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Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
3,000-kilometre march for PTSD makes a stop in Kingston
Article content After months on the road, Chad Kennedy brought his Sea to Sea for PTSD mission to Kingston, aiming to inspire awareness for those struggling. Article content Kennedy, a former law enforcement officer, made a stop at the Echelon Wellness Kingston clinic on Aug. 8 during his 2025 Sea to Sea for PTSD walk. The annual summer walk starts in St. John's, Newfoundland, and ends in Pelee Island, Ontario, to raise awareness for those struggling with PTSD — an initiative he started back in 2022. Article content Article content In 2018, Kennedy was diagnosed with PTSD, which worsened after being one of the first responders on the scene of the Columbia Ice Fields bus crash on July 18, 2020. In an interview with the Whig, he touched on his experience with PTSD and what kept him going. Article content Article content 'On August 2 of 2020, I had my suicide plan,' Kennedy said. 'I was [going] to follow through [but] my dad, who's got Complex PTSD through the RCMP, was sort of my [motivation]. If I were to follow through with my suicide mission, I'd be letting down my dad.' Article content The walk aims to raise both awareness and funds, with this year's donations supporting Can Praxis, a veteran-run organization in Alberta offering equine and psychological therapy for families. Article content 'There's a program going on now called Breaking the Cycle, which is family based. So mom, dad and the kids fly out to Alberta at no cost, they're put up at no cost, and they get a weekend of education and healing together.' Article content Kennedy said inspiration for his cross-country efforts comes from the communities he meets and the legacy of Terry Fox. Article content 'All the days I want to quit, I think back to 'what would Terry Fox do?'' he said. Article content Article content Kennedy also hopes to start a scholarship program for young people who have lost a parent to suicide. Article content His Kingston visit was part of a partnership with Echelon Wellness, a clinic serving veterans and RCMP members with no service fees. Article content 'Kingston is a place I've never been, and we've got great partners such as Echelon wellness and CannaConnect, so it was a no brainer. The people that support us, we've got to support back,' Kennedy said. 'They're labeled on the truck, we're proud to carry their name around, and next year I'm hoping for bigger and better things.' Article content For Echelon's veteran ambassadors, Patti Pots and Bruce Frampton, the partnership with Sea to Sea for PTSD is about more than sponsorship — it's about having a shared purpose. Article content 'Anytime you have the opportunity to partner with a cause like Sea to Sea, it's about growing their network and our network and it keeps expanding and growing. To be able to put a face on mental health, it's relatable, it makes people feel more comfortable, it continues to break stigma,' Potts said.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
International Day of Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict 2025: Know the date, theme, history, and significance
International Day of Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict 2025: Sexual violence during armed wars is classified as a war crime, a crime against humanity, and a genocide under international law, all of which impede and threaten world peace and security. As a result, the United Nations General Assembly established International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19, 2015. The day was designated to commemorate the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008) on June 19, 2008, which denounced sexual assault as a war strategy and a barrier to peacebuilding. Fear and cultural shame continue to impede the great majority of survivors of conflict-related sexual assault from reporting such victimisation, with according to UN field practitioners, 10 to 20 occurrences of rape reported during a war go unrecorded. This day raises awareness about the need to eliminate conflict-related sexual violence, honour and stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of sexual assault globally, and the ones who have courageously dedicated and sacrificed their lives campaigning for the abolition of such crimes. This year will mark 11th year of the observance, falling on Thursday, June 19, 2025, under the theme of Breaking the Cycle, Healing the Scars: Addressing the Intergenerational Effects of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence which seeks to instil hope, knowledge, and inspiration as the globe raises its voice to declare, '#EndRapeInWar'. This year's focus is on the significant and long-lasting intergenerational traumas caused by conflict-related sexual assault, as highlighted in the message of António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General. According to the UN, the term 'conflict-related sexual violence' can be defined as rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilisation, forced marriage, and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated. For too many women and children, war is not over when it's over. Its effects echo long after the final battle and far beyond the battlefield. We see it in the eyes of survivors, in the children born of war, and, in fractured families. — UN Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (@endrapeinwar) June 18, 2025 It also includes human trafficking, which occurs in conflict contexts for sexual assault or exploitation. All these can be defined as and are examples of 'conflict-related sexual violence' against women, men, girls, or boys, and are directly or indirectly linked to a conflict.
