Latest news with #211
Global News
29-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
211 launches new N.B. services for victims of gender-based and intimate partner violence
Anyone experiencing gender-based or intimate partner violence in New Brunswick has a new dedicated tool to find the help they need on their terms. 211 New Brunswick has launched the 'It's Your Call' campaign, a 24/7 provincial resource linking those experiencing gender-based violence or intimate partner violence to social services ranging from safe places to stay to medical support. 'If you're in a situation where you're experiencing gender-based violence, it's an extremely stressful situation,' said Shelly Steeves, director of marketing and communications for United Way Moncton. 'And it can often be difficult to know where to go for help – what services are out there and who can you access. That's where 211 helps.' The 211 service, provided by United Way, has been available across Canada since 2020, connecting people to social, government, health and community services. This is the first time it is putting dedicated resources in place to help victims of gender-based and intimate partner violence. Anyone can call 211 or visit to access services anonymously. Story continues below advertisement 'Individuals do not need to formally report their experience, but they can explore the type of help they need and decide how to proceed accordingly based on what they need in their own individual situations,' Steeves said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy She also says those who call in will be guided through the process by trained personnel. 'They are specially trained to really actively listen with empathy and understanding to the callers, whether it be a friend, family member or the person actually experiencing gender-based violence.' 2:03 New Brunswickers struggling with basic needs including housing The hope is 211 offers an easy-to-remember number for victims who may need to remain discreet in dangerous situations. 'They have to remember phone numbers. There is a risk that if you're with your partner who is violent that they would find those phone numbers. 211 is easy to remember,' said Valerie Roy-Lang, director of the Réseau des services pour victimes de violence du N.-B. Story continues below advertisement Roy-Lang says the service will also help victims overcome roadblocks. 'There are many barriers, if you look at financial barriers, some people have children, what happens then? They have so many questions on where to go and what to do,' she said. The campaign announcement follows the legislative assembly's unanimous support on June 6 to declare gender-based violence an epidemic and systemic crisis within the province. New Brunswick has the third highest police-reported rate of intimate partner violence in the country and the highest rate of reported gender-based violence in Atlantic Canada, according to the most recent data from 2023. The province saw an almost 40 per cent increase in intimate partner violence over a 12-year period, with rural communities being particularly affected. Since 2020, 211 New Brunswick has helped connect more than 100,000 people to services. – with files from Johnny James
Malaysian Reserve
25-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Sports Toto unit to acquire 3 retail units in Berjaya Times Square for RM24.9m
SPORTS Toto Bhd's wholly owned subsidiary STM Lottery Sdn Bhd has entered into sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) to acquire three freehold commercial units at Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur, for RM24.9 million in cash. The units, located on the ground floor of the integrated commercial complex along Jalan Imbi, are being acquired from Sapphire Transform Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned unit of Berjaya Assets Bhd. The total floor area is about 1,637 sq ft, translating to a price of around RM15,211 per sq ft. The acquisition was based on a market valuation of RM25.2 million by Hartanah Consultants. The properties are currently tenanted and income-generating. Sapphire had acquired them in April 2012 and carried the units at RM29.47 million in its books as of May 31, 2025. Under the terms of the SPAs, STM Lottery has paid RM5 million upfront, with another RM5 million due within a month and the remaining RM14.9 million payable within three months of the agreement date, with a one-month extension subject to 8% annual interest. The acquisition will be funded via a mix of borrowings and internal funds. The company said the proposed acquisition represents an investment in income-generating assets and offers potential for capital appreciation. 'The board of Sports Toto (except for the interested directors) believes the acquisition is in the best interest of the group,' it said in the filing. The deal is deemed a related party transaction. Berjaya Corp Bhd is a major shareholder of both Sports Toto and Berjaya Assets. The acquisition is not expected to have any material impact on Sports Toto's net assets, earnings, or gearing, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025. — TMR
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Millions of caregivers have access to this help line. Still, they're drowning.
