I n T h i s I s s u e

Tree Planting in Malton

NEWSLETTER

O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

P u n j a b i C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h S e r v i c e s

Staff

Chief Executive Officer:

Baldev Mutta

Chief Operating Officer:

Amandeep Kaur

Financial Manager:

Bharat Shah

HR Manager & Executive Assistant:

Jasmin Bhalla

Operations Manager:

Asma Khan

Case Manager: Mental Health

Program:

Mandeep Grewal

Addictions Worker:

Daljit Basra

Case Manager-Integrated Seniors

Team Program:

Nirpal Bhangoo

Coordinators-Seniors Program:

Rupinder Singh, Gulwinder Bhui,

Robert Sidhu

Family Enhancement Counsellor :

Sandeep Sekhon

Volunteer Coordinator:

Teena Bhuchar

Youth Workers:

Orlando Morgan, Harpreet Dhami,

Satveer Rajania

Community Development

Coordinator-MCB Project:

Neeli Grewal

Project Coordinator- Health

Promotion:

Fazila Vaid

Settlement Counsellor :

Neelam Rampal

3. Message from the CEO and COO4. Staff Appreciation5. Community Report6-7. Malton Tree Planting8-12. Seniors Section13-14. Flyers15. New Hire16. Volunteer Program17. Peel Event Flyer18-20. Malton News22-23. Scotia Bank StartRight Contest24-25. Addictions Program News

11730 Airport Road, Brampton, ON,

L6R 0C7

Head Office

Malton Office

2829 Derry Road EastMississauga, ON,

L4T 1A5

Phone: 905.790.0808 fax: 905.790.0802 toll free 1.877.290.0808 Email: info@pchs4u.com

In ThIs Issue:

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PCHS is very excited to share that Malton Com-munity Building Project (MCBP) will be devel-oping a short 9 minutes documentary about its achievements. A filmmaker has been engaged and a one trailer will be coming out soon to showcase the Malton Community building project. We are pleased to reveal that the SAHARA Seniors Pro-gram participants are extremely talented. They are in the process of releasing a short documentary on how they developed the SAHARA Community Garden. The script was written by seniors and the seniors themselves directed and producing the video. The video is now being edited and will be released shortly. Please stay tuned for the release of these two videos.

It is very exciting that PCHS was able to partici-pate in the one day workshop to discuss the next steps in the cancer research on “cancer Screening Issues in the South Asian Community”. A com-mittee will be formed to take this project to the next step. In the near future the

findings will be released to the public and sub-sequent actions will be taken. PCHS is one of the partners with

Peel Health, St. Michaels Hospital, Cancer Care Ontario, and CIHR.PCHS is also pleased

to share that the 2nd An-nual Tree Planting event in Malton was very suc-cessful. It was part of the Malton Community Build-ing Project. It was an event which was filled with fun, dance and food. A video can also be see by clicking this video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbou1zpPZzU.

CEO presented at the OPHA conference. His presentation title was “Engaging Priority Popula-tions”. The presentation outlined the need for organizations to become culturally competent. The history of PCHS was shared with the audience and the examples of how PCHS enhances access to service by delivering its programs on Saturday and Sundays and also late evenings. Primarily, the clients needs are accommodated by professionals.

PCHS participated in another important confer-ence, which was organized by Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA). The theme of the conference was “A Diagnosis for Equity”. The conference was held at the CAMH head office in Toronto. PCHS is moving towards engaging CARF so that it can become an accredited organization. More news to follow.

Amandeep KaurCOO

CeO & COO MessAGe

Baldev Mutta CEO

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PChs sTAff APPreCIATIOn

DAyPCHS celebrated Staff Appreciation Day on Oct 12, 2011

at La Gondola Banquet & Catering. Staff enjoyed and had a

chance to know each other better.

To shape up a day different activities were organized along

with wonderful Italian Food.

· Baldev Mutta(CEO of PCHS) discussed about future direc-

tions of PCHS

· True Colors activity by Satinder Arora, CEO of Positivity

Group. Staff participated and enjoyed a lot!

· Presentation on new technology- CLOUD Computing by

Gurpreet Singh, IT Consultant

· Recognized all staff by presenting a PCHS Personalized

Mug which has employee’s name on it.

