Entries by Brandi Beckett

Access Centre Success Story: Ted

TED*’S STORY: One of the supports that poverty advocates provide is helping people connect to money they’re entitled to. It might not be a lot and it might be a one-time payment but if it means there’s more than there used to be, then it’s worth looking for. A lot of people we meet don’t […]

Credit/Rebate updates

The Provincial government recently made several announcements about new rebates/credits and changes to some types of assistance: Assistance Extended for Ukrainians coming to British Columbia Financial assistance through the B.C. Hardship Assistance program for individuals arriving in British Columbia under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) process has been extended from six months to 12 months. For […]

Human Rights vs. BC’s Mental Health Act

This is a great article from Disability Alliance’s Transition Magazine. transitionfallwinter22.pdf (disabilityalliancebc.org) Credit goes to KENDRA MILNE Mental health advocates in BC have been sounding the alarm for decades: our Mental Health Act is one of the most archaic and discriminatory pieces of our ableist health care system. Ableism plays out in mental health law and […]

Canada Housing Benefit

We have had a number of calls about how one can go about applying for the Canada Housing Benefit. Canadians must meet all the following conditions to be eligible for the new benefit: have filed a 2021 tax return; be at least 15 years of age as of December 1, 2022; be a resident in Canada in […]

Access Centre is looking to expand their reach

In the last year or so we have seen an increased need for outreach services for Disability Applications and Resources and Referrals (whether it be filling out government paperwork, or housing applications etc). Sometimes folks are so barriered that they cannot make the trek down to Access Centre whether it be transportation issues or remembering […]

4 Books to Help Boost Your Mental Health

Image credit: Pexels Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-yellow-long-sleeve-shirt-lying-on-couch-4866043/ As we continue to emerge from the anxiety, isolation, and grief of the past few years, we must try to be proactive in taking care of our mental health. We can begin by exploring the many books that focus on the topic. Books on mental health can be a fantastic […]

Spoonie Life and Language

POSTED WITH PERMISSION: This article was written by Rowan Burdge, and originally appeared in DABC’s Transition magazine on Respecting Disability Language and Identity. (Summer 2022). Read the issue here. When it comes to talking about bodies, I’ve found that language is challenging and nuanced. As someone living with a chronic illness, the line between disabled […]

Children’s Fun Event Honoring Indigenous People’s Day

On June 21st the Access Centre team attended our first community event in over two years; a Children’s Fun day in honor of Indigenous People’s day. This event was put on by the Ooknakane Friendship Centre with assistance from the City of Penticton’s Social Development office. There were so many groups participating: Penticton Indian Band, […]

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Global Pandemic: Changes to How We Help

The Access Centre has been a drop in centre for many years, for our entire history really, even back when we were the Women’s Centre. Being open for people to drop in anytime during our business hours was the backbone of what we did. There were times when people would come in just to hang […]