The Advertiser
05-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Homeless ex-con turned his life around and now helps others do the same
When Ashley Smith woke up from his third overdose, he knew something had to give. Finding himself in and out of jail, homeless and abusing substances, Mr Smith was left with nothing. But he knew one thing: life had more to offer. "I thought, I've got to do something with my life - being in prison, living on the streets, drinking in parks, there had to be something bigger," Mr Smith said. Growing up in a troubled family, Mr Smith said most of his family were in jail. After a domestic violence incident involving his mother and stepfather a few years ago, Mr Smith's mother was sentenced to long-term imprisonment. As a result, Mr Smith was evicted from the home where he had been living for ten years and became homeless. "I lived on the street for about 12 months, I've lived behind skip bins, in a safe space shelter, I've been to prison five times, it got to the point that I thought it was normal," he said. After numerous stints in rehab and multiple attempts at treatment in facilities across Australia, Mr Smith made the decision to turn his life around for good 12 months ago after an almost fatal overdose. A few weeks ago, he returned from Melbourne, where he spent two months in a sober house. He's since secured housing in Launceston and started a business cleaning solar panels. But there was still something he had to do - give back. "I want to give back now. I feel like it's my purpose now to help the youth and the community," he said. Mr Smith made it his mission to supply the homeless community in Launceston, TAS, with kits and uses his Facebook page - Breaking the Cycle Tassie - to advocate for positive lifestyle change. "I engage with the homeless community and have a chat," he said. "The kits could include tents, blowup mattresses, hand warmers, beanies, socks, undies." Using his story to inspire others, Mr Smith's advocacy has helped him just as much as it's helped others. "I met a bloke with his 14-year-old kid who is homeless. He actually follows me on TikTok, and he thanked me for helping him," he said. "It's crazy. I go into the CBD and I get at least two people who want to shake my hand." With first-hand experience of homelessness, Mr Smith said substance abuse was often a path those sleeping rough went down. He urged the community to be more understanding of people's circumstances. "It's the cold, alcohol helps people go to sleep and stay asleep," he said. "People say they should 'get a job', but you can't on four hours of sleep. In weather like this, you wake up soaked, and you have to find somewhere to shower. "All you want to do is block it all out, drink and use drugs." 'Don't give up' Mr Smith said he wanted to show people, especially youth, that they can "break the cycle" of criminality, drug and alcohol use, they are born into. "You can break that cycle, even if you come from disadvantaged families - you've got to put your head down and work hard, he said. "Don't give up, there is hope. If I can do it, anybody can." With his life together, Mr Smith said he felt better than he ever has, and although some days are harder than others, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm 74 days clean and sober, and it feels good. My head feels so clear, I can think properly, it's great," he said. When Ashley Smith woke up from his third overdose, he knew something had to give. Finding himself in and out of jail, homeless and abusing substances, Mr Smith was left with nothing. But he knew one thing: life had more to offer. "I thought, I've got to do something with my life - being in prison, living on the streets, drinking in parks, there had to be something bigger," Mr Smith said. Growing up in a troubled family, Mr Smith said most of his family were in jail. After a domestic violence incident involving his mother and stepfather a few years ago, Mr Smith's mother was sentenced to long-term imprisonment. As a result, Mr Smith was evicted from the home where he had been living for ten years and became homeless. "I lived on the street for about 12 months, I've lived behind skip bins, in a safe space shelter, I've been to prison five times, it got to the point that I thought it was normal," he said. After numerous stints in rehab and multiple attempts at treatment in facilities across Australia, Mr Smith made the decision to turn his life around for good 12 months ago after an almost fatal overdose. A few weeks ago, he returned from Melbourne, where he spent two months in a sober house. He's since secured housing in Launceston and started a business cleaning solar panels. But there was still something he had to do - give back. "I want to give back now. I feel like it's my purpose now to help the youth and the community," he said. Mr Smith made it his mission to supply the homeless community in Launceston, TAS, with kits and uses his Facebook page - Breaking the Cycle Tassie - to advocate for positive lifestyle change. "I engage with the homeless community and have a chat," he said. "The kits could include tents, blowup mattresses, hand warmers, beanies, socks, undies." Using his story to inspire others, Mr Smith's advocacy has helped him just as much as it's helped others. "I met a bloke with his 14-year-old kid who is homeless. He actually follows me on TikTok, and he thanked me for helping him," he said. "It's crazy. I go into the CBD and I get at least two people who want to shake my hand." With first-hand experience of homelessness, Mr Smith said substance abuse was often a path those sleeping rough went down. He urged the community to be more understanding of people's circumstances. "It's the cold, alcohol helps people go to sleep and stay asleep," he said. "People say they should 'get a job', but you can't on four hours of sleep. In weather like this, you wake up soaked, and you have to find somewhere to shower. "All you want to do is block it all out, drink and use drugs." 