Know your facts before you Assume

I would Just like to start by saying, all the people that have helped Santa gain in the last week since the Santa challenge started , Thank you so much , I owe you a great deal of praise for all of your efforts. As I write this we are looking at just 600 followers remain in order to win the Santa Challenge. A HUGE thank you and all of my respect goes out to @bowmovers who had approached me with this idea for charity. As I had stated previously, it does not matter who wins, the best part is we are all talking about helping charities and bringing more awareness to the social issues that we all face.

I am pleased to announce that the BBQ for Mental Health and disabilities was a great success. Through peoples generous donations we were able to provide 1 gift for each and every one that attended. That was the whole goal; make sure that all clients leave the BBQ feeling like a winner. I do realize that some of you would have liked to help and donate, but I would not have felt right taking more gifts than we would have needed plus you did help by spreading the word and supporting Santa along the way.

One area I wanted to touch on this week was in regards to a comment made by a couple of people on Twitter that @ FVsecretsanta and the contest were a scam and just a ploy to gain more followers. I found these comments to be uncalled for and offensive. As @FVSecretSanta I have put my name on many different causes and charities over the past 7 years (see my previous Santa Blogs and so many that I do not publish)  I would never use this social media forum for anything but spreading a positive message and to try and encourage the fair and equal treatment of every member of our communities though some would . I know there may be some people that have some doubts as to what I do and why I do it, please I wish you could come and spend a day with me when I am out on a fundraising mission. The feeling that you get when you can help a person in need or when watching the confidence in someone grow when they have none is such an amazing feeling. Most of the people that I work with and work for receive a living allowance of under $100.00 per month. Hand them a movie ticket that costs $12.00 and see the reaction, take them to a football or baseball game that tickets cost $40.00 and see the smile that is created and you will know the feeling I get when I am able to secure these kinds of items through generous donations. Yes all of these items may general items for you and me and may cost money, but these people can’t afford them. The ability to give the less fortunate 3 hours or even 5 minutes to feel like they are a normal member of society is absolutely PRICELESS . If you know someone with a Disability or see a person with a Mental Health issue just remember it is not their fault , they did not ask to be stigmatized, they did not ask to be treated as less than human. If you ask anyone with a disability all they ever want is to be treated just like everyone else, be afforded the same opportunities, to be thought of as productive member of society.

So to the people that expressed they thought that @FVSecretSanta only wants to get as many people as I can on twitter, I don’t need a million followers to continue doing what I do, I was FVSecretSanta before twitter, I will be FVSecretSanta after twitter and I strongly think that an apology to all the charities that I have helped should be made. I found the comments disrespectful not only to me but to all the good people out there trying to make a difference and be a voice for those who are unable to be heard without asking for anything in return.

Be kind to everyone you meet and if you see someone in the community that has a disability say HI , tell them they are important and tell them “Thank You for being you”.

Changes in life

Sometimes in life you realize just how unfair the world can be ! You work hard you say and do the right things and santa just like anyone aspires to move up in a company , be the change , enrich others lives and become the best at what you do. I was given the news this week that the job I honestly love to do will be given to someone else due to a restructure of the protocols of my workplace. I have been saddened by this news and not sure what my next adventure will be like. I have trepidation in where my next job will take me ,just like anyone else. I wish life were easier sometimes it always seems like I have a big hill to climb. 

There are 2 jobs in this world that I am good at 

#1 being Santa and fundraising to help others either on my own or in a group in the last 2 years alone I can not tell you exactly how much my SantaArmy friends and I have raised for charities, food banks , animal shelters and the homeless but I do know that it could reach 6 figures easy , for that I am proud. I hope to continue into the future. 

#2 is working with the disabled and those with Mental Health issues . I am good at what I do and I know I have made a difference in people's lives for the better. 

I wish there was a way to do Secret Santa as my full time job that way I Could combine the two jobs I love to do. That is enough feeling bad for myself but if you know anyone that's looking for a case manager for mental health or needs a promotions guy let me know J/K .thank you all for your support and I just wanted you to all know that yes Santa is a legendary figure ,but I am real and have the same ups and downs in life as everyone else. Dust myself off and keep working on positive Karma and hope it finds me one day.

