​Trying to keep fit when stuck at home can be a big chore, but with Abirah’s Wellness Wednesday tips, they have been a great inspiration to ensuring we live our healthiest lives while we are stuck at home during this pandemic while also giving us the skills and knowledge so we can stay healthy long into the future.

​Wellness Wednesday is a weekly series that aims to provide our viewers with wellness tips and tricks. These posts are meant to motivate people to be the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves that they can be. As of now, the series include a variety of posts such as mood check-ins, healthy snack alternatives, daily affirmations, stress management techniques, a self-care countdown, chair yoga stretches, and many more. 

Definitely the pandemic! During the time I joined SCHC, every post I came across was related to the covid-19 pandemic. As someone who was involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities and loved talking with friends, I noticed that a lot of my time was spent staring at a screen with barely any movement throughout the day because of the lockdown.

It started to get a little overwhelming and zoom fatigue really started to hit me. It was as if there was nothing new to look forward to. I realized that it wasn’t just me but many of those around me were also feeling the same way. A lot of my friends and family I knew were sort of stuck in an unhealthy loop as well and that started to become the new normal.
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This new normal did not feel so good and that’s when I took small steps to incorporate self-care into my daily routine. I noticed a huge difference in my mood and outlook on the pandemic. That’s mainly why I wanted to introduce a motivating wellness series! I wanted people who were feeling down and unmotivated to view the pandemic as a way for them to focus on themselves and to make their health and wellbeing a priority. 

​For me, Wellness Wednesday is important because it is a platform to share the different tips and tricks that I learned with others. I like to make sure that those around me are taking care of themselves. Being able to publish these Wellness Wednesday posts on a wider social media platform allows more people to benefit from the small wellness tips that I’ve used. 

There are so many aspects to health that we do not consider on a daily basis. When we talk about health, there’s emotional health, environmental health, physical health, mental health, social health, spiritual health, and so much more. Tapping into those different aspects of health gives a variety of wellness activities and tips that I am able to use to create new posts every week.

​There’s a lot of things that I want viewers to take away from seeing these Wellness Wednesday points. Firstly, I hope that viewers understand that taking care of yourself does not need to mean a huge change in your way of living. Small steps can take you a long way! Secondly, I want viewers to understand that self-care can look different for each one of us. Some may like going on relaxing walks while others may enjoy a heavy workout. However, both are perfect examples of taking care of yourself. Lastly, I want viewers to prioritize their health! If you notice that you’re overworking yourself, step away for some time and take a break because you deserve it!

​I really miss exploring new hiking trails and nature sites within Toronto. My family and I would always go on random walks and long drives to different places like Bruce Peninsula National Park, Dundas Peak, Albion Falls, Tommy Thompson Park, and many more. With the pandemic, we did not get a chance to visit new parks and trails so that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to as things begin opening up again.

​I would like to see viewers continue to engage with our posts and to let us know if they have any wellness tips that they would like us to showcase. For future posts, as restrictions are lifted, I hope to have more Wellness Wednesday posts related to outdoor activities.

Wellness Wednesday continues to inspire viewers daily, and as Covid-19 restrictions continue to be lifted, the lessons learned from these posts will be instrumental in easing the transition from an healthy indoor life to an active outdoor lifestyle. To learn more about Wellness Wednesday and to catch Abirah's upcoming posts, visit our Instagram page here or you can follow Abirah's posts directly by using the hashtag #schcwellnesswednesday.

If you ever drove by the Comfort Night Mattress & Furniture, you may have noticed a plethora of plants in front of their display windows. It has definitely caught the attention of many, but for us here at SCHC, the story behind it truly moves us. The plants that you see are part of a bigger picture and mission set by Mel & Steve, to plant 400 butternut squashes that will be donated to SCHC's Food Bank and to inspire others to do the same. It was important for us to go down and see for ourselves and learn more about this garden from both Mel & Steve. Read below to learn more about the story and what inspired them to do something like this.

How would someone describe you? 
Mel: My friends would say that I am a very friendly and loving lady.
​Steve: Although Mel is shy, she is always looking to see what she can do to help somebody. I have watched Mel change since she started this garden because this is something she knows and understands. She is able to give back to people who need it.

What motivated you to start this garden?
Steve: We were motivated to start this garden because there was wasted land here. We were cutting the grass one day, and I was thinking, we got to be able to do something better with land than just cut the grass. That is when we decided to turn it into a garden! It took a lot of work initially but now that it is here, this garden will be like this for the next 4 to 5 years. It is nice to know that everything it produces is for other people.

