The Salvation Army, apart from being a well known, faith based Christian denomination, is synonymous with helping the hungry and homeless.
This year, with COVID-19 having affected so many people’s lives, the Army, both in the Sault and nationwide, needs more people to help it, so it in turn can help people in need.
The organization needs volunteers to step up and participate in its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign.
Red kettles, held by Salvation Army volunteers standing inside or outside malls and other places of business, are found across the country as a way for the public to donate whatever amount of money they can to support the work of The Salvation Army during the Christmas season and throughout the year.
“We need the public’s help like we never have in the past. We don’t have enough volunteers to run an effective kettle campaign. Our need is at the highest I’ve seen in my career,” said local Salvation Army Major Sean Furey, speaking to SooToday Tuesday.
Without enough kettle holders, there won’t be as much money collected. Without enough money collected, the need of the hungry will soar, especially after the economic wreck and ruin caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve never seen this number of people (at the Sault’s Salvation Army Community and Family Services food bank on Elgin Street). Poverty levels right now are through the roof. People are hurting, people are suffering, and those of us who are trying to help are trying to do it with far fewer people to help, and sadly, there are more people out of work than ever before and yet we can’t get anybody to help,” Furey said.
“It’s a scary thought. We’re struggling to get our kettle campaign off the ground for Friday (Nov. 20). It’s going to happen one way or another, but we need volunteers to help us do it.”
Furey said people are wary of venturing outdoors and holding kettles due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
“Another problem is, at our food bank, we have a smaller number of people in the building (due to COVID-19 social distancing). We’re trying to do twice the work, some days four times the work with half the number of people. We’re working really hard. My volunteers are mostly nearly 70 years old, some of them are over 70, and they’re trying to keep up at a pace that really they’re too old for.”
“Two Thursdays ago, we distributed 4,000 pounds of food,” Furey said.
“That’s 4,000 pounds of food that needs to be carried by senior citizens. It’s a struggle to get people to volunteer. Lots of people say they want to volunteer but they don’t show up (an issue with many volunteer based organizations). Some of the organizations that would normally help us at Christmas time are not meeting, not working or their governing bodies are telling them ‘no, we’re going to stay away from any COVID risk.’”
Furey, however, expressed thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Sault Ste. Marie, Knights Of Columbus, the Lions Club of Sault Ste. Marie and companies like the Sutton Group for stepping forward to help with the kettle campaign.
On another positive note, Furey said the Salvation Army Community and Family Services food bank has obtained a needed new freezer for donated food (paid for by Walmart Canada and delivered by Food Banks Canada) and a new walk in fridge (donated by the Toronto Salvation Army).
“(With the freezer) we’ve cycled through in excess of 50,000 pounds of food. And the first week we had the fridge we distributed 12,000 litres of milk.”
“We’re getting a lot of food donated. Generally your local grocer is very community minded and very helpful. I’m sometimes just shocked at the level they’re helping. We don’t have a shortage of food. This is the first time in my career I’ve had lots of food (donated to the food bank),” Furey said.
But, back to the local kettle campaign.
“(Annually) we need about 150 or 160 (kettle holders). We need 35 per day,” Furey said.
Normally, Salvation Army members would cover that need, but many of them are seniors (extra vulnerable for COVID-19), hence the call for others to step forward.
“What the Knights of Columbus will do is take one day, and the Kiwanis will take three or four. They adopt a kettle for a day and they do a good job. People can do it one day a week, two days a week, even once is a help…we have 80 or 90 people right now, but to do it comfortably you need 150,” Furey said.
“Not one cent of the money raised leaves our city and it funds the food bank.”
Underscoring the current need for food for the city’s hungry, Furey said “in a busy week we would serve 60 people. Last week we were serving 200 a day, and we’re anticipating December is going to be far worse. We’re gearing up for a very busy Christmas season.”
Those needing food may call the food bank at (705) 759-4143, provide their names, arrange a time for pickup at 78 Elgin St., show identification at the door (clients prohibited from entering the food bank due to COVID-19) and pick up their food from a table placed outside the building.
People interested in becoming local Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign volunteers may call (705) 945-1877.
Nationally, the Salvation Army is looking to raise $23 million in this year’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