Millions of caregivers have access to this help line. Still, they're drowning. Show Caption Hide Caption Bradley Cooper new documentary sheds light on caregiving crisis A new documentary, "Caregiving," executive produced by Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper, will explore the hidden struggles of caregivers. unbranded - Entertainment Jami Chapple feels stuck. At 54, the single mother has no income and is two months behind on rent. She's behind on her utility bills, too, and can't find work because she's busy caring for and homeschooling her 12-year-old son who is autistic and has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 'It's so draining that there's no way to financially produce," Chapple, who lives in Wyoming, said. "Even if you want to.' The last time Chapple felt this stuck was around 2005. She was raising four children then and needed help finding food and clothes for her family, so she dialed the 211 helpline, a national program run by United Way Worldwide that connects callers to local experts who can refer them to health and social service organizations in their community. 'That lady took so much time, with such patience," Chapple said of the 211 call taker. "She gave me dozens and dozens of resources.' Chapple called 211 this time, too. But she said she wasn't eligible for the services the helpline referred her to, and the caregiver support group they connected her with is too far from her home. The 211 helpline is expanding services for caregivers like Chapple. But with 53 million caregivers in the U.S., according to a 2020 report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, it's not nearly enough − especially if the services 211 refers callers to start to dwindle, said Bob Stephen, vice president of health security programming at AARP. Life for caregivers might get even harder if the Senate passes President Donald Trump's so-called "big beautiful bill" which includes massive cuts to Medicaid. The proposal includes work requirements for people under 65 to access Medicaid, "many of whom would be family caregivers," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP's executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer. In 2021, in partnership with AARP, 211 met the caregiving crisis by adding a Caregiver Support Program in a handful of states including Florida, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The program grew in the years that followed, and now millions more caregivers will have access to caregiver-specific support assistance as the program is being expanded to 10 more states: Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Missouri and Illinois, plus Puerto Rico. The full list of participating states and regions can be found here. His sick wife asked him to kill her. Now that she's gone, he says the loneliness is worse. Specialists help with callers' most immediate needs like food and shelter, and then get them connected to other programs that specialize in long-term support. There are about 5,000 211 phone workers nationwide, said Heather Black, vice president of 211 System Strategy at United Way Worldwide. "We're the triage," Black said. But what happens when the triage isn't enough? 211 helps caregivers who don't know they are caregivers Since 2021, the 211 Caregiver Support Program has helped more than 1 million caregivers through a combination of direct support, local community engagement and website visits, according to United Way Worldwide. Caregivers often say they didn't know they were a caregiver at the time, including celebrity caregivers like Bradley Cooper and Uzo Aduba. So when 211 specialists speak with people in need, Stephen said, they don't ask the obvious question, "Are you a caregiver?" 'Tuna breath' and death: Bradley Cooper shares memories of caring for his late father Instead, call takers are trained to listen for cues that indicate the person is a caregiver. 'It's amazing how much information people share as they tell you their story about their situation," Black said. 'You don't use the word caregiver until you've got them recognizing some of the tasks that they do," Stephen said, like driving older parents to medical appointments. Callers might ask about food, housing or utility assistance, which were the most common requests out of the nearly 17 million 211 helpline calls last year. If the caller indicates they may be a caregiver, then there are a slew of other resources 211 workers can direct them to, like transportation services, veterans' benefits, respite care, meal delivery programs and caregiver support groups. Evidently, though, some well-meaning attempts to connect people with programs are falling flat. And that may only get worse if funding cuts rattle the caregiving community's resources. Survey: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. More help is needed, caregivers and advocates say The 211 helpline is designed to connect people to resources already in their community. But if the resources people need aren't available in that region, there's not much 211 can do, Stephen said. Chapple said 211 was helpful when she was raising her four older children back in the early 2000s, when she lived in Texas. But now that she's in Wyoming and raising a kid with a neurodevelopmental disorder, she's hitting roadblocks. Some of the referrals she got recently through 211, Chapple said, she was not eligible for. "There's not a lot of resources for my situation," Chapple said. Chapple said she doesn't have family support like other caregivers. And she's had a hard time finding a job that offers the flexibility she needs to care for her son. Her biggest needs now, she said, are rent assistance and help finding work. But she said some programs require more time to apply than caregivers have. 'There is an immense amount of time wasted for caregivers on forms," Chapple said. "Filling out forms, phone calls, research, paperwork, interviews with the health agencies and even just the emotional preparation to do those things is sometimes distressing.' The 211 helpline doesn't rely on federal funding, Stephen said, 'although the federal budget does fund many of the things that 211 connects people to.' He's worried federal cuts could further reduce the programs available for people in need, including caregivers. '211 is going to be more critical," Stephen said. "Because people aren't going to really understand what is still there." Caregiving is a labor of love, Chapple said. But it's difficult physically, mentally, financially and emotionally. She said she's had to give up a lot of the simple pleasures she used to enjoy, like taking a relaxing bath or writing songs. Sometimes, she said, she sits in her car for just 10 minutes to listen to music. That brings her some peace. 'There's no time for us," Chapple said. "There's no time for self-care. I mean, I'm lucky if I get like a shower or two a week.' Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@ and @maddiemitch_ on X.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- The Sun
EAIC Refers AADK Drug Release Case to Public Prosecutor
PETALING JAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has concluded its investigation into allegations that National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) officers in Negeri Sembilan released drug addicts who tested positive during an operation two years ago. The commission had received a complaint alleging that AADK officers neglected their duties by releasing several individuals who tested positive for drug abuse during a raid at Kampung Felda LBJ, Labu, Negeri Sembilan, on March 8, 2023. The EAIC stated that this alleged act constitutes an offense under Section 211 of the Penal Code. 'EAIC decided to refer the investigation's findings to the public prosecutor in accordance with subparagraph 30(1)(c) of Act 700,' read the commission's statement. In addition to the referral for potential prosecution, the EAIC has also forwarded findings related to disciplinary offenses committed by the involved AADK officers to the Disciplinary Authority. This comes 'along with a recommendation for disciplinary action under subparagraph 30(1)(b) of Act 700.'
The Sun
10-06-2025
- The Sun
EAIC refers AADK drug addict release case to public prosecutor
PETALING JAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has concluded its investigation into allegations that National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) officers in Negeri Sembilan released drug addicts who tested positive during an operation two years ago. The commission had received a complaint alleging that AADK officers neglected their duties by releasing several individuals who tested positive for drug abuse during a raid at Kampung Felda LBJ, Labu, Negeri Sembilan, on March 8, 2023. The EAIC stated that this alleged act constitutes an offense under Section 211 of the Penal Code. 'EAIC decided to refer the investigation's findings to the public prosecutor in accordance with subparagraph 30(1)(c) of Act 700,' read the commission's statement. In addition to the referral for potential prosecution, the EAIC has also forwarded findings related to disciplinary offenses committed by the involved AADK officers to the Disciplinary Authority. This comes 'along with a recommendation for disciplinary action under subparagraph 30(1)(b) of Act 700.'
