Today we are matching miles donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation

Since 2003, The Stephen Lewis Foundation has been partnering with grassroots organizations in Africa that are working tirelessly to beat back the ravages of AIDS. We have seen significant ground gained as communities move from scrambling to cope with the impact of the pandemic, to rebuilding their communities and teaching others how to replicate their successes.  While this is happening, powerful voices are emerging in communities – formidable champions for change and advocates for human rights around HIV and AIDS from the frontlines.

How is Beyond Miles contributing to turning the tide of AIDS?  Here is just one powerful example: Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Programmes

The Stephen Lewis Foundation uses miles to bring people together, to build relationships, exchange knowledge and experience and generate the ground-breaking ideas that will turn the tide of the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Grassroots organizations have taught us that this is critical if lasting change is to be secured.

It brought together two powerfully effective groups last year with remarkable results:

Touch Roots Africa (TRA) is a community organization in Lesotho focussing on working with orphaned and abused children.

The AIDS Information Support Centre (TASC) in Swaziland – an organization specializing in HIV and AIDS issues and home-based community care.

Over the course of the year they partnered to increase their organizational capacities and enhance the efficiency, impact and reach of their programming. They trained each other in ‘best practices’, they shared their successes and challenges, and the results were more profound than either organization had imagined!

Touch Roots Africa trained TASC on child rights and protection.  As a result, TASC now has a fleet of home based care workers who have unprecedented access to homes through health care delivery, and who are now able to identify children who are abused, vulnerable or have special needs. These home based care workers received training on how to approach the topic with the child’s caregivers, assess the safety of a situation, and identify the resources and child protection services available in the community.

Hundreds of children have already been assisted. Last month, an HIV positive mother receiving home based care from a TASC worker received referral and support to access services for her hearing impaired daughter. For the first time, this young girl is learning to communicate and is beginning to thrive. Her mother, relieved of the stress and concern over her daughter’s future, is also seeing an improvement in her own health.

Partnership and exchange between community-based organizations has resulted in life-saving and life enhancing initiatives, and the replication of very successful models that improve the quality of life for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS at community level.

Aeroplan Beyond Miles has made this possible.  In supporting critical partnerships, they have fundamentally altered the way grassroots organizations and individuals are able to respond to the pandemic.  It’s invaluable.

 DONATE YOUR AEROPLAN MILES  TODAY

Although this is not your typical picture from France, it has become one of my favourite.  This fantastic castle city is on a cliff in the heart of the Dordogne region of France (which is close to Bordeaux).  One of our employees recently traveled there and brought back this picture to share with us!

]]> http://blog.aeroplan.com/picture-of-the-week/picture-of-the-week-castle-city-in-the-heart-of-dordogne-region-of-france/feed/ 0 http://blog.aeroplan.com/picture-of-the-week/picture-of-the-week-castle-city-in-the-heart-of-dordogne-region-of-france/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AeroplanBlog/~3/c3PuCanV5bA/ http://blog.aeroplan.com/aeroplan-members/cherishing-the-memories-in-orlando/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 15:21:48 +0000 Aeroplan http://blog.aeroplan.com/?p=2434

Ray's Daughters, Kristina and Karolyn, in Orlando

Aeroplan Member Ray has been collecting miles for many years.  He has redeemed his miles for several trips including a trip to California, Las Vegas, Tampa and most recently to Orlando.  His tip to earning miles is by using his Aeroplan affiliated credit card and taking advantage of bonuses to earn even more! This year, Ray redeemed for 3 seats to Orlando during March break.  It was a very special experience for Ray and his family, but it wasn’t the first time they had traveled there.

Several years ago, Ray’s wife Franca passed away from Cancer.  His three daughters were very young and with the help of “Dreams Take Flight” (a national volunteer charitable organization dedicated to providing the trip of a lifetime to children) Ray and his daughters were able to enjoy a much needed vacation and time together during a very difficult time. “It brought us some happiness and a distraction from the deep loss we all felt with the loss of my lovely wife Franca, to this dreaded disease cancer.” Ray told us about his 2001 trip to Orlando  “Life, as we all find out through our own journey, is too short (something my children had to discover at too young of an age).  Being surrounded by such great people makes that journey a little less difficult and gives us encouragement for what the future may present.”   They had also been to Orlando with the entire family, including his wife, a few years before that 2001 trip.

