Latest news with #LoriOsborne
CBC
22-06-2025
- CBC
My family and I had to leave our home due to wildfires. Here's a photo diary of what happened next
This First Person article is the experience of Lori Osborne, a mother of four from Pimicikamak Cree Nation. For more info rmation about CBC's First Person stories, please see this FAQ. You can read more First Person articles here. On May 28, Pimicikamak Cree Nation was placed under an emergency evacuation order, as wildfires burned out of control near the northern Manitoba First Nation and surrounding communities. Lori Osborne, her four children and her partner, Stephan Robinson, were among the thousands who had to leave, and just found out earlier this week they'd finally be able to go home. Osborne diarized their journey with photos and notes. This is the first picture I decided to take before we were all told to evacuate, sitting around the living room with our bags all out and listening to the chief talk on radio and tell us to evacuate. I remember just rushing around and grabbing the things I needed. I packed as much as I could for me and my four kids. And let me tell you, that was hard. I probably packed more pants than shirts for my eight-month-old baby, Greenly. I packed two shirts and two pants for my son, Lakota, because I didn't do laundry. It was hectic packing, not only for myself but my kids — making sure I packed enough Pampers or milk, shoving things in to make it fit. Greenly was starting to get super fussy trying to get across the ferry to Norway House. I would have to carry her around outside sometimes just to keep her busy! Do you know how hard it can be to entertain a baby in a cramped up vehicle? (Ha ha.) I had my daughter Meena, my son Lakota and my niece Scarlett sing baby songs, such as Icky Sticky Bubble Gum and The Wheels On the Bus. I thought it would take forever to get to the ferry. This is Greenly and Meena waiting for the Hercules plane. I remember the wait was so hard! I didn't have a stroller for my baby girl, so I'd been carrying her a lot. Me and my boyfriend, Stephan Robinson, had to take turns holding her. I almost blacked out, because I was so hot and sweaty and tired. I just got so tired, I decided to lay her on the ground with her sister and me. This one here! It's when I realized, 'Oh, OK, this is serious. We're actually leaving our home!' I got scared, I'm not gonna lie. I'm not used to leaving my hometown. I'm not used to travelling. I never travelled with all four of my kids. Me and Stephan had to reassure my babies everything was gonna be all right. We just had to go on a trip to be safer. After our Hercules plane ride, we got into a bus right away, which took us to Peguis First Nation. When I hopped on the bus after settling down with my kids, I started crying. It was about 12:30 in the morning when we started moving, and I realized all my kids were cold. I didn't pack a blanket or warmer clothes. Me and Stephan had to take our sweaters to put on our babies, but there were only two of us and we had four cold babies. My son used mine, and our eight-month-old really needed one. My Meena was curled up in a ball inside her shirt. I cried and felt so sorry for them during that whole bus ride. When we arrived in Peguis, as we were walking into the multiplex, I noticed lots of cots with blankets and sheets on top of them. I noticed bottled water and snacks, and when I got into the washroom, I noticed clean towels hanging everywhere, shampoo, conditioner, soap, tooth brushes, etc. They even had a place for Pampers, Enfamil and a nursing station all in one building! Everything was literally ready when we got in, and boy, did I feel so much peace. My kids had a place to sleep, a blanket and a pillow. They gave us so many blankets — they gave us dividers, so we could have privacy, and Stephan made a little shelter for us. It felt like camping for my kids. They loved it so much here in Peguis; they had food my kids loved (like noodles and Kraft Dinner), bouncy houses, toys, an arcade and a pool table. But then, after spending five days in Peguis, they announced on the intercom we had to pack because we were going to Niagara Falls, Ont. Let me tell you, my heart dropped! I never ever travelled that far, let alone with all four of my kids. I got nervous, scared and worried about my babies. We packed and hopped on the bus. Then we waited all day at the airport to be boarded on the plane. We got word that we were definitely gonna be on that plane. So Stephan put our bags into the plane — only to be told we weren't getting on that flight. My kids waited around hungry and tired for nothing. I cried as soon as our councillor told us we weren't getting on the plane. She comforted me and said, "I'm sorry, I really am." I was just so tired of travelling and making my kids sleep on the floor. The next day, after a two-and-a-half-hour plane ride, we had a one-hour bus ride to Niagara Falls. We finally made it there. And so for the time being, Niagara Falls became home. We finally got a soft bed and two big rooms. My Meena was at peace. Look at her relaxing with her feet up, chilling. I felt better looking at her that way! I always wondered, "Why Niagara Falls, out of all places?" But it was amazing. On our first day there, we went for a stroll. It was a beautiful sightseeing day. Niagara Falls was something. I might have gone overboard with the pictures, but Niagara Falls was something I never experienced. I'm so glad I got to experience it with our kids. We spent seven days in Niagara Falls. I won't forget it. But then we got bad news. My babies' Papa Ross, their grandfather, had passed away. We took it hard — we cried in front of our kids in our hotel. We had to tell our babies that their papa, whom they were sooo close to, had passed away. Carl Ross had been on dialysis for 12 years. He'd been nothing but good to me and my babies. This was the last picture we took of him, when we were first evacuated and before we went to Niagara Falls. But now, it was time to pack up once again and leave. We flew back to Winnipeg as soon as we heard, where my mother-in-law found a hotel room for us. This is back in Winnipeg (see below), waiting for a ride to the Travelodge. For my babies, it meant another long travel day. It's not that bad at the Travelodge. I'm just glad I'm closer to home and I get to see so many familiar faces. My kids love it. We feel at home. News! After almost three weeks of travel, we just got word the evacuation is lifted! We get to go home!
