Published November 2020.
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It’s getting colder in the northern hemisphere, and summer has arrived Down Under! As Thanksgiving approaches in the US we gather safely online for our monthly Ferreira Fest party. We have some great photos and screen caps from way-back-when, friends and charity news, and we have a shout out to one of our dearest party guests! Wear your funkiest mask, grab a pineapple cocktail with a re-usable straw and come on in! We have plenty of room for proper social distancing!
CHARITIES NEWS
Ability Online
Ability Online is not a typical chat / messaging community!
How is Ability Online different from other online “chat” environments?
Our community is comprised of children and youth who share the challenges associated with disabilities and/or chronic illness and their parents/care givers.
- Safety and security is paramount. Member identification is verified prior to permitting access to the site, public message areas are monitored, and all volunteers and staff are police-screened.
- We have zero tolerance for bullying or inappropriate behavior.
- Our program supports a therapeutic model for recovery, meaning that program areas are designed to address needs across functional domains and can be used with varying levels of parent/therapist intervention.
- We provide opportunities for confidence building, skill development, and peer support.
- We strive to help our members in “off-line” areas of their lives, too, by providing mentors, homework help, and help with the transition to adulthood.
- We don’t have any advertising on our member pages and this ensures that our younger members are not distracted or lured off to other sites.
- Contributing to life changing experiences in children and youth with disabilities by helping families acquire necessary equipment/aids.
Having a child with a disability brings a unique set of challenges to parents, from learning how to manage their health needs to wanting to help them achieve their personal best.
It’s a 24/7 undertaking! And then you add in all the “extras”, the adapted equipment, specialized seating, therapy, writing aids etc that quickly drain financial resources.
While there are some financial supports available, the full cost is not always covered or a family may not meet all the eligibility requirements, and it is that amount that may prevent a child from getting what he/she needs to be as self-sufficient as possible.
Please support the vital service Ability Online is providing during these times of social distancing – a safe means of communicating is more important than ever!
If you’d like to focus your gift, please consider contributing to Ability Gives, the equipment fundraising section of Ability Online. Ability Gives is currently supporting Kaden – read more about him and his needs here.
To make a donation to Ability Online please click on the logo below.
Project Limelight
The mission of Project Limelight Society is to create an environment that will allow youth to develop a strong sense of self and to unleash their imagination. The program provides a nurturing community that supports their development through participation in the performing arts.
Project Limelight gives young people a sense of confidence, self-assurance and creative freedom that will be carried forward outside of the initiative and into their school and home life.
Project Limelight is a non-profit performing arts program in East Vancouver offering residents ages 8 to 15 years old of the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and Mount Pleasant programming at no cost.
Project Limelight provides youth with a safe place to build an artistic community alongside professional actors, directors, dancers, singers, costume designers, filmmakers and musicians. As part of their commitment to the community, nutritious meals and snacks are provided to every child at each workshop and rehearsal.
Every penny counts so the organization can rebuild its programs when the COVID pandemic is under control, so please give by clicking on the logo below!
Haven Toronto
When Preparing For Winter Means Preparing To Stay Alive
How do you prepare for winter? One can only assume it is not much different from that of your neighbous. Maybe you stow the patio furniture, haul out shovels and sidewalk salt, and switch out shorts with pants and tees with sweaters. There are also people in our community whose idea of preparing for winter means loading up on heavy socks and thermal underwear and doubling up on coats and sleeping bags.
Ten thousand people in Toronto are homeless on any given night. Of those living on the street, the majority are men and many are clients of Haven Toronto, a drop-in center for elder men in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s.
It is unbelievable to think that, in Toronto, people are living in parks and alongside highways during the coldest nights and on the hottest days of the year. How they prepare for each seasons is very different than most people, and for that, most people should be grateful.
Haven Toronto supports clients in their preparation for the upcoming season, and impending extreme weather, by providing ‘Weather-Ready’ Kits featuring items vital to their survival.
Recognizing that clients carry everything they own, the drop-in center distributes the items at different times throughout the year. Kits are customized to individual needs and can include winter boots, jacket, gloves and a toque, rain gear in the spring, and sunscreen, a refillable water bottle, shirts and shorts come summer. Socks and underwear are always in demand; an elder homeless man needs new socks every ten days.
The ‘Weather-Ready’ kit is one of three care kits that Haven Toronto introduced to monthly donors in recent weeks.
There is a ‘Basic Care’ kit including items that many people might take for granted – items that are luxuries to someone who is homeless. There is also a ‘Healthy Meals’ kit that ensures clients receive at least one hot, healthy and nutritious meal every day, all year.