Ray’s oldest daughter is now studying at University so this time around, it was just Ray and his youngest two, Kristina and Karolyn, who traveled to Orlando.
Having the opportunity to redeem his Aeroplan Miles for 3 seats during March break to Orlando was a great experience and something Ray and his daughters looked forward to!  “This trip gave us a chance to spend some quality family time together” says Ray, “Going on this trip was great as the girls and I enjoyed the fantastic weather, we were busy everyday and it brought back some much cherished memories from over 10 years ago.”

Ray and his daughters made the most of their trip in Orlando.  “We went to Universal studios and stayed at the same hotel that we did 11 years ago.”  They visited Old Town in Kissimmee which was celebrating the “cruise night” which paraded over 200+ vintage cars.  They also stopped at Universal Studios,  Shopping Malls (so that they could find Pandora charms for the girls), and they drove to the gulf coast looking for Justin Beiber at St. Pete’s Beach.  Apparently one of Ray’s daughters is a real fan and they had heard that he was filming a movie with his girlfriend, but they never found him.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Ray!

Today is a Miles Matching Day!  Aeroplan will match miles donated, on a 1 for 1 basis up to 500,000 Aeroplan Miles, to one of our Founding Charitable Partners today.  Each organization has chosen its own match day and Aeroplan will match miles for a 24-hour period.

Today we are matching miles donated to Air Canada Foundation

Almost every day, a sick child flies for free on AirCanadato get medical treatments. Through a partnership between the Air Canada Foundation and children’s hospitals acrossCanada, children can benefit from the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program. The Air Canada Foundation provides Aeroplan miles to 15 pediatric hospitals acrossCanadaenabling children, accompanied by a parent, to receive medical care not available in his or her community. With your help, we can do even more.

Hospital Transportation Program

For some children, specialized medical treatment is not always available within their local community.  For their families, the cost of air travel is also an additional burden posing serious economic and emotional hardship.

In 2011, AirCanadadonated more than 12 million Aeroplan miles to pediatric hospitals acrossCanadato help sick children reach the medical care they needed. This represents hundreds of complimentary flights to enable these kids to have access to medical treatment.

Here are a few examples:

Teaghan  – Regina

Teaghan was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at just two years of age. Because of the severity of his diabetes, he was referred to a pediatrician inWinnipegwho specialized in insulin pump therapy. An insulin pump is a small mechanical device that delivers fast-acting insulin into the body via an infusion, which delivers precise amounts of insulin at pre-programmed times. He continues his follow up care inWinnipegas it is not available inRegina. Because of our program, he and his mother were able to fly down toWinnipeg.

Aidan – Saskatoon

Aidan was born with a very aggressive, recurrent tumor in his right ear called a cholosteatoma. The ear, nose and throat specialist he saw in Saskatoon removed the tumor a total of four times under general anesthetic, but the aggressive tumor returned every time. Aidan was referred to a pediatric ENT inCalgary for consultation and again for a subsequent surgery. Because of our program Aidan and his mother were able to fly to Calgary to get the medical care he needed.

These are only a few examples of what we do with the miles donated to the Air Canada Foundation.  We are always looking for ways to do more and you can help us achieve that goal.

Your support really makes a difference.

 DONATE YOUR AEROPLAN MILES  TODAY

Nicole St-Pierre,General Manager - People & Culture, Colette Lajoie, Executive Assistant - People & Culture and Isabelle Troïtzky, Senior Communications Advisor at Aimia receive Aimia's Solidaires award from Centraide

The generous actions of companies and community agencies to fight poverty in the Montreal area were celebrated yesterday evening at the Montreal Science Centre in the presence of over 400 loyal supporters of Centraide’s cause.

Ten companies, institutions and trade unions and five community agencies received a Solidaires award at Distinctions, Centraide of Greater Montreal’s annual recognition event. These prizes honour efforts to support disadvantaged people. They recognize the best fundraising campaigns and the leadership of the community agencies.