'Don't give up' Mr Smith said he wanted to show people, especially youth, that they can "break the cycle" of criminality, drug and alcohol use, they are born into. "You can break that cycle, even if you come from disadvantaged families - you've got to put your head down and work hard, he said. "Don't give up, there is hope. If I can do it, anybody can." With his life together, Mr Smith said he felt better than he ever has, and although some days are harder than others, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm 74 days clean and sober, and it feels good. My head feels so clear, I can think properly, it's great," he said. When Ashley Smith woke up from his third overdose, he knew something had to give. Finding himself in and out of jail, homeless and abusing substances, Mr Smith was left with nothing. But he knew one thing: life had more to offer. "I thought, I've got to do something with my life - being in prison, living on the streets, drinking in parks, there had to be something bigger," Mr Smith said. Growing up in a troubled family, Mr Smith said most of his family were in jail. After a domestic violence incident involving his mother and stepfather a few years ago, Mr Smith's mother was sentenced to long-term imprisonment. As a result, Mr Smith was evicted from the home where he had been living for ten years and became homeless. "I lived on the street for about 12 months, I've lived behind skip bins, in a safe space shelter, I've been to prison five times, it got to the point that I thought it was normal," he said. After numerous stints in rehab and multiple attempts at treatment in facilities across Australia, Mr Smith made the decision to turn his life around for good 12 months ago after an almost fatal overdose. A few weeks ago, he returned from Melbourne, where he spent two months in a sober house. He's since secured housing in Launceston and started a business cleaning solar panels. But there was still something he had to do - give back. "I want to give back now. I feel like it's my purpose now to help the youth and the community," he said. Mr Smith made it his mission to supply the homeless community in Launceston, TAS, with kits and uses his Facebook page - Breaking the Cycle Tassie - to advocate for positive lifestyle change. "I engage with the homeless community and have a chat," he said. "The kits could include tents, blowup mattresses, hand warmers, beanies, socks, undies." Using his story to inspire others, Mr Smith's advocacy has helped him just as much as it's helped others. "I met a bloke with his 14-year-old kid who is homeless. He actually follows me on TikTok, and he thanked me for helping him," he said. "It's crazy. I go into the CBD and I get at least two people who want to shake my hand." With first-hand experience of homelessness, Mr Smith said substance abuse was often a path those sleeping rough went down. He urged the community to be more understanding of people's circumstances. "It's the cold, alcohol helps people go to sleep and stay asleep," he said. "People say they should 'get a job', but you can't on four hours of sleep. In weather like this, you wake up soaked, and you have to find somewhere to shower. "All you want to do is block it all out, drink and use drugs." 'Don't give up' Mr Smith said he wanted to show people, especially youth, that they can "break the cycle" of criminality, drug and alcohol use, they are born into. "You can break that cycle, even if you come from disadvantaged families - you've got to put your head down and work hard, he said. "Don't give up, there is hope. If I can do it, anybody can." With his life together, Mr Smith said he felt better than he ever has, and although some days are harder than others, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm 74 days clean and sober, and it feels good. My head feels so clear, I can think properly, it's great," he said. When Ashley Smith woke up from his third overdose, he knew something had to give. Finding himself in and out of jail, homeless and abusing substances, Mr Smith was left with nothing. But he knew one thing: life had more to offer. "I thought, I've got to do something with my life - being in prison, living on the streets, drinking in parks, there had to be something bigger," Mr Smith said. Growing up in a troubled family, Mr Smith said most of his family were in jail. After a domestic violence incident involving his mother and stepfather a few years ago, Mr Smith's mother was sentenced to long-term imprisonment. As a result, Mr Smith was evicted from the home where he had been living for ten years and became homeless. "I lived on the street for about 12 months, I've lived behind skip bins, in a safe space shelter, I've been to prison five times, it got to the point that I thought it was normal," he said. After numerous stints in rehab and multiple attempts at treatment in facilities across Australia, Mr Smith made the decision to turn his life around for good 12 months ago after an almost fatal overdose. A few weeks ago, he returned from Melbourne, where he spent two months in a sober house. He's since secured housing in Launceston and started a business cleaning solar panels. But there was still something he had to do - give back. "I want to give back now. I feel like it's my purpose now to help the youth and the community," he said. Mr Smith made it his mission to supply the homeless community in Launceston, TAS, with kits and uses his Facebook page - Breaking the Cycle Tassie - to advocate for positive lifestyle change. "I engage with the homeless community and have a chat," he said. "The kits could include tents, blowup mattresses, hand warmers, beanies, socks, undies." Using his story to inspire others, Mr Smith's advocacy has helped him just as much as it's helped others. "I met a bloke with his 14-year-old kid who is homeless. He actually follows me on TikTok, and he thanked me for helping him," he said. "It's crazy. I go into the CBD and I get at least two people who want to shake my hand." With first-hand experience of homelessness, Mr Smith said substance abuse was often a path those sleeping rough went down. He urged the community to be more understanding of people's circumstances. "It's the cold, alcohol helps people go to sleep and stay asleep," he said. "People say they should 'get a job', but you can't on four hours of sleep. In weather like this, you wake up soaked, and you have to find somewhere to shower. "All you want to do is block it all out, drink and use drugs." 