All three kits are made available for free to those less fortunate by donations at www.shophaventoronto.ca. Monthly donations mean year-long support for the most vulnerable in our community.
The November edition of H Magazine is now online. Read how, for 51 years, Sesame Street has provided lessons in empathy and inclusion. Plus, Betty White gives us her opinion of age and its impact on her career, one that spans a Guinness record 8 decades.
Read the new issue here!
Introducing 3 new Care Kits including the Weather-Ready kit of vital items to ensure clients are ready for every season, like rain gear, thermal underwear and winter wear. Learn more. Your monthly donation means year-long support for elder homeless men.
Buy one at www.shophaventoronto.ca!
Of course you can also give to the general operating fund of the organization by clicking on the logo below. Please note that you will be linked to our very own donations page which still bears the former name of the shelter – The Good Neighbours Club. Your donation will still arrive at Haven Toronto.
The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada
Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth in the child welfare system. The over 63,000 children and youth in care in Canada often grow up in difficult and damaging circumstances. Sometimes this means that being homeless is better than being at home. Compounding this trauma is the sense of isolation that comes from not having the stable support of friends or family that most of us take for granted.
Normal shouldn’t mean living on the streets is safer than living at home. It’s time to Stand Up for Kids and say that it’s not OK for children and youth in care across Canada to live with the threat of abuse and neglect through no fault of their own.
- Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Gala – Teddy Bear Affair
For over 30 years, the Foundation has held the award-winning Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Gala – Teddy Bear Affair to raise money in support of Canada’s most vulnerable children and youth.
In these unprecedented times, we are unable to hold our annual event, but the funds raised at the Foundation Gala are needed more than ever as families and former youth in care across Canada are facing extraordinary challenges due to COVID-19. To support these children and youth, the Foundation has launched the “unGALA” initiative to raise funds through an exciting online auction, raffle and donations from our long-standing supporters to help families stay safe and together and help former youth in care get through this challenging period. Please join us.
Our online unGALA auction is still open for bidding, with lots of great art, experiences, sports memorabilia, gift cards, and many other items available! Every dollar raised in the auction supports vulnerable children and youth across Canada who need our support now more than ever.
Don’t wait! Enter your bids here! The auction deadline is Sunday, November 22 at 9pm EST
“Congratulations!”
Trying to figure out a meaningful way to to celebrate a special day, show your gratitude, or honor a family member, friend or colleague, especially while we need to socially distance?
Making a tribute gift and sending an e-card to show them you care is the perfect way to do this. Your gift will also provide kids in and from child welfare with the programs and supports they need to remove barriers and help them go from surviving to thriving.
Click here and send one today!
You can always read the latest news in the online newsletter The Buzz!
Please support kids in foster care this holiday season by clicking on the logo below.
URBAN ANGEL
Encore Plus is posting new episodes of the classic Canadian series Urban Angel on YouTube every weekend, and you can watch them right here! Please be sure to subscribe to the Encore Plus channel, and when you get a moment, thank them for sponsoring the upload of this great show!
Based on the memoirs of Canadian journalist Victor Malarek, Urban Angel chronicles the journey of a street-wise ex-con who gets a job writing a column for the fictional Montreal Tribune. During the course of his work, he fights society’s dysfunctions and a spectrum of crime situations. This iconic series produced by Montreal’s prolific Telescene Film Group starring Louis Ferreira (credited as Justin Louis) and featuring many important talents aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and later, in the United States on CBS Late Night from 1990-93.
Season 1 Episode 3 – Postcards from the Past
Victor sees ghosts from his past as he tracks a kid’s claim of abuse in a group home.
Season 1 Episode 4 – Old Boys
The Tribune’s publisher and staff are unsettled by rumors of a hostile takeover by a Montreal financier, Claude Cormier. Following a tip, Victor probes health problems reported at an electrical parts plant owned by Cormier.
Season 1 Episode 5 – Fire and Ice
Victor discovers a powerful new drug on the streets of Montreal: “ice ”. Frustrated by the Tribune’s lack of interest, he goes undercover to get the story.
Season 1 Episode 6 – Damned if You Do
Victor is angered to discover Marrone is passing counterfeit money on the street. But Marrone has been coerced into it by the bent cops, White and Leduc.
SCREENCAPS
This month we have 932 Urban Angel Season 1 Episode 1 New Kid on the Block caps:
Victor pursues a vicious pimp, Le Copain, through the Montreal underworld. Someone, probably Le Copain, beats crusading priest Father Laplante into a coma. But the cops investigating, Officers Drake and Leduc, suspect Victor because of his record. As Victor deals with Christina, from whom he’s just moved out, and a group of Western and Quebec hog farmers protesting subsidies who just won’t go away, he realizes he needs a picture of the pimp. But when Christina poses as a hooker to set up Le Copain for a photo, Marrone says the “pimp” Le Copain is a cop.