The Solidaires for best Centraide campaigns were awarded to:

• Bombardier and J. Armand Bombardier Foundation (Solidaires for Overall Support)
• CAE (Solidaires for Employee Campaign – 1,000 or more employees)
• Ultramar (Solidaires for Employee Campaign – 250 to 999 employees)
• Reader’s Digest (Solidaires for Employee Campaign – 249 employees or less)
• Ville de Longueuil (Solidaires for Employee Campaign – Public Sector)
• AIMIA/Aeroplan Canada (Solidaires for Employee Campaign – First Campaign)
• Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (Solidaires for Leadership Campaign – 1,000 or more employees)
• Esterline CMC Electronics (Solidaires for Leadership Campaign – 999 employees or less)
• Local 712, I.A.M.A.W. and Local 62, CAW Québec, Bombardier Aerospace (Solidaires for Trade Union Support)

In addition to the Solidaires, “Coup de Coeur” prizes were awarded to Esterline CMC Electronics and Rolls-RoyceCanada (Overall Support category), Douglas Mental Health University Institute (Public Sector Campaign category) and Xerox Canada (Leadership Campaign category).

Centraide also recognized the excellence of the community agencies and the people who work there. Solidaires were presented this year to:

• 1,2,3 GO! Saint-Michel/Femmes-Relais (Solidaires Empowerment), an innovative agency that facilitates the integration of new immigrant women and their families in the Saint-Michel district.
• Rosario Demers, volunteer with the Table de concertation du Faubourg Saint-Laurent (Solidaires Citizen Involvement), a unifier who promotes dialogue among the neighbourhood’s different social actors so as to ensure its harmonious development.
• Jacques Baillargeon, Executive Director and founder of Auberge du coeur l’Escalier (Solidaires Leadership), a pillar of help for youth who are homeless or in difficulty in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood.
• Volunteer Access for “The Human Chain of Volunteers of all Origins” project (Solidaires Mobilization), an event to raise awareness of volunteering among youth and the cultural communities, organized in collaboration with 12 otherMontreal community agencies.
• Marie-Lyne Brunet, Executive Director of the agency Je Passe Partout (Solidaires NextGen), a true ambassador for academic perseverance in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Centraide of Greater Montreal is an independent organization managed by a board of directors that is representative of the community. It serves the Island of Montreal, Laval and communities on the South Shore, supporting 360 community agencies and projects that help half a million vulnerable people. Centraide relies on over 73,000 volunteers, 23,000 of whom work on its annual campaign. It is supported by some 2,000 businesses and corporations, institutions, and public and parapublic organizations as well as large trade unions.

Today we are matching miles donated to Earth Day Canada!

Learn how Earth Day Canada uses their Aeroplan Miles!

Lessening our impact on the environment changes lives!

The support we receive from Aeroplan members provides us with the opportunity to provide kids, youth and adults across Canada with the resources they need to become well-informed about the products they purchase and how their daily choices impact the environment and the health of their families and communities. In particular, Aeroplan miles help us provide air travel so that

• youth can attend our EcoMentors training conferences;
• we can implement employee engagement strategies with corporations, engaging thousands of workers in environmental actions they can initiate in their workplace and at home
• people whose innovative work on addressing environmental issues can be shared first-hand at Earth Day Canada’s  annual Gala that recognizes and celebrates environmental achievement.

Of course travel is only a part of what makes support from Aeroplan so wonderful. It also allows us to update our organizational infrastructure (computers, servers, software etc.); provides access to car rentals and hotel accommodations; and offers us an opportunity to leverage wonderful prizes in support of our public engagement campaigns and contests.

In the end, Aeroplan miles allow us to continue our year-round programs that provide Canadians from kindergarten to adulthood with free educational resources and practical information they can use to lessen their impact on the environment.  And for this we are eternally grateful.

Kids at a local public school “Saving the Birds” for our Act for the Planet campaign, by painting pictures on their classroom windows

An EcoMentors workshop at the 2011 EcoMentors Conference in Ottawa

Hometown Heroes award winner, Jonathan Glencross, accepting his award at the 2011 Earth Day Canada Gala

 DONATE YOUR AEROPLAN MILES TODAY

One of our Aeroplan employees recently traveled to Costa Rica.  While visiting Palo Verde National Park,  she came across this white faced monkey.

Thanks for sharing!

Montreal is a fantastic city and the city where the Aeroplan Head Office is located.  This picture comes from one of our talented employees who has a passion for photography.

Enjoy!

