 Thank you to Salvador Davis & Co for sponsoring and donating 40 copies of My Help Book 2014 to the Shoal Centre in Sidney BC. Since 1968 Salvador Davis & Co have served Sidney, the Saanich Peninsula, and the Gulf Islands in matters of Real Estate, Powers of Attorney, Wills, Health Care Directives, & Representation Agreements. They also serve Salt Spring Island by appointment. For three years in a row they won 1st place in the Peninsula's Reader's Choice Award for Financial and Legal Services. On their website you can also find information and links regarding 2011 changes to BC's Adult Guardianship Laws.
Contact Salvador Davis & Company: Phone 250-656-3951 Toll Free 1-866-956-3951 See their website for full contact information. _____________________________________ The Shoal Centre (10030 Resthaven Drive Sidney BC) provides many services and recreation opportunities to the local community. They have assisted living, volunteer services including volunteer drivers, food services (lunch, dinner and catering), youth employment services, as well as many activities, special events, recreation and learning opportunities. Contact them for facility rental options and catering for your event. Contact The Shoal Centre: Phone 250-656-5537 See their contact page for their full directory _____________________________________ Contact My Help Book by email if you are a company who wishes to sponsor and donate copies of My Help Book to a non-profit helping organization; or if you are a representative of a non-profit and wish to enquire about receiving sponsored copies of My Help Book 2014.
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 As the My Help Book key community resource guide was being developed, the most frequent question asked was: "Why are you publishing a paper version and not just a digital version online and a smart phone app?"
Here are the reasons: First: There will be a digital version for the people who strive to be paper-free in 2015. Most paper-free strivers are tech-loving forward-thinkers who want to do what is good for the environment. However, there are environmental costs to high tech gadgets but most of these costs are invisible to the consumer, unlike paper, which causes clutter and recycling chores. So it is not quite a simple equation of paper-free = good for environment and paper products = bad. Second: Despite the image of everyone walking around with smart phones, tablets and laptops, and widely available free wifi, there exists a ‘ digital divide’ which is a barrier to people who need to find help and information or even to apply for certain benefits. "The digital divide remains consistent across all demographics with wealthier households far likelier to use the Internet than poorer ones regardless of their age. For example, Statscan reports that 47.5 per cent of Canadians aged 65 and over use the Internet (up from 40.2 in 2010), the biggest jump of any age group. However, there is a major divide in Internet use based on household income. While 66.7 per cent of households over the age of 65 in the top half of income use the Internet, that number drops to only 28.5 per cent for the poorest quartile of households." Michael Geist, Toronto Star, Friday, Nov.1st, 2013 There are 5 reasons people still have barriers to internet access:
Third: Some people simply prefer paper; they find it easier to flip through and browse information on paper instead of on a computer screen. They also like to write notes in margins (there are several blank lined pages meant for the user in My Help Book). In talking to people during the development of My Help Book, I found that those who like paper publications tend to be people who are over the age of 50, while most (but not all) of the people who try to avoid paper are those in their 20s. However, for people who prefer to be paper-free, there will be a digital version of the directory in 2015, both as a downloadable PDF and as a smart phone app. Meanwhile, everyone should read (ebook or paper) Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America by Giles Slade. There are also many other sources of information regarding the question of the environmental costs of high tech for anyone who wants to go online and look for them. Or if you prefer, support your closest independent new or used bookstore in your local community while they and their knowledgable book-loving staff are still there to help you. Big list of independent book stores in Vancouver from The Tyee Big list of Victoria and Vancouver Island bookstores: booksvancouverisland.ca Big self-publishing resource list if you want to publish your own book (ebook or paper) at3PennyPublishing.com Those who are anti-technology might want to read Abc: The Alphabetization Of The Popular Mind by Ivan Illich and Barry Sanders, for some historical perspective. More on the digital divide: Papering Over the Digital Divide - Washington Post, Feb. 2014 Is Google Making the Digital Divide Worse? - Newsweek, Feb. 2014 Life on the other side of the Digital Divide - Motherboard, Feb. 2014 How mobile phones increased the Digital Divide - Feb. 2014 Cedar Rapids Library lending tablets to bridge the Digital Divide - Feb. 2014 Would shutting down analogue telephone system end the digital divide? - Jan.2014  The first edition of My Help Book for Victoria and Vancouver is finally completed after two years of research, interviews, edits and updates.
It was a seed of an idea that sprouted from the decades-long work of the publisher/author who has been involved in various capacities with helping organizations in Vancouver and Victoria since 1988: from neighbourhood houses, parenting and home learning groups, to women's groups, mental health, harm reduction, housing, anti-poverty, anti-racism, popular theatre and economic justice causes. In addition, having a big family with both young children and elders, gave ample experience in learning where to find appropriate help when it was needed. Noticing there were many smaller guide books for specific helping topics and some large very detailed guides (the Red Book in Vancouver and the Bridges and Newcomer guides in Victoria), the publisher decided that an all-in-one mini-directory limited to key resources would be a quick and useful publishing project to undertake. Having had ample prior experience making practical mini help booklets on various topics for various groups, work began on My Help Book in the fall of 2010 with the idea that it could quickly be completed in a couple of months. However, two months turned into two very long and detail-absorbed years. Finally after hundreds of hours of research, editing, getting feedback and lots of encouragement, and then doing ever more editing, the first edition of My Help Book was born on November 1st 2013. One of the goals of small independent publisher 3PennyPublishing.com, is to create low-cost publications on practical topics. Thus the price for My Help Book is $5 and many options for bulk discounts are available. Sponsors will also be sought in order to make some free copies available to non-profit organizations. This is the second publication of 3 Penny Publishing. The first publication was a child-written children's book set in various parks in Victoria BC called Billy, Cuddles and Funny Bunny Adventure in Victoria. It is available from the publisher and at the Royal BC Museum gift shop. |
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