Your friend Santa 

WHY I DO

I have been asked many times over the past week by lots of my new followers “Why do you do what you do”? It’s really a simple answer to be honest. I love making people smile, I love helping the homeless and I get great joy in helping the general public see that you should not judge someone solely on their disability because if you do, you’re missing out on their ABILITY.

I want to be clear that when I am asking for help or on my own helping people, this is done with no personal attachment, no previous contact with the person, or charity ( does not include the MH & Disabled BBQ we are having , that’s a personal goal I have . make sure everyone has something to go home with ) I have just seen a newspaper article , watched on TV or hear through email that someone needs help. It’s not hard for me to post a few words in support for a cause or email a company that I know could make an impact in someone’s life. Example:  

Last year I was informed about a young Girl, 23, who was found to have terminal brain Cancer and was given about 6 months life expectancy. After some digging I was able to determine that she was a huge Vancouver Canucks fan and her Favorite player was Alex Burrows, emails and pleas were made to the Canucks organization, the girl received a signed jersey, signed photo and a personalized letter from Mr. Burrows himself. From what I hear the young woman was extremely happy and stated that it was the best Christmas Gift she ever could have gotten, short of a cure for her Cancer. Just knowing that I could bring a little light into her world of darkness was enough for me! That’s why I do what I do.

Like I said it is not hard to RT takes 3 seconds to do and you could change someone’s life. Everybody knows somebody and that’s why I attempt to grow the #SantaArmy so much because you may not know someone who could help a person in need but through RT’s it will find someone who is able to help.

Many of you know my history through following my Blog and I would encourage the new followers to take a few minutes and find my post titled “Who Is Fraser Valley Secret Santa” that will explain all you need to know.

There is so much that we can do as a team, strength in numbers. Will we ever be able to change the world? Will we ever be able to end HATE? Will we be able to stop discrimination against women and the disabled, end the stigmatism that comes with Mental Illness? Probably not, but why not try and try as hard as we can to make sure that every person on this earth is treated with dignity and respect, no one ever goes hungry. Being kind to one person can change the entire aspect of so many people day, it becomes a domino effect. Next time you are out in line in a coffee shop, try buying the person behind you a coffee, tell them Santa Said “Smile it’s a beautiful day” either they smile or look at you strange, but you know that they will tell are their friends what happened and they will be smiling and laughing while doing it, either way you win.

Last week I gave out some tickets to a BC Lions Football game, I asked for someone to enter a Tim Horton’s Restaurant that I was at and when they did speak loud enough for all to hear “I Believe In Santa”, the young man did, the reaction in the restaurant was priceless, in 4 words he made everyone in the store smile and created giggles and laughter. Goal Achieved!!!! I walked past the Man handed him the tickets and thanked him for making others smile.

Maybe one day a company will step up and work with the # SantaArmy and donate items that we can give to the homeless , disabled or to animal shelters like @FMSPCA for the amazing work they do for our animal friends, until that time comes its just us to spread the word about helping others.

Life is so short, most of us have so much, is it really fair that some go without. Does not have to always be money that helps people change their life or day, it  could be some of  your time, a few moments to listen to their story  , a can of dog food for a shelter  or it can just be as simple as a SMILE.

Thank you for your continued support Vancouver and the world

Your friend

Fraser Valley Secret Santa  

Strength in Numbers

The power of the RT..

This week was a great week for you, the Santa Army and for a few young ladies that could have used some help.

When deciding what cause to advocate for I often will take into account the fact of who the person or persons are, what’s the need and is there a way to help the situation. I came across an article in the Vancouver Province newspaper the other morning regarding a couple of young girls in my local area that had fallen victim of a scam on Craigslist. The two girls had spent $500.00 on a couple of tickets to the “One Direction” concert in Vancouver that they had found on Craigslist. Yes, my first reaction is probably the same as your “why are you buying off Craigslist, what were they thinking “? Then as I read down the article I learned that the tickets were so good of a reproduction that a ticket broker had a hard time telling that they were fakes. That’s not what got me, it was the fact I read these young ladies 13-14 yrs old had managed to show initiative drive and dedicate all of their chore money, babysitting money and other various monies that they had earned and saved to this concert and to see their heroes. Thinking to myself I realized yes, the girls were somewhat naive when making such a big purchase on Craigslist but damn it they did everything right up to that point. We all try and teach our children that if you work hard and save your pennies you will be rewarded in the end, that’s what I teach and have been taught anyways. That’s the reason that I wanted to help. So the tweeting and Retweeting began a relentless assault on everyone I could think of that may be able to help. Finally a response from “@StubHub”. Sorry if I flooded your TimeLine.  

