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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 15Page 14 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wedi iesday, December 2, 2009 GoderichGreete.r -WELCOME SERVICE- Ifyou are a Newcomer, or know someone who is, call Kim Burgsma 524-5721 ...for Gift Certificates and local information! www.goderichgreeter.ca or email kim@goderichgreeter.ca Food banks looking for holiday help for Huron county families Cheryl Heath session, rent and energy assistance programs, and sun media even donations of health-care aids like wheelchairs Thanks to a combination of an ailing economy and eye glasses. and higher than usual unemployment rates in the The Society is also the last local group to host an region, three food banks are hoping those who can annual free Christmas dinner, for up to 250 people, will be willing to lend a hand with the aid of the Knights of Columbus. to those who are struggling to The emphasis, notes Barry, is on meeting the make ends meet this Christ- community's needs year round and as it stands, mas. "We've never been busier." Capt. Krista Andrews, of Barry says that while in past years the Society The Salvation Army, reports has seen two or three new families a month, they while the Christmas Kettle are seeing two or three new families a week these Campaign is under way, the days. fundraising goal is notably And, says Barry, the Society is seeing an increase higher at $42,000 for the in the number of area residents whose employment Goderich and Clinton region, insurance has run out and left them to rely on On - up five times over the $9,000 tario Works, which only allots for a maximum pay - goal in 2004. ment of about $520 a month for a single person. The reason? Soaring unem- "Those are the really heartbreaking stories," says ployment rates and the strug- Barry, noting there is still a level of denial in some gles being faced by those able people that don't see they can't continue to live on to seek new jobs at rates of their own after years of successfully managing to pay considerably lower than do so. what they once enjoyed. Barry notes the most people the Society has ever As it stands, says Andrews, seen in a month took place this year with 211 in - the $42,000 will be needed dividuals but she says it is looking like November to cover costs for emergency will exceed the record. situations and to purchase "People just can't make it any more," she says. items for the food bank that And while the Society will continue with its are not available as needed practice of anonymously donating hampers to through 2010. families and individuals whose names are submit - And though the final num- ted by donors, it will focus its efforts on ensuring bers are not in for how many .a merry Christmas to those often overlooked by area families will be receiving other groups including seniors, singe people and a Salvation Army Christmas Community Living clients. Hamper this year, Andrews "We pitch in everywhere we can," says Barry, says preliminary indications noting the Society's operating budget hails from are the figure will be high. the sale of good, at its all -volunteer operated store "We're certainly see an in- in Goderich, which has been serving the region crease in our numbers from since 1983. last year," she says, noting "A faith system is what is getting us through," calls started coming in last she says. week and are expected to Shelley Kaastra, spokeswoman for the Clinton - continue through the Dec. 16 based Friends of the Community Food Bank, says deadline. while volunteers are not too worried about their While the St. Vincent de stock for Christmas, they are casting a weary eye Paul does things in a different to the New Year. way, it is nonetheless report- "It's January we're worried about," she says, not- ing the same sorts of stories ing if preliminary statistics are any indication, the being heard by the Salvation food bank will see an increase in the number of Army's legion of volunteers. people seeking support after Christmastime. Family Services Coordina- Kaastra notes one of the grim stats is the num- tor Mary Barry says the so- ber of people the food bank saw come through the ciety's motto is simple: "We doors in September since people are usually in don't turn anybody away no most need of aid in the winter months due to the matter who they are." demands of meeting high utility and home -heating And, instead of focusing in costs. Christmas fundraising cam- She reports the Friends' group, like the others, paigns, the Society's volun- is also seeing a rising need for assistance from the teer corps works at helping working class that are no longer able to meet ex - individuals in need of some- penses and cover food costs. thing a little different. "Everything is going up and the wages aren't go - Indeed, notes Barry, the ing up to meet the costs," says Kaastra. Society delivers a range of She adds that while the Friends' group doesn't services that include a daily give away hampers at Christmas, since the Sal - ,soup kitchen in Goderich that serves up to 120 people at a Continued on page 35 Reason to switch #27: OPEN 8 Switch your chequing account to TD Canada Trust and experience the comfort of up to $250 cash' There are so many reasons to switch to TD Canada Trust. You can switch for branches that are open earlier, open later, and open longer. You can switch for convenient branch locations—over 1,100 of them. You can switch to the bank that's been ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates among the Big Five Retail Banks.2 You can also switch to a bank that has Small Business Banking Specialists to give you the advice you need. And right now, you can switch for up to $250 cash --just a little help from TD Canada Trust. It all adds up to one thing: getting your banking going in the right direction. 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