· PCHS Youth Outreach worker - Orlando Morgan taught a

few dance steps to all staff which was amazing!

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COMMunITy rePOrT

October 28, 2011

MAlTOn Tree PlAnTInG

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MAlTOn Tree PlAnTInG

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The Seniors Program has two components:

• This is a partnership program of three agencies – Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS), Supportive Housing of Peel (SHIP) and Peel Seniors Link (PSL). This program provides services to seniors in their homes who at risk but with intervention can remain at home living independently. This service will be provided in North West Brampton with a focus on promoting seniors’ health and wellness. The Integrated Seniors Team provides risk management, assessment and education, personal support services and access to supportive housing options.

• SAHARA Senior’s Program is a linguistically and culturally appropriate program for South Asian Seniors. The program supports caregivers so that seniors stay at home with dignity and care. Seniors can attend the day program which includes a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, health education and awareness, resource development and participate in the Community Garden. The program also educates seniors about falls prevention and diabetes. Seniors are assisted in organizing cultural celebrations.

News

PCHS

senIOrs

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sAhArA senIOrs PrOGrAM

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sAhArA senIOrs PrOGrAM

SAHARA Senior’s program serves to be a support group

for seniors, especially those who are staying home and

go through the feelings of loneliness and despair. In this

program seniors get a chance to share their feelings with

each other and get emotional support from the group.

To cheer them more, PCHS also celebrates their birthday

every month. Seniors enjoy when they cut the cake and

have other fun activities with other seniors. They feel that

they are special and this adds a special glow to their faces.

They also share their own life experiences in the group.

PCHS always conducts different workshops on different

topics according to their needs which are important for

them.

Here are some workshop details that were conducted in

the month of October 2011.

Oct 6th : Legal information

Oct 14th : Diabetes

Oct 21st : Meditation

Students and Volunteers in the program

PCHS also gives the opportunity to students for

placement so they get the practical experience. For this

term, SAHARA Seniors program have one student and

one volunteer. They are a tremendous help to PCHS and

SAHARA Seniors club. They have co-facilitated the group

and are doing a wonderful job.

Let us learn about their experiences in their own words:

Sachin Kumar Rabra (Placement student)

I am a Student from Sheridan College, and doing

placement at PCHS. Working with seniors, I feel like, I am

with my grandparents. As I am an international student

in Canada, serving seniors with my best efforts gives me

a feeling of back home. I am learning many things which

are generating positive passion for social service worker

field. I am enjoying my placement at PCHS.

Sneh Lata Wadhwa (Senior volunteer)

The seniors clubs run by PCHS are a great blessing

and pleasure for the elderly people. There are plenty of

facilities e.g. yoga, entertainments interaction, puzzles

word building, cracking jokes. We seniors sometimes

suffer from loneliness, depression and frustration. But

all these issues are vanished now. When we go to attend

senior’s clubs at PCHS,our minds are diverted and forget

all our worries and anxieties.

Our group leader Gulwinder Bhui is a gentle, soft spoken

lady. She is understanding and always has a smiling face.

She pays a lot of attention. She deserves our praise for the

efforts in treating with affection. We are grateful to PCHS

for all these activities. May God bless all these seniors

clubs and all those who conduct them?

I hope and i pray that some more benefits will be given to

all these seniors in the future to come.

GOD BLESS PCHS

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sAhArA senIOrs

COrnerAn Overview of a focus group conducted with sahara seniors

Sahara Seniors Program at Mississauga organized by

PCHS had a wonderful and exciting Thursday group

on 20th October, 2011. At the start of the meeting, the

coordinator Gulwinder Bhui announced that we would

enjoy our schedule routine of Yoga for half an hour

followed by a tea break for 15 minutes. The exciting

news was that Asma Khan, Operations Manager of

PCHS would conduct a special interesting event for the

seniors.

Asma arrived with a producer along with some camera

crew. She announced that a local TV channel will be

shooting a documentary film on a very burning topic.

She also requested all the seniors to participate in the

program and share their valuable experiences.

