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A simple reminder
By Cam Tait
March 20, 2006
If you live here in snowy Alberta, you've heard of Ralph Bucks. In fact, you may still have your Ralph Bucks. Or, perhaps you're like me and spent your Ralph Bucks on basic living expenses or to spoil someone in your family. The provincial government sent every Albertan a cheque for $400 - a.k.a. Ralph Bucks - about a month or so ago. Our premier, Ralph Klein, wanted to share the province's good fortune with the people, and after the numbers were crunched, the figure of $400 appeared on the calculator screen.
But free enterprise is a funny thing. Even before letter carriers put the cheques into mailboxes throughout the province, there were television ads asking for Ralph Bucks. Some outlets said they would pull a magic trick and turn the $400 into $800.
Charities got on the bandwagon too. Some went to the media and said they were certainly open for business and Ralph Bucks were a great way to lend support. And perhaps in today's ultra competitive world, where hands are out for as much money as they can collect, people saw Ralph Bucks as another opportunity. Maybe that's good marketing.
But boom times also have another side to the coin...or should that be $100 bill?
With high wages throughout the province - there are reports of McDonald's starting young people at $15 an hour in the northern city of Fort McMurray - other essential services are, sadly, lacking. One is the personal care field, with which I am very familiar. (I have cerebral palsy and need assistance with some daily tasks.)
My wife and I live in a condo building where we have 24-hour personal care. There are 13 of us with disabilities in the three-building condo project. Since we moved here in 1997, we've had a great program with dedicated staff members to provide assistance to all of us. But now we're having staffing issues. And, please: I hope this doesn't sound like a sob story. It isn't. I share this story so that, hopefully, my point will be made.
The personal care field is of paramount importance to people who need a hand. But because it isn't glamourous, it doesn't get the funding that, perhaps, it should. We're short-staffed now, which creates a domino effect for kilometres. We're told this is a trend throughout the healthcare field.
We all know money talks. And, to be fair, we can't criticize people for pursuing better opportunities for themselves and their families. We should embrace that. But at the same time, we must recognize the basic human needs of others.
So, while the television ads barked about deals for the $400, and as local charities made their pleas - all of which were credible, compassionate and concrete - I made my way to the bank. I went up to the teller, rather than using the bank machine, because a smile is so much more welcoming than a beeping keypad. I deposited my cheque and thought of my own personal situation and my family. Then, as I went out the bank's doors, an echo went through my heart and head...something that I was told long ago and a piece of advice I was recently reminded of.
It's simple: if you want to help others, you must first help yourself.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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