As Rebecca notes, our contest was inspired by Amsterdam’s video (hmm, interesting connection there between Amsterdam and Vancouver…) and is hosted by Strutta.

All you have to do is post a video related to Twitter which means to me that pretty much anything (legal) is on the table.

Being geeks, all the prizes are geeky good stuff. We’ve pitched in three Gelaskin laptop protectors (I have one, why don’t you?) and Futurelooks has offered two awesome laptop cooling mats!

What are you waiting for? Go on to the Vancouver Twestival Contest page and enter!

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So how about donating to a good cause?

[From "Phones for Fearless" is Underway - Get on the pick-up list | Fearless City]

A band of merry geeks are roaming Gastown right now picking up your old cellphones and devices to be distributed to artists and others in the Downtown Eastside.

Oh did I mention they also brought homebrewed beer?

No, of course it’s not about the beer, it’s about helping out. Remember the tech we’ve discarded as oh so last century has a very usable life for 90% of the population. So visit the Fearless City site and see how you can help.

Don’t forget those old computers either! Free Geek will take those machines and give them new life as usable machines for others. I have two machines that I will drag out and ditch in the New Year.

How about you? Don’t wait for Spring Cleaning, think about New Years cleaning!

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Even though the M2O office has been chilly this week, it’s been okay and after work I get to go home to a warm house. Many others aren’t so lucky. There are something like over a thousand street homeless in Vancouver right now.

The city and province have worked together to open an unprecedented number of shelter beds during this cold emergency, but it isn’t enough. Early this morning a woman died.

A woman, who was offered shelter twice and refused, burned to death trying to stay warm. This shouldn’t happen.

I heard on the radio this evening that the Salvation Army on the North Shore has nothing to give the homeless. Their donations are down so much that they have nothing to put in the hampers.

We can help.

This is how:

During these past few days with the cold weather, we’ve been flooded with calls from people asking how they can help. I’ve spoken with Janice Abbott of Atira Women’s Resource Society, and with Judy Graves, the City’s Homelessness Outreach Coordinator, and they’ve offered this list of items that those without homes this winter are most in need of:

•    Blankets
•    Bus tickets
•    Winter coats
•    Long-sleeved shirts
•    Thermal underwear
•    Wool socks
•    Sleeping bags
•    Tarps (preferably small)
•    Hygiene items (combs, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, nail clippers, etc)
•    Boots

Donations can be made to Gather and Give, a non-profit charity that provides a centralized inventory for organizations working with those in need. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, and is located at 105-418 East Kent Avenue South — just east of Main and south of Southwest Marine Drive.www.gatherandgive.org

We all have our beliefs and feelings about poverty and homelessness. I know, it isn’t an easy issue to tackle.

In the end, however, we are all people and people deserve to be warm and safe.

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Media2o is proud to support Raising the Roof‘s 13th Annual Toque Tuesday Campaign. Toque Tuesday is a national campaign aimed at fighting youth homelessness in Canada. Here,  Jason Hasselmann, Communications Lead and Bradley Shende, CEO of Media2o Productions sport the Raising the Roof toque!

Buy your special Raising the Roof toque – in driftwood or classic black – for a minimum $10 donation and support programs and initiatives that make a difference in the lives of thousands of men, women, youth and children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Then proudly wear your toque on Toque Tuesday February 3rd!

The money raised from the Toque Tuesday Campaign goes to local partner agencies working to reduce homelessness in Communities and across Canada, as well as to Raising the Roof’s national Youthworks initiative, aimed at breaking the cycle of youth homelessness.

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