(Synopsis by Encore Plus)
Here is a direct link to the album, or click on the photo below: https://ferreirafestscreencaps.shutterfly.com/pictures/44137
PHOTOS
Louis and Jackie are spending some quality time in the mountains, and it’s been snowing there since October 23rd! And no Thanksgiving greeting would be complete without a dog’s perspective… so here are Giancarlo and Billie enjoying (?) the first snow of the season!
Wishing all those of you who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving!
THE 4th READING SERIES: MR. MUGS – ROCKETS AWAY!
The fourth monthly reading series continues in Mr. Mugs – Rockets Away! by Martha Kambeitz and Denise Burns.
Unlike previous readers, this volume was published as a hardcover book within the Level 3 series of the Mr. Mugs readers. It was originally released in 1968. The Mr. Mugs books have been out of print for many years but occasionally you can find them on eBay, Amazon Marketplace or various other antique book dealers. Louis credits the Mr. Mugs books series with helping him to learn English at a very young age.
You can listen to all the previous book readings under the Reading Series Tab.
This month we have chapter 4 of Mr. Mugs – Rockets Away!
FRIENDS NEWS
Sebastian Bellamy
Sebastian did a photoshoot with Amir Tabatabaei.
“I had an amazing time doing this photoshoot with everyone, you guys were a blast to hang out with, I can’t wait to see where you guys go with your careers, you’re all super talented and lovely. Can’t wait to work with all of you in the future!”
Franco Lo Presti
Franco’s new movie Letters to Satan Claus will premier on SyFy on December 19 – don’t miss it!
Logline:
“Letters to Satan Claus” revolves around Holly who, after returning to her hometown of Ornaments as a big-city news reporter, faces off with the demon of her past following a simple typo made in her letter to Santa. It’s a harmless mistake that summons Satan to kill her parents.
Alaina Huffman
Alaina was a guest at CreationCon 2020 where she appeared alongside Gil McKinney during a “pay-what-you-can” Q&A panel.
And here’s Alaina with this month’s Public Service Announcement: WEAR A MASK! It’s the new look of fashion and compassion!
The Affolter Brothers
Try To Fly was accepted to the Spark Animation Festival. It was virtual this year, happening October 29 through November 8.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce Try To Fly‘s acceptance to the Academy Award-qualifying Edmonton Film Festival!
Amanda Alexander
Amanda is busy working away on Charmed Season 3 and taking care of her diabetic dog Calvin.
Please visit her GoFundMe page and donate a little to help with his treatments. Click on his picture to learn more!
Greyston Holt
Ready for Christmas? Check out Greyston in A Very Country Christmas Homecoming which premiered on UPTV on November 1 and is sure to repeat a few more times before the holidays, so keep an eye out!
Logline:
This Christmas, Zane (Greyston Holt) plans to legally adopt Jeanette’s daughter, Quinn, but complications arise in the form of the girl’s paternal grandfather coming back into the picture.
Mika McKinnon
Mika has been talking about rocks and landslides, and two of her recent talks are now available for you to watch!
Mika is featured on Hour 27 at CosmoquestX, available on TwitchTV: Landslides in SPAAAACE!
“Rocks fall. No one dies because no one is there. It turns out that landslides happen on the moon and even on asteroids. Natural disaster specialist Mika McKinnon and rocket scientist Alessondra Springmann will explain how and why these events occur.”
Mika’s TEDx Talk is on YouTube! “Do you have a rock?”
Dennis Heaton
“For two seasons I was honored to work with an incredible cast and crew on The Order for Netflix. It is one of the best experiences of my career. Unfortunately, we aren’t returning, but I will always cherish the memories and the props I stole. Thank you all for watching.
PS – Jack was totally going to raise Alyssa from the dead, but she was going to come back wrong. Like, Pet Sematary wrong. Probably possessed by Zecchia. And a whole bunch of other corpses were coming back with her. Thank you to all The Order fans who’ve reached out since we posted the news. Your appreciation for the series means a lot. And while I can’t answer everyone’s questions, I can tell you that it was spelled Vade Maecum.”
Congrats on a successful two year run, Dennis! We look forward to your next project!
Patrick Gilmore
CTV, P10prod and SEVEN24films announced that hit CTV Original comedy JANN starring Jann Arden and our friend Patrick Gilmore, who plays Jann’s brother-in-law Dave, has been acquired by streaming platform Hulu, with the first two seasons of the series expected to stream in the U.S. early next year!
