Make a Statement

In this episode, we have Derek and Paul talking with Samantha Lowe, Director of Health and Wellness at the Mustard Seed.  

The Mustard Seed is a Christian non-profit organization that has been caring for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty since 1984. Operating in five cities across Alberta and British Columbia, The Mustard Seed is a supportive haven where people can have their physical, mental, and spiritual needs met and grow toward greater health and independence.  

(For more info, or to donate, please visit them here: https://theseed.ca/about & https://theseed.ca/ways-to-give/)  

Samantha, an Occupational Therapist by trade, works to change the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty through innovative wellness programs at The Mustard Seed.   

Under Samantha's directorship, The Mustard Seed’s Wellness Centre, which provides accessible, client-centered wellness programming to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty, serves more than 12,000 clients every year. The centre provides mental health and Indigenous counseling, tax clinics, and ID services, and acts as a medical clinic, to name a few services.   

In the early days of the pandemic, Samantha worked as part of a collective to provide safe spaces to individuals experiencing homeless when they had nowhere to go in the face of the pandemic. For over 13 months, The Mustard Seed isolation unit provided beds for 679 people. This helped keep Calgary’s most vulnerable safe from COVID-19.  

At the beginning of the 2023 year, Mash Strategy contributed $2,500 to The Mustard Seed. This donation will help "the seed" (as it's affectionately known by some) to connect and care for more individuals across  Alberta and BC.

The Canucks Autism Network, based in Vancouver, B.C., creates a space for everyone on the autism spectrum through critical programs and support.

[a lil bit more about the organization here- https://www.canucksautism.ca/about-us/vision-mission-values/]

CAN’s story began with Paolo and Clara Aquilini, who are Co-Owners of the Vancouver Canucks and were inspired by their son who is on the autism spectrum. It seems like for everyone involved- this is all about family. In this episode, we talk to Elena Lawson, autism advocate and mom to 7 year old William. The Canucks Autism Network has been a consistent resource and support for her family on Vancouver Island.We also discuss what is and isn’t working in BC. Lawson is working to put pressure on the BC government and is winning this fight.

This holiday season, Mash Strategy contributed $2,500 to the Canuck Autism Network. This donation will help CAN connect with more families across BC, creating stronger and more inclusive communities.

It’s a problem here, now affecting the most vulnerable women. And it’s time to shine a light on it. 

When you see the topic of human trafficking come up in the news, you might most often think of faraway countries or bigger cities where this is a noteworthy problem. But what if we were to tell you that young girls being dragged into sexual exploitation isn’t just a problem elsewhere, but right here at home?

In this third episode of the Make a Statement podcast, we invite Becky Bradbury to discuss how Next Step Ministries is confronting the problem in Calgary and helping rescue young women from a life of sex slavery.

On behalf of our team, and thanks to the support of our clients throughout this year, Mash Strategy is also pleased to be making a $5,000 donation this Christmas to support Next Step's efforts to support women who want to make an exit from the sex trade and start fresh.

Find out more about Next Step Ministries and the great work they do, and help support their mission right here: https://nextstepministries.ca/

A podcast about podcasts.. the irony is not lost on us. Depending on who you ask, podcasts might be a daily staple in our lives, or they may not be. But lately, it appears as though they are becoming a growing trend in the news, media, and marketing space, so much so that businesses and people who may have ignored it before are beginning to wonder: should we be doing this too? One thing is clear: the stats show many people are making podcasts, and many more are listening to them. On this episode of ‘Make a Statement’, we host special guest Dale Richardson from the Saskatchewan Podcast Network to talk about where podcasting has come from, where it’s going, and if it’s time for you to get a podcast too.

For more information on the Saskatchewan Podcast Network: https://saskpodcastnetwork.com/

To hire Dale to help you make a podcast: https://www.306mediaproductions.ca/

Some of Dale's podcast productions and co-productions:

Politicians are used to facing difficult choices in ordinary times, but during a once-in-a-century pandemic, they have never perhaps been more challenging.

Juggling life, death, the economy, and livelihoods of millions of people during COVID is not a job anyone signed up for. How have political leaders in Canada managed to make these decisions, balancing doing the right thing with their political survival?

Derek Robinson interviews Paul Taillon, who had a front row seat into the happenings during the pandemic in Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s office.

In an age of mass disruption and a congested media landscape, people, brands, politicians, and organizations are looking for how they can stand out with a message that resonates. ‘Make a Statement’ is a podcast series, hosted by Derek Robinson and Paul Taillon, presented by Mash Strategy, on how to help you break through and lead the way.