The topic was: “Why South Asian Women are under

pressure/stress to produce male child only”

Since it was a very interesting topic,so the discussion

took place for about two hours to cover the subject.

Almost all senior ladies as well as gents participated

in the talk and considered it a great social evil. Their

revealing was an eye opener because it was so elaborate

and minutely explained whereby one can presume that

majority of them have got the taste of this evil at some

point in their lives.. Moreover, their active participation

in the discussion also brought to light how the seniors

value such programs.

On the basis of various intricacies explained on the

subject, we can sum up few of the reasons for this

pressure or the fear of having girls and dealing with

issues as follows:

SOCIAL ASPECT

1. Demand for dowry

It is an evil and is deeply rooted in the society. This

menace has ruined and shattered many families and in

certain cases even death has taken place.

2. Honour killing

This menace is also prevalent to large extent in many

communities. If a girl marries in another community

under compulsion or love marriage, is punished

severely, even killed and in some cases forced to

commit suicide.

3.Personal Safety

It relates to fear of rape and kidnapping of girls every

day.

4.Aborting female foetus

Ultrasound is a method that shows the foetus’ gender

and if it is found that the pregnant lady is bearing

female foetus then abortion is forced on her.

ECONOMIC ASPECT

1. Marriage Celebration

To celebrate marriage 4-5 parties are arranged for the

entertainment of the guests like Engagement party,

Mehndi celebration, Reception party etc. which is co

expensive for normal families.

2. Recurring Expenses for life

Customs require that daughters and her in-laws be

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An Overview of a focus group conducted with sahara seniors

given gifts, sweets on most of the festivals occasion and

at child birth that again becomes a burden for parents.

STATUS ASPECT

Lavish spending on clothes and jewellery and

Entertainment extravaganza on marriages are just Show

of Economic Status/Political Status or Social Status.

Such spending has various repercussions on the poor

and middle class families who cannot afford.

EDUCATIONAL ASPECT

Majority of people in the South Asian culture

discriminate among their children. They look after and

educate their male progeny well but hardly care about

their female off spring. They consider waste of money

on educating their female children because they have

to give away their daughters in marriage and they will

be part of her in- laws family and mostly performing

household duties there.

MODERN TREND

Currently, the picture is not that gloomy and has

improved with time. Still some areas or communities

in the South Asian culture rely on their heritage ideas

but as a result of spread of education and awareness

of modernity, many families have shed their long

established practices and now caring their progeny

equally for all purposes and educating them well.

Developed areas in the region is moving ahead and

acquiring modern skills and understanding. Some

Governments in the area are also contributing a lot and

have passed laws for compulsory female education,

thus helping the poor families to educate their children.

Some social organizations are also participating along

with governments providing incentives to those

students and researchers who have excelled in various

fields of modern education and technology. Children

in the area are competing in all the fields of education

and contributing in the uplift of the country as well as

playing a major role in the world development.

At 4:00 pm, the meeting ended and all senior thanked

PCHS Organization for its welfare activities for the

community.

We look forward to participate in more activities like

these!

MULKH RAJ MONGAMember of Sahara Seniors Program, Mississauga

A panel of speakers will share their journey in civic engagement of diverse communities in the areas of governance, operation and policy making within their Institutions & organizations.

Municipalities

Public Sector Institutions

Community Organizations

A panel of speakers from Foundations & Community Initiatives that promote equity and inclusion will present the resources available to support Institutions & Organizations

Launch of a Resource Tool for Institutions & Organizations: Collection of Existing

Resources & Best Practices

Prosperous Peel: From Integration to Inclusion

Keynote Speaker: Ratna Omidvar, President

Maytree Foundation

Partners:

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 8.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Location: Peel District School Board, 5650 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ON L5R 1C6

Presents

Immigrant Civic Engagement: A Conference for Institutions/Organizations in Peel

Funded by:

Diversity Best Practices Resources For Institutions

Mayors, Municipal Councillors, MPs, MPPs, City Managers, Commissioners, Policy Changers, Board of Directors, CEOs, Executive Directors, Senior Management Staff from Institutions & Organizations

Who Should Attend? RSVP By Monday, October 31, 2011

To Seerit Samran At 905-276-0008 Ext. 112 or ssamran@unitedwaypeel.org

Registration & Breakfast: 8.30 - 9.00 a.m.

