The Canadian Arc of Good Hope^TM

The Concept:

A Place for Peace and Happiness for Mentally and Socially Challenged People

A time honoured universal, humane approach that reaches back to Hippocrates, and Jesus, who saw that love was healing and important, for everyone amongst us, rich or poor, sinner or not, disabled or not, and other philosophers and social workers, for the Integration of the many

Who are struggling amongst us for a place to live amongst us,

Who don’t think like us about self and society and

Who have been forced to live on the streets unprotected and abused by societies and family members, professional misdirected psychiatric practitioners, and

Who can’t or won’t accept that they think differently than us and have not hesitated to prescribe the drugs that muddle their minds and make it quite impossible for them to adjust their life-styles to us, and vice versa.

This will aid the few people and families who have no place to which to turn for help for their loved ones who are mentally and socially ill.

Proposal:

BUILD AN ARC AND THEY WILL COME!

Fill the arc with flora and fauna of many varieties

Ensure that there are helping folks who understand and are willing to listen to the mentally and socially disabled people who have come to them for guidance.

HEALING MUST AND WILL BE IN THE FUTURE OF US ALL!

The prophets of all the religions have predicted it will come to pass.  Why not start now?

Natural healing will occur when nature is in abundance and the space to think and grow will mirror normal plants and animals not already poisoned by the powers that be that seek control and not the healing powers that can be sought amongst the natural surroundings of a farm or orchard, where the fruits of one’s endeavours are not tainted by the many people who are intentionally or unintentionally controlling and unnatural in their approaches to the mentally and socially disabled people of the world.  A not insignificant proportion of all social groupings and nations have such problems.  This is not a Welland problem.  It is not an Ontario problem.  It is not a Canadian problem.  It is a world-wide problem touching all of us and all of the others in the world.

In the beginning, there is this idea and the idea is that love is natural and healing.

Interested individuals will volunteer with joy.

Starting with this idea, it is proposed that

1.     A viable agricultural enterprise be bought, or leased and run by knowledgeable farmers, ranchers and a lot of psychologists and social workers who will gladly help with individuals who’ve suffered and struggled in the usual social settings all across this great country of ours.

2.     Housing should be on the premises for eligible candidates for living in, such as cottages or apartments or camping sites which would also serve for visitors, of kith and kin, who understand the purposes of natural healing plans for the candidates who will live there permanently or will live there long enough to heal and integrate their life-styles with their kith and kin at home.

3.      It is likely that the enterprise will be profitable, such as a vineyard or a flower farm, a dairy farm or a horse ranch, so that a non-profit enterprise can be established for the benefit of those who live there and even be a vacation spot for kith and kin who would look forward to the chance to see the labours of their loved ones be appreciated and flourishing.

4.     An already established national mental health association, such as the CMHA, could be made the directors of such an enterprise, just as they provide housing and aid for runaway teens or abused women or abused elderly folks, along with a chosen Board of Directors of  Volunteer citizens who have the time and energy to become involved.

5.     The Board of Directors, perhaps 12 or 13, meeting regularly, serving three or four year stints, should include financial wizards, engineers, agricultural experts, teachers, social workers, physicians, artists, musicians, religious leaders and successful parents of the candidates who will be living at the Arc of Good Hope.

6.     The Canadian Government, perhaps the Department of Health, will appropriate and distribute moneys under their usual stringent rules and regulations to ensure that funds are not wasted or embezzled, and be prepared to publicize the all-important details of the budget and the principles for governance, as proposed by the current Board of Directors and any all government leaders who have an interest in successful integration of the candidates and helping families who are involved.

7.     Any complexity or aberration of the plans proposed should be acted upon immediately so that honesty and loyalty flourishes and is acknowledged and encouraged.

8.     All profits shall be channeled back to candidates and their support and making room for expansion to include as many Canadian candidates as possible, perhaps eventually having hundreds, if not thousands of people who are helped in the original Arc or any Arcs of Good Hope that are built on its model for the improvement of mental health people and facilities across Canada.

9.     There shall always be a presence of professional health and social service workers, say of the CMHA, who will make regular confidential reports available to involved kith and kin and referring practitioners to ensure continuity of care over an extended period of time; the candidates will also be consulted regarding who extended family are extant and need to be involved in such integrated plans for all, such that a helpful “extended family and an understanding social group will form and be supportive over extended periods of time.