What would you say to encourage someone to donate?
Steve: Anybody can donate. Donations do not have to be money. Donate is whatever you are good at. Anyone can find out what they are good at and do it in a way to help somebody. Mel is good at gardening and look at what she has done. Not only is there a garden in the front, but it also continues all down the side of the building. This was not planned. She was having fun and I simply decided to extend the garden down the side of the building. I am so very proud of Mel, and I think what she has done here is just incredible.

What made you choose to donate to SCHC Food Bank as opposed to other food banks?
Steve: We were new to this area and wanted to affect the local community in a positive way. One day, I had gone with a lawyer, friend of mine, to pick up a truckload of food to distribute Downtown. It was all gone in a few hours. It must be difficult to be in a position where you have to ask for food. Mel and I decided to try and do something where you did not have to ask for it and were able to just take it. We spoke to Michael Thompson and some of the neighbours walking down in this area; and acting on their suggestions we contacted the SCHC. What you see here is the results of all of those conversations.

What is your personal philosophy on what should be done about food insecurity?
Steve: Security is simple. As far as food goes, this country can produce enough food to feed the world. It is just not doing it because big agricultural companies are taking over huge tracks of land, and everything is about dollars and cents. This is a small garden but if you took the land that was available in Scarborough, you could feed all of Toronto. It is not that difficult. There are a lot of Mel’s in the world who can take time out of their day to grow a garden. It takes time to set it up initially, but I guarantee, you would find farmers that would come in and help get something like that started. Four years ago, Mel did not have anything. We bought this property the weekend before we got married and look where it is at today. This is a very small part of it and there is a lot of work behind this that you do not see.

Is there anything else that you would like to add that I may have missed?
Steve: This garden is all Mel! I hope we get a chance to give it away to people that need it. I do believe that if there were more Mel’s around, we would not have an as serious food shortage that we do have today. 

The story of this garden is truly inspiring especially since the pandemic has brought more attention to the fact many Scarborough residents face food insecurity ​on a daily basis, that's why we launched the Food Fight. To learn more about how to get involved and support the food bank, visit our food fight page here or you can donate directly online here. 

Our church recognizes the important work of SCHC and has been a supporter of the SCHC Food Bank for several years collecting food and providing an annual donation (for the last couple of years it has been $1,000.) We also have participated in SCHC's Wishes for The Holidays program. 

What do you want people to know about food insecurity and why should they give back? 
Why the $10,000 goal? 
 
Our church has done a major fund raising mission project approximately every two years. In past years we have targeted and raised $20,000 each time, but this year, since the church is not open due to COVID we were less ambitious and targeted $10,000. In past years, our Mission Projects have supported both local and foreign activities where people were in need. The local ones included supporting the computer lab at Evangel Hall Mission, renovating the kitchen at Portland Place, supporting ARISE ministry to people caught in the sex trade in Toronto. Foreign missions included supporting providing wells for clean water in Malawi and roofs for schools and churches, also in Malawi.

This year we selected the SCHC food bank because of the added pressure on food banks caused by COVID. We are also promoting donations of food to the food bank. As of June 24, we are a little over 1/4 of the way to our goal which we think is good since the project did not start until mid-March! 

We know that an annual goal of $10,000 is a big donation for anyone to make, which is why we are extremely thankful for the commitment Don and his team at the Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church has made this year and all the years they have been supporting us. The food bank is a dependable source to many Scarborough residents who face financial health issues. That is why we launch our Food Fight campaign to help collect as many donations as we can to help support those in need.

​It doesn't have to be $10,000 because every donation matters and counts towards helping feed those experiencing a hard time. If you'd like to donate in any capacity please visit our donation page and select either Food Fight or Food bank to make your contribution! 

My mother joined all the classes that were offered, from computer classes to yoga classes to drawing classes, and more. She said that the computer sessions were helpful for her because she learned how to access zoom. It made her feel more confident when she sat in front of a laptop. During the drawing classes, she got many compliments from her kids and her grandkids. They were impressed which made her feel really happy. She did not know how to draw before so being able to realize this profound talent of hers made her super proud and happy. My mom's hand also shakes a bit so with the drawing classes, she was able to draw with precision. It was quite admirable to see. Even with the yoga classes and breathing exercises, she did not know anything prior to attending. 
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My mother has been a homemaker, had not really done anything much for herself. Attending these classes not only helped her physically and mentally, it helped her gain confidence that she can do something for herself too. She feels motivated to try new things and being able to see these small changes in my mother’s life has made me really proud of her.