This event is sponsored by the Government of Ontario

13

A panel of speakers will share their journey in civic engagement of diverse communities in the areas of governance, operation and policy making within their Institutions & organizations.

Municipalities

Public Sector Institutions

Community Organizations

A panel of speakers from Foundations & Community Initiatives that promote equity and inclusion will present the resources available to support Institutions & Organizations

Launch of a Resource Tool for Institutions & Organizations: Collection of Existing

Resources & Best Practices

Prosperous Peel: From Integration to Inclusion

Keynote Speaker: Ratna Omidvar, President

Maytree Foundation

Partners:

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 8.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Location: Peel District School Board, 5650 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ON L5R 1C6

Presents

Immigrant Civic Engagement: A Conference for Institutions/Organizations in Peel

Funded by:

Diversity Best Practices Resources For Institutions

Mayors, Municipal Councillors, MPs, MPPs, City Managers, Commissioners, Policy Changers, Board of Directors, CEOs, Executive Directors, Senior Management Staff from Institutions & Organizations

Who Should Attend? RSVP By Monday, October 31, 2011

To Seerit Samran At 905-276-0008 Ext. 112 or ssamran@unitedwaypeel.org

Registration & Breakfast: 8.30 - 9.00 a.m.

This event is sponsored by the Government of Ontario

FREE

CPR Skills & AED Awareness Event for South Asian Families

Saturday, November 26, 2011. From 11:00 am - 2:00 pm At: Mississauga Valley Community Centre,

1275 Mississauga Valley Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5A 3R8

Community Partners: To register call: 416-489-7111 ext. 437 or email: fali@hsf.on.ca

(A light lunch will be served)

Supported by: First 100 participants will receive a free Heart&Stroke

CPR Anytime™ Family & Friends™ kit. (One per family per household valued at $40)

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new hIres

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My name is Teena Bhuchar, I am currently enrolled in the Family and Community Social Service program at the University of Guelph Humber. I was a placement student at Punjabi Community Health Services for a year. I worked with the Addictions team, and Family Enhancement, and now I got hired as a Volunteer Co-coordinator. At PCHS, as a placement student, I got the opportunity to gain experience and help the South Asian community. I look forward to helping new volunteers enhance their learning in the field of Social work by getting them to volunteer in different programs.

Teena BhucharVolunteer Coordinator

VOlunTeer PrOGrAM

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PCHS sponsored Shanjot Singh and Satvinder Mutta to particpate the the annual PEEL 5k walk and run fundraiser. They Placed 66th and 62nd finished in under 30 minutes.

Ontario’s new Accessibility Standard for Customer Service is not only about physical changes to your premises.

It’s also about providing good customer service to everyone.

Join Peel’s business community to find out how Ontario’s new accessibility laws affect your business, and learn how to increase your customer base.

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011Embassy Grand Convention CentreBrampton, ON7:30 - 11:30 a.m.

In celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

In Partnership With:

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The Youth Centre Program provides services to Youth from the South Asian and the Black community. Research has indicated that Youth are experiencing problems in the areas of education, relationships and career development. Some South Asian and Black Youth are involved in drug use, gang activities & violence. PCHS has developed a collaborative approach in addressing these concerns. Two Youth Outreach Workers, one for the South Asian and the other for the Black community are available to help youth from both communities.

MAlTOn yOuTh Centre

InItIatIve

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MAlTOn COMMunITy

BuIlDInG PrOjeCT

In the month of October there were a lot of exciting events and trainings happening. MCBP in collaboration with Toronto and Region Conservation, Evergreen, and the City of Mississauga or-ganized a community tree plant-ing event. The event was held on October 1st, 2011 at Victory Hall. In this event we had over 100 participants and 33 volun-teers. The participants planted over 200 trees within a very short period of time. Everyone was well engaged in the event and enjoyed all the activities of the day.

MCBP in collaboration with the City of Mississauga and the Neighbouring High Schools in Malton planned strategically to recruit candidates for the Lead-ers in Training Program. The Applications were being filled

out by students for 1 week and then the recruitment procedure started where interviews were conducted. 70 youth raised their attention to the LIT Program however only 30 youth with be recruited. The training will begin on November 3rd, 2011.

