THE CASS REPORT

2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Page

1 Famous Birthdays Quote of the month 2 Dinner Club Money Matters CVITP 3 Speak Up Health & Safety 4 Training Holiday Closures

Justin Bieber – Mar. 1, 1994 - Age 24

Rebel Wilson -Mar. 2, 1980 - Age 38

Bryan Cranston – Mar. 7, 1956 Age 62 Chuck Norris – Mar. 10,1940 Age 78 Gary Oldman – Mar. 21,1958 Age 60 Steven Tyler – Mar. 26, 1948 Age 70

“I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions

they will be moved to act.” -Bill Gates

Page 1

We want to hear from YOU!

Send us your submissions for next month’s issue to

april.howarth@c-a-s-s.org, or drop off at Reception—

Attention April

Seats reserved for those who RSVP to the Diner Club Line 403-283-0611

or email Dinner-club@c-a-s-s.org

by noon on Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Big T’s BBQ McMahon - 2138 Crowchild Trail

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 Arrive no earlier then 5:45 please.

If you are going to attend you MUST RSVP!!! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the Dinner Club please feel to call the

Dinner Club line or email us.

MONEY MATTERS WORKSHOPS CASS is hosting a free series of 7 workshops for individuals who have

experienced mental health or addictions challenges.

May 3 to June 14 Every Thursday from 1 - 3 pm CASS - 2335 – 30th Avenue NE

May 3rd

– Budgeting 1 – What’s Your Money Personality? May 10

th – Budgeting 2 – Learn to Tell Your Money Where to Go

May 17th

– Assets – Discovering Your True Wealth May 24

th – Banking – Understanding Your Options

May 31st

– Credit – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly June 7

th – Debt Management – Yes, There is a Way

June 14th

– Consumerism – Moving Towards Simplicity

For further information or to register Contact: Shannon at 403-283-0611 or

money.matters@c-a-s-s.org

Page 2

CVITP

CASS is working with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) again! If you have a simple tax situa-

tion, a low income, and don’t require tax advice, let your CASS supports know, and they can get you the forms you

will need to fill out and return with your tax slips.

You can either book an appointment at CASS, to be in the room when your taxes are prepared, or you can drop off

your completed tax information package at CASS, and a volunteer will prepare and file your taxes as soon as possible.

Please have your CASS supports contact the Resource Facilitator for more information or to book an appointment.

February’s Advisory Forum meetings were focused on finding some an-

swers to questions about AISH:

When was the last rise in AISH? The last rise in AISH was on April 1, 2012, when it rose to the current

amount of $1588/month.

There was an increase in funding to the AISH program in 2017, so that

more people could access AISH income at the current level. It didn’t affect

the amount that each person who receives AISH gets every month, though.

I’m hoping to find work--How does other income affect AISH?

If you are working, you can make up to $800 before it affects your AISH

income, but you will still need to let AISH know that you are receiving

other income. Any other amounts you earn from $800 - $1,500 per month

will mean a 50% AISH exemption.

Our Upcoming meetings will be on March 14 & 28th, from 3-4:30pm.

Come have a meal with some friendly people, and talk about what we want from CASS and our communities. We

plan to talk about rumours that we heard-- that last time AISH increased, landlords also increased people’s rent, so

there was no real increase in the amount of money that people who receive AISH had in their pockets. WE want to

know where these rumours came from, if they are true, and what can be done to prevent anything like that from hap-

pening if there is another increase. We will also talk about Calgary’s potential bid for the 2026 Olympics, and what

that might look like for us, for better or for worse.

We also put up a new interactive question up at the office: What is your favourite winter Olympic sport? You can

answer the question by stopping by and adding a sticky note with your answer, or by emailing rachel.janzen@c-a-s-

s.org to get your answer added for you.

The answers posted to the previous Interactive Question, “What kind of food do you eat?” were:

Oranges

Pizza

Vegetarian food

Crème brulee

Lasagna

Klingon g’ah

Coffee

Dinner

Green stuff

All of it except for jello

Mmmmmm food

Omnivorous- will eat anything that doesn’t eat me first!

Page 3

Food Safety and You Food safety is important and we can all take simple steps to protect ourselves and our families.