CBS News
09-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
With teachers leaving the classroom due to financial stress, SchoolsFirst FCU prioritizes teacher wellbeing
SACRAMENTO — The week of May 5 marks Teacher Appreciation Week, and while you grab a Starbucks gift card or offer a "thank you" to the educators in your life, new data shows teachers are leaving the classroom at a high rate due to financial stress. "Teaching is not the kind of job where it's over when the bell rings, because teaching is not what you do. It's who we are," said Lori Osborne, a sixth-grade teacher at Zehnder Ranch Elementary in Elk Grove. Osborne is Elk Grove Unified's 2025 district teacher of the year. "It just came naturally," she said of teaching. It's now her 28th year in the classroom. The kids keep her going. After all, the day-to-day is not easy, and educators wear a lot of hats. "I know it's been five years, but especially coming out of COVID, we really became all those things -- the teacher, the social worker, sometimes the parent. That does weigh on you," Osborne said. "Teacher burnout is a real thing." A California Teachers Association report from January 2025 found that 40% of teachers in the state are leaving the profession due to financial stress. Further, more than 90% are spending their own money on their students' needs, while 81% cannot keep up with the rising cost of groceries, housing and childcare. "It's a sobering statistic. It does make us realize at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union just how critical our mission is. In some ways, it empowers us to fill that gap," said Josh Smith with SchoolsFirst FCU. CBS13 asked SchoolsFirst FCU, the largest credit union in California: What's their mission? After all, they only serve educators and their families. "Because their lives are unique, their needs are unique and we are focused on serving those," said Smith. "The fact is, it's never been harder to work in education than today." The credit union offers a range of programs to help teachers financially, like offering no-interest loans and grants for needed classroom supplies and helping teachers plan for the summer months' pay gap. "I preach SchoolsFirst from the rooftop for everything they've done for us. I tell everyone they need to be a member of SchoolsFirst if they are a member of the educational system," said Mary Gatejen, a retired teacher. Gatejen was a teacher for 36 years in Sacramento and Elk Grove. She says SchoolsFirst has put her first for decades. "It made a huge difference. I didn't have to panic in the summer, and I didn't have to worry that our rent was going to get paid or the bills get paid," Gatejen said. The California Teachers Association also found that 84% of teachers cannot afford to live near the schools where they work. While it has not been Osborne's experience in Elk Grove, she says her teacher friends in the Bay Area are experiencing that struggle. "Unfortunately, I've heard of teachers living in their cars. I've heard of teachers that lived so far out, the commute was so long, it wasn't worth the drive," Osborne said. As a first-time homebuyer at 28, Osborne got a home with no down payment thanks to SchoolsFirst. Today, the credit union is working to fill the housing gap, offering home loans for teachers with a down payment as low as 5% and no private mortgage insurance. "It's important because we need dedicated teachers. And it's not that people don't want to be dedicated, they can't afford to be dedicated, or they are working two and three jobs, working through the summer. It hurts the kids because kids need consistency," Gatejen said. It's shining a light on supporting educators as they support students -- which protects the future of California classrooms. "You can feel it when the kids get it. It's so rewarding. It's worth all the hard days when they get it," said Osborne, about why she loves teaching students. For more information on SchoolsFirst FCU and its programs for teachers, visit their website.