Today we are matching miles donated to Schools Without Borders (SWB) - Make Your Miles Matter

Learn how Schools Without Borders uses their miles in support of young women that ignite change in their local and global communities

Why should I donate my Aeroplan Miles?

When you donate your miles to Schools Without Borders, you support innovative learning projects in communities around the world that are changing the face of education. From producing documentary films on critical history in Asia, to ecotourism guide training in Brazil, and micro-enterprise initiatives for young women in Nairobi, SWB supports some of the most dynamic learning programs globally. Without your support these projects would not be possible.

DONATE YOUR AEROPLAN MILES TODAY

Want to learn more about Schools Without Borders? See our recent employee engagement trip to Narobi.

Aeroplan Members love to fly, but Perdita Felicien takes flying to new heights.  As an Olympian and a world champion hurdler, she’s smart, she’s very fast and she’s getting ready for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

We caught up with Perdita in Ontario

Aeroplan: How long have you been an Aeroplan Member for?
Perdita: I have been an Aeroplan Member since August 2000. I had just made my first Olympic team at 19 and was excited about the long trip toSydney. Thankfully the team manager didn’t want me to miss out on all the potential Aeroplan Miles and reminded me to sign up.  And I did—hours before the flight.

Aeroplan: How did you become a hurdler?
Perdita: I was a member of a track club in elementary school and I used to sprint and do long jump. One day at practice, my coach Curtis Sahadath had hurdles set up and made me jump over them without prior notice. I was nervous but everyone was watching and I didn’t want to back down. I cleared the hurdles and recall feeling very awkward. Coach Sahadath must have seen something he like because from that practice onwards I trained as a hurdler, despite not liking the event.

Aeroplan: You travel a bit for competitions – which cities have become your favourite?
Perdita: My favourite cities for travel and racing are: Beijing, Stockholm, Paris, Monaco, and Hong Kong to name a few. However I am so focused on my competitions that I rarely get the chance to explore and enjoy the cities completely.

For the first time ever, this past summer after Worlds in Korea, I changed my flight going back to Toronto and booked one to Hong Kong. I had never been to Hong Kongand really wanted to see the city, so the impromptu trip seemed perfect.
Solo in Hong Kong, with no set schedule I was free to explore the region by foot and tram, it was enchanting! I kept thinking why haven’t I been taking off alone before?!  Inspired and not wanting the adventure to end I applied for a Chinese visa in Hong Kong, and then flew to Beijing. My mission: visit the Great Wall of China. In all my trips to China I had never seen this ancient wonder and it was time to stop putting it off. Once there it was one of those moments I will never forget, the Great Wall is majestic and like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

Aeroplan: What’s next for you in the World of Hurdling?
Perdita: The London Olympics are the big target for me this summer, they begin in July and I can’t wait! I competed at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004, but in 2008 I was injured and attended as an analyst for CBC. The media gig was fun and made me realize it is what I want to do once I retire, but I want to return to the Olympics as a contender one last time.
There is a lot of racing and preparing to do before London, so throughout the summer I will be racing in Jamaica, Korea, Canada, Qatar and Europe.

Aeroplan: What is your best travel advice?
Perdita: If I’m flying internationally to any foreign place I always pack my toiletries, pajamas, a pair of socks and tea with me in my carry on luggage. If my luggage doesn’t arrive after 18 hours of travel,  no worries, I can still shower and feel cozy and comfy before bed. This leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the new day in my new city.

Aeroplan:  Do you have any travel related stories to share with us?
Perdita: Early in my career I was racing in The Czech Republic when my bags were lost for three days. Back then, I never packed any extras in my carry on so I had nothing. No toothpaste, no clothes, no Chamomile tea to soothe my sorrows. It was torture.
Faced with the probability of wearing the same clothes I had just traveled across the Atlantic Ocean in, I held a “Help Perdita Clothing drive”. During lunch I informed my fellow athletes about my plight, (reminding them it could have easily been them), and asked them to donate whatever they could: Socks, floss, tee shirts, North American snacks, I would gladly accept it all. Amazingly it worked and before I knew it I had spare t-shirts, socks, and toothpaste tubes donated to my room to help get me through the days.

Thanks for sharing your stories and tips with us Perdita! We wish you luck and are routing for the Canadian Team to qualify for the Olympics!

You can follow Perdita on Twitter @perditafelicien and visit her website here perditafelicien.com