On October 30th, 2011, MCBP hosted a Halloween Event at the Malton Community Centre. This event was targeted towards ages 12 and under. It was a very successful event, over 50 kids at-tended with their parents. There was free face painting, crafts, treats, games, and music. All chil-dren were required to wear their costumes to this event.

The Maytree Buiding Blocks Training Program took place on October 24th and 25th, at the Yorkdale Community Arts Cen-

tre, Toronto. The training was at-tended by some 15 leaders from different community groups and organisations across GTA. The leaders were given an in depth training about the working of the governments at the three levels – federal, provincial and municipal. The training aimed at providing the participants with an understanding of the func-tionalities of the governments and that how they could use this tool in bringing about a signifi-cant change in their communities or for dealing with the issues of their communities. The leaders would also attend a follow up training session in Jan/ Feb of 2012, whereby they would be provided with the resources and tools to further train their com-munity members.

Tree PlantingLIT RecruitmentHalloween EventMaytree Building Blocks

PCHS is thrilled to announce The Expressive Arts Studio is supported by Telus Toronto Community Board and desiFEST. With their generous donations, we are able to create a space for Youth to come and explore their artistic side through various forms of art.

The benefit of the Expressive Arts Studio to the community is tremendous. There is no other facility like this available. It provides a safe haven that is completely dedicated to Youth and their pursuit of the arts. They have an opportunity to use their culture as content or inspiration to contribute to the rest of the community and region. Youth also, have access to successful professionals from the arts who will be able to mentor them and share their experiences dealing with challenges and rewards. There is a substantial value for individuals to have various art forms to work through their frustrations, tell their story, and in the end to have a visual representation of themselves to share. These Youth feel that they don’t have anyone who is listening to them and supporting their ambitions - this program will have both the staff (mentors) and technical expertise to show the Youth that PCHS cares and wants them to succeed.

The

ExprEssivE ArTs sTuDIO

COMING SOON

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Join us at the 4th Annual South Asian Diabetes Expo

diabetes.ca 1-800-BANTING (226-8464)

Community partner: Media partners:

Date: Saturday, November 19, 2011

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Sagan Convention Centre & Banquet Hall 7180 Edwards Boulevard Mississauga, ON L5S 1Z1

Contact Information: Register now at 416-408-7190 and be entered in an early bird draw! Diabetes.ca/south-asian-expo.

Expo highlights:• EnjoykeynotepresentationsonDiabetes And HypertensionbyDr.AllyPrebtani,endocrinologist,and

onDiabetes, You Are Not Alone! Empowering Families & Communities On Diabetes by Dr.NikhilRajaram.

• Freebloodglucoseandbloodpressuretestingaswellaswaistmeasurement.

• DiscoverThe Salt Connection To Hypertension & StrokebyAartiKalra,registereddietitian,followedbyDecoding Eating Out At RestaurantsbyChefSivaSwaminathan.

• DiabetesSelf-ManagementPanelDiscussionwithahostofhealthcareexperts.

• InteractiveYMCAandBollywoodfitnessdemonstrations!

• Exhibitorareaofferingdiabetesproductsandservicesaswellasopportunitytoaskquestionsofhealthcareprofessionals.

ThiseventissupportedbyaneducationgrantfromEliLillyCanadaInc.

FREE admission, parking and door prizes. Light refreshments and lunch provided.

Advertorial

accounts and accessing government programs.

“I try to go the extra mile to help customers understand the services available to them,” concludes Heather. “I’ve been in their shoes and I know one can achieve independence by talking to trusted advisers, doing research and helping yourself.”

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Responsible credit use helps newcomers attain independence

Heather Soares remembers teaching her daughters to be independent in their new Canadian surroundings. “When we realized the supermarket didn’t offer bags or home delivery, the girls ran home for the luggage trolley,” laughs Heather, who moved her two teenagers to Mississauga, Ontario from Pune, India.