Congrats to Patrick and the whole team, and way to go!
“It’s a Yard Rock Life Landscaping. Ask for Dave.”
Alex Appel
The trailer for Alex’ new movie Modern Persuasion is now available, and you can watch it right here!
Logline:
A single woman focused on her career in New York is forced to deal with the aftermath of a failed relationship when an ex-boyfriend hires her company.
Eric Banerd
Eric’s company Even Better Painting is keeping busy with jobs of all sizes:
“Ensuring safe and easy access is always the main priority on large projects. It makes it much easier to do the job properly and makes sure our staff feel safe doing their job.”
Need something painted in the Metro Vancouver area? Contact EB Painting today at 604-359-7979.
Justin Nannassy
Justin has been busy with new artwork and poetry. Click on the titles in the thumbnails below to see the full-size images in Justin’s gallery. On this external site you can view all of Justin’s artwork and poetry. Please note: everything is intended for mature audiences. If you are under the age of 18 please go here instead.
David Dingess
David was excited to play his first New York gig at The Stumble Inn on Saturday November 7. Congrats David, and way to go!!
Ingrid Rogers
Ingrid writes:
“It was my privilege to interview Janeika James and Jasheika James for the Black Member Forum of Women In Film. Ingrid also interviewed Kendra Chanae Chapman for the organization.
We discuss mindset, overcoming setbacks and practical skills to achieving success, as well as their soon to be released memoir Living Double.” Watch the interview right here!
“This is me. Many moons ago. In hair and makeup on Carlito’s Way.
I’ve always loved creating characters and storytelling since I discovered acting in high school. But it’s taken me decades to align my thoughts and passions and ability with the creative process.
My friends at The Acting Center have played a big part in giving me the tools and a safe place to develop and explore without judgment and criticism. And the more I’ve quelled my raging critic the more fun I’ve had and the more my talent has blossomed.”
Peter Kelamis
Peter appears in the Hallmark movie Time for us to come Home For Christmas! Watch it on December 6 at 10pm! Peter is playing Ted in the holiday rom-com.
Did you know Peter was in Happy Gilmore? He played Potter’s Caddy in the 1996 hit movie.
He writes:
“A blast from the past. Kevin Nealon was the nicest guy in the world! I was in awe of being a part of this film.”
Peter remembers…
“Howie Meeker has passed away. A number of years ago I got to play in a celebrity-NHL Charity game. My Coach was Howie Meeker. Hearing Howie yell, “Kelamis, your stick is too damn long! You’re missing the puck!” Is something I will never forget. RIP Sir.”
Bradley Stryker
Bradley can currently be seen in the movie Let Him Go, which opened nationwide in theatres on November 6. He confirms that it was a true pleasure working with film icons like Kevin Costner and Diane Lane. Don’t miss it!
SUPPORTING MANDINE
We have a very special Thanksgiving Project this month!
Everybody – please meet Mandine who lives in France, and who has been celebrating with us at Ferreira Fest for many years. As a big fan of Louis’ work and a dear friend of Jackie’s, Mandine has found much joy in this newsletter and our friendships.
Mandine is currently in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy to treat a tumor, and she could really use your positive thoughts at this time!
Mandine is proud of her collection of Louis photos, and she loves to surround herself with those mementos, which always make her feel better, especially now during her illness.
Here is Mandine (front, center) with some of her very special friends who support her in life and in her current difficult situation.
If you’d like to send some well-wishes to Mandine, please use this email, and we’ll forward them to her.
Louis and Jackie thank you for your support!
And that, dear Friends, is about it for this month! Thanks for visiting often! Be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the Louis news you can handle and TV reminders!
If you have comments, questions or suggestions, there are many ways to make your voice heard:
1. Visit the Forum and start a discussion or participate in an existing one. Signing up is easy and hassle-free but not required for visits, and nobody there will send you spam or unwanted emails.
2. Leave a note in the Guestbook. Guestbook notes will get a response via email if available.
3. Contact or any other staff member. Everyone is listed on the Contact Page. If you have any questions that you need answered, email is the way to go!
We are always looking for volunteers who want to contribute, and there are perks associated with being a correspondent or staff member!
Please remember: all content of Ferreira Fest and indeed this entire website is copyright protected. That’s what the note on the bottom of each page says. It means that you should never re-post anything you find here elsewhere. If you absolutely must do so please contact first so we can work things out. We all work for free here, and we all work very hard, and it’s just not fair if you steal stuff and claim it as your own. Your mom/ dad/ parental unit/ teacher already told you as much. Please play by the rules.
We hope to see you all next month!