This morning I was thanked by a follower for what had happened with the girls and they quoted an article in the paper.  Did not even know it was written! http://www.theprovince.com/touch/news/Good+samaritans+help+scammed+teenagers/8675203/story.html?rel=838332

I would like to think that advocating for these girls made a difference in the outcome. I alone could not and will not take the credit for all of  what the girls have received in lieu of what they have gone through, it was collective group effort but I will give the credit to the power of social Media and recognize the tremendous strength and power just a simple “Retweet” and the participation of a group of people (Santa Army) can have on a person or person’s life that may need help.

Some of the special people I would like to thank for their efforts in helping these Girls

@theprovince   @ Stubhub    @catusclubcafe    Bank of Montreal    @realmaryagnes

I am positive that there are many more and I wish I could thank everyone personally.

On a final note I would like to thank @purdysChocolate for their commitment to community and the extremely generous experience there were able to provide for one of my clients.  I inquired to Purdy’s on behalf of my client, a young man who has Cerebral Palsy and is a HUGE fan of Purdy’s Chocolate, the representatives of Purdy’s were gracious and accommodating and my Client was granted an interview and tasting experience this week. This is prime example of why it is good to give back to your fellow man and your community.  My client stated to me that he will never forget how nice everyone was and for the ability to learn more about his favorite chocolate. They created a fan for life and a SMILE just as big.

Thank you again everyone who commits to kindness and is willing to help the #SantaArmy or anyone else do good deeds for others “ GREAT WORK , ALL OF YOU”

Your friend

Fraser Valley Secret Santa@fvsecretsanta

The Lost Art

As many of you know I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with Grandma Santa in the Okanagan, Penticton to be exact. I was able to spend some time with my sisters and their husbands as well as a niece and nephew, it has not happened in a long time, that we were all in the same room together that is. We wanted to take Grandma out for a nice meal and so Grandpa set up a reservation and Plans were set to attend a local restaurant for dinner. To the “Hooded Merganser” we went.

I surely don’t want this to sound like a restaurant critics post about a restaurant, but please stay with me I will get to the moral of the story soon I promise.

When greeted at the door of the restaurant, there was a smile from the hostess, promptly our seats were opened for us and the night began. First off the views are stunning as you look over the lake. Then the one thing that I thought was dead in most of the world actually happened, as I looked around the restaurant I noticed one server hugging people and being overly friendly with her customers, surely  she must have known them for a long time and was taking a moment out of her busy night just to let them know that she was glad to see them, turns out that would not be the case , luckily she would be our server for the evening.

Her name was Megan, she showed up at our table and instantly it was like she was part of the family. When she found out that it was Grandma Santa’s Birthday , immediately she gave a huge smile and went and gave her a hug , made her feel special. Megan took care of us all evening long and paid special attention to Grandma on her 70th Birthday. Constantly throughout the night she made a point of making sure grandma was taken care of .Megan brought a glass of Champagne for Grandma and said “ this will kick start that glass of wine that you just had” ( I had to laugh because I knew Grandma would be getting the giggles soon). Megan,  At the end of the night stated to us that even though we are not staying for dessert she had something for Grandma, quickly coming back to the table with a bowl full of Strawberries and whipped cream with a candle in it. Megan stated to us that a birthday is just not a birthday without singing, she led us in singing “Happy Birthday” to grandma and then gave her a huge hug and wished her well as we left. The Manager Les was very accommodating to our group and always when someone got up from the table offered a smile. I posted comments throughout dinner showing pictures of the food and the view, I even reached out to some celebrities to make them aware of this place, it was an experience for sure not just a meal.  

As I thanked Megan for going out of her way to make Grandma feel special, she took the time to reveal a short story about a customer that she had had for many years.

