Environment Saved From 1980 kg of Litter, and over 210lbs of metal.

Have you noticed groups of volunteers wearing yellow vests around town, with litter pickers and garbage bags in hand, dutifully collecting the litter off Mission’s streets and green spaces this fall?

Saturday, October 22, marked the conclusion of Mission Adopt-A-Block’s Annual Fall Litter Clean-Up Event, where approximately 135 volunteers, from 8 non-profit organizations participated in a large community litter clean-up over four Saturdays, in September and October.

A total of 1980 kg of litter was collected from Mission’s green spaces, ditches, streams and roadsides, NOT including the recyclables collected, including glass, 210lbs of metal, cans, dry paper and bottles.

Everything from fast food litter items to 6 old tires was collected and properly disposed of. A many thanks to those individuals who came out this fall to improve the aesthetic beauty and environmental health of the community of Mission for us all to benefit.

A reminder to all non-profit groups that applications are now being accepted for Mission Adopt-A-Block’s Annual Spring Clean-Up that takes place in April & May. The Spring Clean-Up entails the acceptance of 8 Mission non-profit groups to participate in a large litter clean-up for the remuneration for $250. Application deadline is January 31, 2012. For more information and application forms visit www.missionadoptablock.com or contact (604) 826-9423.

Here's What's Happening this Fall 2011!

If you see yellow on the horizon, it’s probably the Mission Adopt-A-Block Society’s fall litter clean-up volunteers busy at work. Adopt-A-Block is a non-profit organization that has been administering a litter control program in the community since 1998 to increase awareness of and participation in litter control.

This year Adopt-A-Block kicks off the fall events with the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up in partnership with the Mission Clubhouse on September 21. This clean-up is open to the public, all interested parties can call Paul @ (604) 302-9403. Next, Adopt-A-Block is pleased to announce their Second Annual Stream Clean-up on September 24th. Two mission non-profit groups will be tending to portions of Windebank, Lane and Gaudin streams. This will be followed by another stream clean-up on World Rivers Day, September 25^th, in partnership with volunteers from Cedarbrooke Chateau. This event is also open to the public, all interested parties are invited to meet at the front of Cedarbrooke Chateau at the Adopt-A-Block tent at 9am.

The society’s Annual Fall Litter Clean-Up takes place starting October 1, and ending October 22. This clean-up will cover several areas around town including centennial park, the industrial and harbor area, London Ave., Shook Rd. and Hatzic area, and portions of 11th, 7th, 14th, 9th, Stave Lake Rd., Cedar St. and more. Each year the society welcomes eight non-profit groups to participate in the fall clean-up for the remuneration of $250 to go towards their special programs and events. Benefits of participating in a clean-up reach far beyond the financial award including: demonstrating environmental awareness and responsibility, team-building, volunteer experience, contributing to the aesthetic appearance and civic pride in the community, among other.

Those interested to know more about the fall clean-up or any of these events can contact the Adopt-A-Block coordinator at (604) 826-9423.

Finally, all Mission non-profit groups are invited to submit their application for the Spring Litter Clean-Up Fundraiser starting in November until January 30^th.

Earth Day Clean-Up

Hello Adopt-A-Blockers!

In honor of Earth Day, Adopt-A-Block is hosting a community litter clean-up. This year we have decided to support the Hatzic Elementary centennial celebration and open house taking place on April 16^th. Adopt-A-Block will set up a tent in the park across from the elementary and those interested in participating are asked to meet us there.

The events of the day include:

1:00pm-2:00pm Centennial Ceremony

2:30pm Tree Planting Ceremony with Communities in Bloom

2:00pm - 4:00pm Open House (which includes all sorts of activities, special guests, and other).

We will be hosting our clean-up during this time (2-4pm). And of course, you are welcome to come out at any time and participate in the other events happening during the day, especially the tree planting ceremony. Maps will be provided of the area (identifying litter routes) and those participating in the clean-up will be asked to return to base camp no later than 4pm to identify where bagged litter should be picked up.

This event is open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Youth Video Contest Update

The 2011 youth video-webcast contest is now closed.

Thanks to Jillian and Jaylene in Mission who sent in an amazing video. You can check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/missionadoptablock?feature=mhum

For the reason that we did not receive more than one video entry we were forced to forfeit the contest as originally designed. These girls, however, will receive a gift basket full of selected prizes.

Come Out One & All...

Everyone is welcome to join us at our...

Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, March 16th @ 6:30pm

Held at: Cedarbrooke Chateau, 32331- 7th Ave. Mission, B.C

JOIN US for special guest presentations on:

“What’s your story beautifying Mission?”

Bert Pulles
Communities in Bloom

Sherry Edmunds-Flett
L.I.N.C. Society (Community Gardens)

And slide show presentation of ‘our story’ by Adopt-A-Block.

RSVP (by March 10) (604) 826-9423 or by email:
missionadoptablock@gmail.com

Quote for the Day...