Determined to build a future for her girls, Heather was hesitant to accept the guest room of a friend, or a credit card from her bank, since she wanted to avoid dependence. “I soon learned to accept help from good people, and that credit is part of life here,” recalls Heather, who worked at a major bank in India where credit cards were not viewed favourably.

“I was ready to do anything, and soon realized that there were options available,” adds Heather. She juggled a temporary job at a big box store alongside her eldest daughter, upgraded her skills at the Peel Mentoring Partnership for internationally trained professionals, and studied during her bus commute. Through ACCES, a program sponsored in-part by Scotiabank, which assists job seekers new to Canada, Heather was able to write her Canadian Securities exam at no cost, and find a job at Scotiabank a year after arriving in Canada.

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For example, she advises them to be mindful of interest rates, avoid carrying a balance and to make the minimum monthly payment on time, to preserve their credit scores. She also helps them choose the right credit card features for their needs.

Heather also counsels immigrants about saving for their goals, like a new car or home ownership, by starting to save with higher-interest savings

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Heather Soares shares crucial financial lessons with her daughters, and with new Canadians who visit her branch.

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ADDICTIOnsSOUTH ASIAN ADDICTIONS PROGRAM

The South Asian Addiction Program provides help and support to clients who are dealing with the problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse. The Case Manager completes assessment and provides one to one counselling to the individuals including their family members. In addition, the clients are supported through a group program, a day programs, relapse prevention program, family enhancement program, women’s group program and current disorders group program.

ADDICTIOns

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South ASiAn AddictionS

ProgrAmAlcoholIn our society, culture has made the use of alcohol a social norm. It

is socially accepted for men to drink during celebrations and happy

occasions. It is now socially accepted to drink daily in the evenings

to relax after a hard work day.

Alcohol is a depressant drug. That means it slows down the parts of

your brain that affect your thinking and behaviour, as well as your

breathing and heart rate.

The problems that come with the use of alcohol is not talked about.

Alcohol has many effects…

- Physical health – Brain, liver, kidneys, pancreas, esauphagus, etc

- Mental Health – can lead to depression, alcohol induced psychosis,

etc

- Family – increased tension in the home, change in the roles of fam-

ily members, experimentation by the children

- Finances

…and the list goes on

In a 2008 survey, 77 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older re-

ported drinking alcohol in the past year. Another survey, of adults

aged 18 and older; found that alcohol use in Ontario had increased

from 78 per cent in 2006 to 82 per cent in 2007. This increase was

especially evident among women.

Even though Ontario’s laws restrict alcohol use to those 19 years of

age and older, many young people drink. A 2009 survey of Ontario

students in grades 7 to 12 found that 58 per cent had used alcohol in

the past year, and 23 per cent had been drunk at least once in the past

month.

It’s important to understand these numbers and changes that are oc-

curring in the generations to come.

Punjabi Community Health Services has programs that are available

to help those that not only have problems associated with alcohol use

but also for the concerned family members, relatives and friends.

1. South Asian Addictions Program – makes assessments and refer-

rals to appropriate services including withdrawal management and

rehabilitation treatment. This is a case management program.

2. South Asian Addictions Group Program – is a psycho-educational

group program that provides education on addictions; to better

understand what it is, all of its components and how to manage and

change the pattern of use.

3. Sahara Men’s Group – is a psycho-educational group that focuses

on both substance use and anger management – concentration on

how to manage the problems within a marriage.

4. SAHARA Relapse Prevention Program – This group program

helps clients manage their sobriety by helping one another

5. Family Enhancement Program – This program is essentially cou-

ples counselling where the husband and wife are offered a platform

to understand each other and build skills together.

If you have any questions or would like an appointment, you can con-

tact the addictions department at PCHS at 905.677.0889, Ext 238.

Karindeep GrewalAddictions Case Manager

Send all newsletter related tips, suggestions, requests to:

jasmin@pchs4u.com

Punjabi Community Health Services has created an E-ZINE Newsletter to allow service providers and community partners to interact and stay connected, while simultaneously reducing paper usage.

Culturally appropriate services provided in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu by PCHS staff in the areas of:

Mental Health, Addictions, Seniors Issues, Parenting, Domestic Violence, Health Promotion Programs,

and Community Building Initiatives.