Satisfaction - August 2024
Did you know less than 50 percent of Canadians describe themselves as being very satisfied with their lives?
That’s right – 48.6 percent of Canadian adults surveyed by Statistics Canada rate their own lives as 8, 9, or 10/10. Ontario is actually the least satisfied province, with just 43.4 percent very satisfied and 25.5 dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (0-5/10)!
It makes you wonder: what is it that makes a life satisfactory?
The generic answers probably come to mind pretty quickly. A fulfilling career, meaningful goals, children, vacations, hobbies, and friends, as examples.
Being the wonderful supporter you are, I am sure volunteering or contributing to meaningful causes also came to mind – good catch! Did you know helping others gives you what’s called “The Helper’s High”, activating the same part of the brain as receiving rewards or experiencing pleasure? Now you know!
What about gratitude?
In a sea of negative headlines, nasty social media posts, and some grumpy people (see: Ontario), it may be hard to focus on those good aspects of life. Or maybe you have been dealing with choppy seas for far too long, whether it’s health issues, family trouble, money or work problems, or any number of other challenges that crowd out the good.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and forget about the positives, but cultivating gratitude can be an anchor in the middle of life’s storms. Studies show that regularly practicing gratitude can enhance our overall satisfaction with life. This can be as simple as keeping a gratitude journal, where you jot down a few things you’re thankful for each day. Those few moments can shift your focus from what’s going wrong to what’s going right, no matter how small.
Connecting with others, whether they’re in the 0-5 category or one of those 8-10 people, is also beneficial. Our programs are offered in partnership and created to bring people together in pursuit of big goals. Whether you’re a client, a volunteer, or anyone else associated with Lionhearts, we want you to feel connected to support no matter what you’re going through.
We’re grateful for each one of you and the unique way you contribute to our work. We hope you enjoy this August update.
Travis Blackmore
Founder and CEO, Lionhearts Inc.
Po-two-toes
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a *stew*! Lovely big, golden... chips! Thanks to FarmLink and Foodsharing Ottawa, we received 29,000 pounds of potatoes to redistribute recently – yes, another gigantic shipment of potatoes! And it was followed by 30,000 pounds of greenhouse produce!
Kudos to our volunteers, including a group from Starbucks, and our staff for getting those wonderful veggies out to those in need.
New Kit for the Kitchen
We recently moved our Kingston kitchen from Kingston Gospel Temple to Ongwanada, and we celebrated in style thanks to support from Utilities Kingston and Kinsmen Club of Kingston! They helped fund upgrades which will make this new space even more effective for our Kingston kitchen team. Thank you!
Sincere thanks to Kingston Gospel Temple for their nine years of partnership with us.
Stand and Deliver
Our Fresh Food Market Pop-Ups recently added new locations in Kingston, including the Seniors Centre and CANEX – the on-base store for military personnel. The Pop-Ups help improve access to affordable produce to families across Kingston and Amherstview.
New Partners and Donors
Thank you to some of the groups that came by to help out recently, including Rise Real Estate, Starbucks Unity Place, and Impact Church. We’re also thankful to Limestone Creamery for the milk donation and Amherst Island Radio for the radio bingo cheque!
London Calling
Since our founding in 2014, we have committed to serving our communities through the unstoppable force of lionhearted partners and volunteers.
With our recent expansion to London, Ontario, we're pleased to be expanding in order to restore dignity and hope in even more places, for even more people.