10.                                                                                                                                                                                      It might be feasible for consultants to be sought who’ve been involved with such facilities throughout Europe and Asia and in reverse, it might be possible to propose the Canadian model for approaching mentally and socially disabled people to other continents, like South America, Australia and Africa, as a kind of proud Canadian success, not unlike the financial successes, that would earn Canadians respect throughout the world.

The following people within my social setting that I would recommend for the first Board of Directors would be

1.     David of Rebecca’s Variety

2.     Jack retired engineer of Deere

3.     Bob president of the B’nai Tikvah Synagogue in NF

4.     Samantha master’s level nurse and psychotherapist specialist for military PTSD and its severe addictions and other complications

5.     Steve masters level psychotherapist, specializing in family rebuilding

6.     Sarah masters level psychotherapist with the CMHA

7.     Lily schizophrenic  and PTSD caused by severe abuse, sexual, mental and physical from childhood on

8.     Esther, mother of five and grandmother and family of many depressive and anxiety disorders, both inherited and acquired, former executive secretary the president of Niagara College in Welland.

9.     Izzy former physician and psychotherapist in Welland and elsewhere in USA and Switzerland with ‘functional’ Bipolar Disorder, yo-yo type eating disorder, PTSD, Cardiac Failure and Diastolic Dysfunction, who made it to 75 years of age despite working throughout the years, severe ‘losses’ of kith and kin, including two of 3 children, two divorces and many failed relationships with women, with the support of many therapists and family and friends, a sister and best friend who prayed for me daily, including two hospitalizations for Severe Depression for three months, each, the writer of this proposal, whose thinking is quite illogical, at times, but writes and paints and listens to good music, cooks, eats his own artistic creations, and everyone else’s, anyway.

10.                                                                                                                                                                                      Jacob, my best friend, a Born Again Christian, age 84, one of 12 Mennonite children on a farm near Winnipeg, energetically and in the peak of good health, mentally and physically and spiritually, who accidentally, by the direction of Jesus, stayed in Welland, practically built his own house an had a business property including a café run by his wife and himself, retired to a huge property which he bought for cash in Kakabeka Falls, the Niagara of the North, near Thunder Bay, who taught me Jesus was his friend since he accepted him into his heart with the support of his uncle, Martin, at age 31, while I was having my first nervous breakdown, in a barn, and Jesus was Love and unconditional forgiveness, and I finally believed every word, who is a successful enterprise, himself, who reads the bible at least three times a day and twice as much, on Sunday, who might be willing to loan us part of his property, loaded with trees and birds, fresh air and water, and amethyst and specks of gold and silver, for an Arc of Good Hope, if it’s OK with his wife, Maria.

MONEY: Initial costs, a million or two, specific budget pending.  Maintenance costs might well be borne by the Arc of Good Hope, itself, which should pay huge dividends to the Canadian Government, in many ways, as time goes on.

TIMING: Proposed starting date, anytime now, it’s long overdue.

BANKING: Proposed Bank, the TD Canada Trust, on Main in Welland, where Mrs. Slow was unbelievably helpful and informative and might be interested in a place on the Board.

REFERENCE: Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus said, “Love Thy Neighbour as thyself.  Accept me into your hearts.  I have died for all your sins so that ye may enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Peace on Earth.  Good will towards men and women, sinful, mentally and socially disabled, or not.”

Dedication to my new friend David who has a schizophrenic son who needs an Arc in which to heal and grow and integrate and who has been remarkably willing to share his heart and soul and expert entrepreneurial skills with me and many others including women at the Korean Church in St. Catharines who were overdosing on their calcium rich foods and getting kidney stones, who has taught himself the natural, dietary approach to good health, who loves Puccini, where his wife Shelley conducts the women’s musical group for Sunday entertainment of the congregation there.

THE FILING OF REPORTS:

Of course!  Many will have to help me because I hate to fill out reports which are necessary for innumerable committees and individuals who have to pass their paid-for judgements.  Mrs. Slow, David and Jack may volunteer to help me get through the necessary process.  God Himself, in French or English, may need to get me through…  Merci and Thank you, in advance…  At 75, filing reports, and logic, has never been my thing, but this worthwhile project may be stimulus enough!

THE END

© IZZY SOMMERS, MD

WELLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA

MAY 8, 2013

Signed at Welland, May 8, 2013, ACE,

___________________________________________________Izzy Sommers, MD

witnessed by________________________________________David Hyang, date

witnessed by_______________________________________Jack Dockman, date