'Don't give up' Mr Smith said he wanted to show people, especially youth, that they can "break the cycle" of criminality, drug and alcohol use, they are born into. "You can break that cycle, even if you come from disadvantaged families - you've got to put your head down and work hard, he said. "Don't give up, there is hope. If I can do it, anybody can." With his life together, Mr Smith said he felt better than he ever has, and although some days are harder than others, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm 74 days clean and sober, and it feels good. My head feels so clear, I can think properly, it's great," he said.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘It requires a North Star': advocates say ‘Recovery First' ordinance combats SF's unhoused crisis
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Mayor Daniel Lurie said San Francisco has marked a 'major step forward in the belief that recovery is possible,' after he signed new 'Recovery First' legislation on Friday. The bill — sponsored by District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey — aims to tackle the city's long-standing behavioral health and unhoused crisis. 'Since day one, our administration has been working to reshape how the city addresses homelessness, mental health, and addiction,' said Mayor Lurie in a news release. 'This ordinance reflects what we would want for our loved ones, if they were, or if they are, struggling.' 'By enacting 'Recovery First' into law, San Francisco is finally aligning our drug policy goal with what any of us would wish for a loved one struggling with addiction — a self-directed and healthy life, free from illicit drug use,' added Supervisor Dorsey, who has long been outspoken about his own personal drug addiction and recovery. Local advocates are applauding the progress at change. 'San Francisco's overdose death rates, especially among the city's Black residents, have reached devastating levels,' said the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions in a statement to KRON4. 'This is a crisis that demands more than temporary fixes. It requires a North Star.' 'By prioritizing long-term recovery — free of illicit drugs — expanding access to treatment, and creating real pathways to sobriety and independence, we can offer people more than survival, we can help them rebuild their lives,' said Steve Adami, Executive Director of the Way Out. SF to end free distribution of fentanyl paraphernalia without treatment The ordinance follows other recent action under the $37.5 million-funded Breaking the Cycle plan from Mayor Lurie to tackle issues impacting the city, including the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. Mayor Lurie unveils first big haul of private funds to address homelessness
Mayor Daniel Lurie has raised $37.5 million from wealthy donors to address San Francisco's homelessness and behavioral health crises, making good on one of his early pledges to supplement taxpayer funds by tapping private dollars to clean up streets and get more people into treatment and housing. Money generated by the public-private partnership, which is named the Breaking the Cycle Fund, will be used to acquire, build and open new interim shelter and treatment beds and to enhance supportive services to help people address addiction and mental health challenges, Lurie said Thursday. While the funds are not insignificant, they aren't transformative. The city is facing a two-year $818 million deficit, which Lurie's administration is working to close through its proposed budget, which will be unveiled in about a month. Lurie has initial commitments of $11 million from Tipping Point Community, $10 million from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, $10 million from the Crankstart Foundation, $6 million from Keith and Priscilla Geeslin and $500,000 from the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. He called those donations 'a great start' but said that they were 'not the end.' The $11 million commitment from Tipping Point was already announced. Those funds will pay for a pilot program aimed at preventing homelessness among families, which skyrocketed over the past few years amid a surge in migrants. 'In order for San Francisco to recover, we must tackle the homelessness and behavioral health crisis we face alongside the historic budget deficit we inherited,' Lurie said at a press conference Thursday morning. 'We must learn to do more with less, and that's going to require an unprecedented all-hands-on-deck approach — an effort designed to reach across sectors and silos and one that brings to bear all the talents, innovation and expertise of this incredible city.' Katie Schwab Paige, board chair and president of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, said the foundation was 'proud to support this vital effort.' 'As longtime supporters of the fight against homelessness in San Francisco, we believe the Breaking the Cycle Fund presents a unique opportunity to address our city's homelessness and behavioral health crises,' she said in a statement. The San Francisco Foundation will oversee the fund, which will be spent in coordination with the mayor's office. Under state and city laws, officials will be required to report all donations through the fund to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Legislation crafted by Lurie and approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year allowed the creation of the fund, making it easier to cut red tape and fundraise for initiatives related to homelessness, addiction treatment and mental health services. Mark Mazza, who helps lead the city's new neighborhood-based street teams, said expanding beds and improving the behavioral health system were critically needed. Most days, he said his teams run out of beds to offer people on the streets by lunchtime. 'The announcement today is exciting,' he said, 'and a step in the right direction.'
