the more we lose, it is inevitable.  So much fodder.  For now, speechless.

If you have worked at Mission Services of London over the last 12 years, if you’ve volunteered your time or donated your stuff, then you know Russell Payne.

In 2001, Russell joined Mission Services of London as a Casual Relief Resident Care Worker for the Men’s Mission & Rehabilitation Centre.  In 2003, he became that friendly face who greeted you in the tried and true Mission Services of London van.  Dropping off interoffice mail, picking up donations, doing whatever it took to make sure things ran smoothly. 

Staff, volunteers and friends of MSL joined together on Thursday, May 30th to wish him well as he embarks on a new chapter in his life: Retirement.  Carol Ristine, manager of The Mission Store spoke of Russell’s commitment to the organization and of how he will definitely be missed.  She touted hiring him as the best decision they could have ever made.  “He told me ‘If I’m hired, I’ll stay until I retire’,” she told the crowd.  He was true to his word.

Carol recounted many fond memories of Russell’s time with MSL and gave well wishers an opportunity to speak their minds as well.  One particularly touching message, from a letter written by  Development Officer Mary Brown said it best:

“Russell is a true ambassador for Mission Services of London.  He is met with hugs and handshakes at every stop and he is continuously delivering random acts of kindness along his route.  It does not take long to see that Mission Services of London benefits in ways that we are not able to measure as a result of him being out in the community working on our behalf.”

Best of luck in your retirement, Russell.  From all of us at Mission Services of London, we wish you well.

Several months ago, there was a lot of press, community discussion and even angst over the proliferation of pay day loan businesses and locations in the city of London. A very serious issue was, and is, the use of these businesses by those who in many cases are actually least able to afford them.  The availability of pay day loans is a complicated issue, and one that I don’t want to deal with here.

However, I recently received an advertisement in my mailbox (my real one, attached to my house, not a virtual one on my computer) offering me ‘instant happiness in London’. It was from a large bank and multi-national department store.

I didn’t know instant happiness could be so easy, nor that it could be provided by a bank and a store!  My curiosity piqued, I read that instant happiness was being able to save 5% (large colourful print) on the little things I need and the big things that I want.  And if I couldn’t actually pay for those little things I needed or the big things I really wanted (but couldn’t afford) within 21 days, it would only cost me 19.99%. (smaller print on the back).

 Houston, we have a problem!  And it aint just pay day loans.

It seems everybody is familiar with the television entity that is Storage Wars.  This reality show follows professional bidders trying to get their hands on storage lockers that have been abandoned, repossessed, or forgotten.  Sometimes, the lockers hold old, forgotten junk but other times they hold some hidden treasures.

Not long ago, OLN network announced that Storage Wars was moving North of the border as Storage Wars Canada began production this week.  But, over at City Centre Storage and Big Box Mobile, Storage Wars London has been going on for a long time.

“We hold auctions all the time,” says Sarah Delaney of City Centre Storage and Big Box Mobile.  But this time, they decided to do something extra special that would really impact the community.

On May 4^th at City Centre Storage and Big Box Mobile’s Fanshawe Road location, the first annual Charity Auction was held.  Folks stopped by to enjoy some delicious BBQ, participate in games for the kids, hear some live music and bid on storage units that held unseen treasures.  Proceeds from the event went to Mission Services of London among other charities.  “We were all touched by what each of these charities provides to our community,” says Delaney.  “This was a way to definitely make a positive impact and to give back.”

Mission Services of London was very grateful to be on the receiving end of such a gesture.  Each branch, each program and service is made possible by the generous support of the surrounding community.  “Mission Services of London is very close to Operations Manager Ken Chapman,” Delaney explains.  “We all agreed that Mission Services of London helps our community in many different ways, bringing awareness to all they do was definitely a factor.”

When the storage lockers were emptied out, and many smiling faces had passed the gates, an astounding $8,000 was raised for Mission Services of London as well as three other charities.  These important funds will help the programs that help the hungry, the hurting and the homeless continue right here in our own community.   “The love and kindness shown from all who help out is inspiring,” says Delaney.  “We plan on making this an annual event.  We want to take the initiative to bring our community together all year round.”

We are immeasurably grateful to City Centre Store and Big Box Mobile and to everyone who participated in this fantastic event.  Until next time: Go Bid or Go Home!

For information about City Centre Storage and Big Box Mobile click HERE

For ways you can help Mission Services of London click HERE

Mission Services of London is pleased to announce the hiring of Harpreet (Pree) Turner as Finance Coordinator, effective May 13, 2013.  Pree will report to the Director of Finance and will be working as a part of the Finance Team at Head Office, with responsibilities for Accounts Receivables and Payables.  She will also provide backup support for Payroll and Benefits.

Pree graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science.  She also holds a diploma in Bookkeeping and has studied Administration Information Technology through York University.

With over 10 years of bookkeeping experience, Pree has worked for different types of companies, including Not-For-Profit organizations.  Most recently Pree worked as Controller for EyeLight Inc. in Waterloo, Ontario where she served as the head accountant and HR coordinator.  In addition to her bookkeeping skills, Pree possesses excellent IT skills and owned her own IT firm early in her career.

Please join me in welcoming Pree to Mission Services of London and providing any support or help she may need as she assumes this new role.

Mission Services of London is pleased to announce the hiring of  James Kennedy as a part-time contract Data/Administrative Assistant at Community Mental Health Programs.  This contract position will be in effect from May 6, 2013 through March 31, 2014 and will report to the Director of CMHP.

In this new role, James will provide support and assistance to the Community Mental Health Programs in the areas of data entry, information technology and scheduling of staff.

James holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Social Justice and Peace Studies/Criminology degree from the  University of Western Ontario. Over the past five years, James has served as a volunteer for Mission Services of London acting as a canteen worker and Resource Center Assistant.  Working at LUSO Community Services has provided James with a good understanding of databases and data entry, and his knowledge of computer hardware and Windows based programs has been developed over the years.

Please join me in welcoming James to Mission Services of London and giving him the support and encouragement he may need as he assumes the responsibilities of this new position.