While the food we eat in Canada is among the safest in the world, things can go wrong anywhere. Food can become contaminated by bacteria, vi-

ruses and parasites as it makes its way to your table. Learning about safe food selection, handling and preparation practices, helps keep you and others at risk, safe.

Cleaning

Cleaning anything that comes into contact with food will help eliminate bacteria and reduce the risk of food-related illness. This includes your hands, kitchen surfaces, utensils, fruit and vegetables and reusable grocery bags.

Your Food

Wash your fresh fruit and vegetables with potable water before use.

Chilling

It is important to keep cold food cold and hot food hot, so that your food never reaches the “temperature danger zone.” This is where bacteria can

grow quickly and cause food poisoning.

Thawing

The safest way to thaw food, especially raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood, is in the refrigerator. Always defrost in the refrigerator in cold water or in

the microwave never at room temperature. Food defrosted in the microwave should be cooked as soon as possible after thawing. Do not re-freeze thawed food. Wash your hands and clean and sanitize the sink, utensils, surfaces and dishes used when thawing the food.

Cooking

Cooking food properly is the best way to make sure it is safe to eat. Bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria are killed by heat.

Cook food completely, using a clean thermometer to measure the temperature. See Health Canada's safe internal cooking temperatures to learn the

proper way of taking measurements and to make sure that the food has been cooked to a safe internal temperature.

Check the internal temperature of the thickest pieces of meat, poultry, fish or seafood because food can cook unevenly.

Insert the digital thermometer all the way to the middle, avoiding contact with bones.

For hamburgers, insert the digital thermometer through the side of the patty, all the way to the middle. Make sure that cooked foods don't come into contact with any food that hasn't been cooked. Keep hot foods at or above 60ºC (140°F). Bacteria can grow quickly in the danger zone between 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F).

Health & Safety

Holiday Closures Easter—March 30 & April 2

Page 4

Staff & Clients

PLEASE NOTE – THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO SOME OF THE DATES, TIMES and REGISTRATION CONTACTS FOR 2018 TRAINING – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

CPI Training –Thursday and Friday, March 1st 9 – 3:30 and March 2nd 9 – 12:30 Thursday and Friday, March 8th 9 – 3:30 and March 9th 9 – 12:30 Thursday and Friday, April 5th 9 – 3:30 and April 6th 9 – 12:30 There is a $20 fee for this course, payable with cash or cheque the first morning of the course, or sign off on a payroll deduction with the instructor. Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothing and shoes and to please bring water and snacks for the days. Abuse Awareness Training – Wednesday, March 28 - 6 – 8 pm Thursday, April 26 - 2 – 4 pm Wednesday, May 23 - 6 – 8 pm Tuesday, June 19 - 2 – 4 pm Wednesday, July 11 - 6 – 8 pm Thursday, August 23 - 2 – 4 pm Wednesday, September 19 - 6 – 8 pm Tuesday, October 23 - 2 – 4 pm Wednesday, November 21 - 6 – 8 pm Thursday, December 13 - 2 – 4 pm Open Future Learning (OFL) – Two modules of OFL are mandatory for all CASS Staff – “Challenging Behaviours” and “Introduction to Your Role”. Email hr@c-a-s-s.org to register for OFL. Challenging Behaviours – Part II – Tuesdays from 1:30 – 3:00 pm at the office - March 20, April 17, May 22, June 19. Staff MUST complete the two Open Future Learning modules BEFORE registering for this class. Medication Administration – If you need Med Admin for your position with CASS, email hr@c-a-s-s.org to register for this course. When you have completed the course, email sarah.french@c-a-s-s.org for the proficiency test. Health and Safety – This course is available on line – go to the website, LOG IN, go to staff resources>training>Health and Safety. Adult Basic Mental Health First Aid – Tuesday and Wednesday, April 10 and 11th 9 – 4 pm both days. First Aid/CPR – Staff that need to update their First Aid/CPR need to be sure the trainer is Government of Alberta OH&S Approved. The following link gives a list of the approved training providers: http://humanservices.alberta.ca/working-in-alberta/1348.html Also, ACDS offers first aid training for staff. IMPORTANT: If you cannot attend on your scheduled day and time PLEASE let reception know as soon as possible! There are often wait lists for these courses. Email reminders are sent to staff a few days before the course date which will give us enough time to fill a cancellation.