“And we have reason to hope... The forces of destruction seem great, but against them we have our power to choose, our human will and imagination, our courage, our passion, our willingness to act and to love. And we are not, in truth, strangers to this world. We are a part of the circle. When we plant, when we weave, when we write, when we give birth, when we organize, when we heal, when we run through the park while the redwoods sweat mist, when we do what we're aftraid to do, we are not separate. We are of the world and of each other, and the power within us is a great, if not an invincible power. Though we can be hurt, we can heal; though each one of us can be destroyed, within us is the power of renewal. And there is still time to choose that power."

(In Starhawk's (1997) Dreaming in the Dark, p.14).

What's New in 2011

Happy New Year Adopt-A-Blockers!

Here’s what’s happening this 2011!

Spring Clean-Up FUNDRAISER

Don’t forget to fill out your application to our annual Spring Community Litter Clean-Up! Application deadline is January 30^th All non-profit groups (clubs, teams, schools, organizations, etc.) are welcome to apply! Groups selected will be awarded $250 for their participation. Event to take place in April & May. See attached forms for more details & application form.

2011 Youth Video-Webcast CONTEST

Adopt-A-Block challenges all Mission youth to participate in a video-webcast contest beginning January 01, 2011. The contest is an opportunity for youth to reach out to their peers and to influence them in taking care of the environment by offering a message of hope and environmental stewardship. Youth are asked to submit a video a minimum of 20 seconds and no more than three minutes in length, depicting a message about how we can all contribute to creating a litter free environment and why this is important.

Following the contest submission deadline, March 15, entrants will post their submissions on YOUTUBE for a community judging period of a month (until April 15). During this time youth will be encouraged to market their video to gain voting support. Top scoring videos by community votes will then be judged by a judges committee who will select the winning entries based on originality, creativity, content, clarity, quality and adherence to contest rules. The top three videos will be posted on Adopt-A-Block's website.

The Youth Video Challenge has gained the support of several Mission businesses who have donated prizes in-kind for several great prize packages which will be awarded in April.

First place prize is $500 cash.

Second to fifth place prizes will also be awarded including gift cards for laser tag, a rafting adventure on the Fraser River, local restaurants and coffee shops, and large retail store gift cards. See Contest Poster for full prize package details.

All necessary forms and release can be retrieved from the Adopt-A-Block website. (under the 'resource' tab)

www.missionadoptablock.com

Please spread the word to youth about this opportunity!

Expressing Your Concerns about Litter in the Environment

Sometimes when we try to express concerns about litter in the environment, the conversation can become a negatively emotionally charged. Sometimes those with whom we are talking with get defensive or self-righteous about the issue or find someone or something to blame for it. Perhaps we don’t know all the facts and so we keep quiet about what matter to us, meanwhile bottling inside our frustration. There may be several reasons as to why expressing our concerns about creating a healthier environment in which to live, play and work – just simply don’t pan out. Joanna Macy (1998) in her book, Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect our Lives, our World, offers guidelines for communicating our concerns about the environment (whatever the issue) (p. 176-177). She suggests:

1.Beware of labeling or pigeonholing the other person, assuming they are automatically going to agree or disagree with you because they are a certain age, dressed in a certain way, come from a particular region or class, or hold a particular job.

2.Acknowledge the limits of your knowledge. People will see you as more trustworthy if you admit you don’t know everything and will feel more willing to share their perspectives, which are also based on partial information. We all must make decisions in political life without knowing the whole story; if we put our knowledge and ideas together we create a more complete picture.

3.Find common ground before examining differences. If you begin by ascertaining areas of agreement (e.g. “Nuclear war is possible” or “We need clean air and water for our children”), both parties can trust each other more and proceed to see where their views diverge. Then offering the information that has led to your view can fill a gap in the other’s knowledge, and lead to reappraisal of old assumptions…

4.Share feelings as well as facts. Facts are debatable; feelings are not. Feelings are ‘givens’; we can report them with varying degrees of accuracy and honesty, but they are not debatable. Sharing your feelings invites other people to share theirs as well, moving the conversation away from argument and towards mutual listening.

5.Share your personal experience. The facts and figures we cite take on more reality for people when we describe what led us to the views we hold. Personal experience, like feelings, is not open to debate.

6.Trust the other person’s ability to learn and change over time. Even if the person seems entrenched in a contrary position, change may be stirring within. And you may never know if change has occurred as a result of you discussion or what other input the person may receive from other to add to yours….

7.See yourself and the other within the larger context: your shared humanity, the stresses of the Industrial Growth Society, the long uneven journey to sustainable civilization. This breeds patience and goodwill.

8.Remember to hold the other person with compassion, even when you seem to find no common ground. You can ‘agree to disagree’ with goodwill and mutual respect. We can never know what suffering and hardship might underlie another’s seemingly intractable position.