Not too long ago Megan states that she had some regular customers that had been coming to see her for years, a couple; they used to frequent her restaurant and would always ask for her as their server! Suddenly they stopped attending, after finding out that the gentleman was terminal with Cancer she actually got a request from the man to visit her in the hospital. Megan tells me that she was able to see the man and pay her respects. The gentleman and Megan spoke for a while before Megan revealed she had a video of an event that she was in, the gentleman requested to see it, without hesitation she hopped up on the mans bed, gave a snuggle and watched the video with him, this was one of the last smiles that this man would have before succumbing to his fight with Cancer. I do not blame this man and wife for asking for Megan’s section if this is the compassion and understanding that she showed them while serving their meals. This gave the gentleman closer and some sense of closer for Megan as she told me her mother had passed away and she was never able to do the same with her.

Why am I telling you this story? Customer service is a lost art in this world. Now a day you go into most restaurants and you barely get a smile, the service is horrible, no one seems to care and then at the end of the night you get dirty looks if you do not tip to the full 20%. I will tip how I feel the service has been and that’s how it should be. Megan did not have to do what she did for grandma that night or what she did for the man fighting Cancer , I Truly believe that she did it not for the tip, but because she loves people and she cares. Thank you so much for making my Mom feel like the special woman that she is that night, you cannot put a price on that. We need more people like Megan in this world; I want to wish her the best of luck at the upcoming Server competitions in Calgary.

Also a special thank you to the ladies at @okanaganlifemag Wendy and Laurie for sending me info on the Best servers list in the Okanagan in which Megan is ranked 3^rd, check out the Spring issue for the complete lists,  also to the entire staff of @the_hood (Hooded Merganser), whether you’re a big superstar or just a Secret Santa they treat you with respect and dignity and make your brief stay with them feel inviting. If ever you have the Chance and are in Penticton stop by and ask for Megan and Les and say thank you for understanding what it takes to be a stars of customer service and treating people the right way.  

I will be back in the Okanagan and I know where I am going for dinner with Mrs. Santa

@FVsecretsanta

SHAME on the City of Abbotsford

I am not sure if you saw the article today regarding some homeless people being pushed out of an area in the @city_abbotsford using Chicken manure. I am absolutely disgusted with the actions of the city manager “GEORGE MURRAY”, granted he may not have been the one dumping the manure but you know perfectly well that he knew it was happening. George stated in an interview that he was “Deeply sorry for our actions”, this to me is all lip service. Yes they may now try and fix the issue but what the city is missing is that the actions have already cause irreparable damage. These people regardless of their situation do not deserve to have their dignity and self-worth stripped away from them due to the feelings of a few at city hall. Instead of using “chicken shit“ techniques to rid your city of the homeless population , why not try and help the people become stronger , more self-sufficient and help them get into affordable housing.  The money spent on staff salary, finding and purchasing then dumping the manure could have been used to fund a day program, feed these people for a month or organize a committee to find ways to relocate people in a dignified manner. Yes today I may be frustrated and angry but we all should be. Being homeless is not a choice that most people make. It could happen to anyone of us at any time with the state of this economy; does anyone remember the 80’s?

Maybe I am just a bleeding heart but when and how can we change the perception that people have about the needy and persons with disability? It’s time for all of us to look in the mirror and address the social issues that we have. I am sure at one point or another we have all looked in our bank accounts and wondered how we will make it to next payday, what happens when we don’t have a next pay day ? We would want people to help us up and get back on our feet wouldn’t we? If more people would sit down and actually listen to someone’s story of how they became homeless you may just find that you are not so different from them, you just were able to catch a break along the way. Most homeless people do not want a hand out , they want a hand up.

In closing to the @city_abbotsford and George Murray , I would love to see you forfeit a weeks’ worth of salary to the people affected by your dumping barrage and use the minimal essentials that these people call there life and YOU sir sleep in that manure camp for a week and walk a mile in a homeless persons shoes. The unfortunate part would be that you get to return to your comfy house and ignore the problems of the outside world because it isn’t happening to you.

#SantaArmy

Please share this story with everyone you know and stand up for people everywhere.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Dirty+Trick+Abbotsford+manager+takes+responsibility+dumping+manure+homeless+campsite/8484252/story.html

@FVSecretSanta