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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2013-12-25, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 25, 2013 Seaforth Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 RO. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK IWO phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca WHITNEY SOUTH Multimedia Journalist seaforth.news@sunmedia.ca Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT RO. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to set and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada, editorial Make Yuletide giving a year-round impulse Christmas is a time of giving, but we have to get past the notion that it's the only suita- ble time to give. "In any given year, Canadians donate more than $8 billion to charity, much of it in December," Lon- don Free Press reporter Kelly Pedro wrote earlier this month. Pedro's story was about the science of charitable acts — how the impulse to help others may be a human instinct. Whether it's genetic or not, it's understandable how charity organizations would see a surge in donations toward the end of the year. Every time Christmas rolls around, many of us have gift -giving on our minds since we're in a sharing mood. 'Tis the season. And the plight of many people aided by charities is also top of mind because the cold weather makes everyone hyper -aware of what it must be like not to have the comforts of a stable home life. (And it's also true that some self-interested souls try to squeeze in donations before the Dec. 31 tax deadline for purely selfish reasons.) No one should feel guilty if they choose to sup- port charitable organizations exclusively at Christ- mas. But if you are one of those Londoners, please take a moment to consider how you could make a difference throughout the whole year in the Forest City. There are so many worthy groups in our com- munity. Some are homegrown, others are the local arms of national or international organizations. Some don't even support human beings, but benefit our four -legged friends - such as the Arva- based animal rescue Paws United. It's up to you which among them deserves (or deserve) your hard-earned dollars. Just remember, such organizations are active all year-round and when Yule passes, the need for their services doesn't. Perhaps you prefer to support charities by vol- unteering your time. While it's admirable to help out at Christmas and the feelings of goodwill that result are tangible, we urge you to spread your efforts out across the entire calendar year. An entire year of giving? Maybe that sounds like a daunting challenge. But we happen to think Lon- doners are big-hearted enough to make it happen. In this era of seemingly endless factory closings, when more of our friends and neighbours are hurting, the Forest City needs to respond with all of its giving instincts. www.seaforthhuronexpositorcom Remembering those who are alone on Christmas For many, Christmas is a time to spend with fam- ily and friends. Enjoying parties, gifts and obscenely large dinners. But for some, Christmas can be a difficult time, especially when it's spent alone. Having to spend the holidays away from family is more common than you may think; whether it's the simple fact they live alone or have sadly lost family members. Not to men- tion, with more and more peo- ple moving away to find work or joining the military, families everywhere are finding it more difficult to get together each year. When I first moved to Van- couver, I dreaded the thought of not being able to fly home for Christmas. I worked at Star- bucks at the time, and with the holidays being our busiest time of year, there was a good chance my request for time off was going to be denied. In the end I made the flight, but pondering what it would be like to be with- out my mom and dad on Christ- mas morning was upsetting. Now, for those of you who may not know this, Vancouver is filled to the brim with stu- dents and young people from lots of different countries. Moving to Canada on work visas, some of these kids are as far away from home as they can be. One of my friends in particu- lar had traveled from Australia and Col umn Whitne y South was experiencing her first Christmas away from home, not to mention her first Cana- dian winter. I thought of her and all the people I had met in the city, coming from all over the globe, each one of them was going to be alone and without family. But my friends were very lucky; at least they had each other. As preparations begin for family celebrations this year, we all need to think of those who may not be so fortunate. If you know of someone who will be alone this year, if possible, try and make room at the table for just one more. It's amazing how one small gesture can make all the difference. SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com