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Delivered { Free of Charge to 18,000 Homes in Clarington from The Publishers of Zfjt Canadian ^tattsman 1 IMgpp ■■ --iam : :;-r ■ v.-,>v. C ■■.■.• Salvation Army Donations Providing Toys and Food Lorraine Manfredo Salvation Army workers have been busy packing Christmas food hampers all this past week to get things ready for distribution Thursday. Thursday. More than 300 families will benefit benefit from the generosity of people who cared enough to drop off food, donations and toys to help the annual annual Salvation Army Christmas drive. Family Service Co-ordinator Isabelle Isabelle Jones says this year's collection collection was down somewhat over other other years. But, the Salvation Army is sincerely grateful for what was received. received. She has no doubt it will stretch far enough to cover every family the Salvation Army has promised to help. If it wasn't for the annual drive, a lot of folks would be facing a very bleak season, she says. Many young children wouldn't find any toys under under the tree. As of Tuesday, 250 families in Clarington were to receive food and toy baskets and another 60 were on the list for toys only. The Salvation Army workers try to provide two toys and a stocking for each child under 16. "Children don't understand fi nancial problems," Mrs. Jones explains. explains. "A lot of parents try to keep their financial problems from their children as much as possible." And applying for assistance is never easy for parents who have suddenly fallen on hard times. Mrs. Jones tries to make the asking easier. easier. "I'm not here to judge," she says from her small office above the thrift shop on Church. "I'm here to extend a helping hand." "A lot of the people who appeal to us for help have never had to ask before. In fact, a lot have contributed contributed to food drives in previous years. Many are laid off, waiting for their unemployment cheques, and others find their social assistance just isn't enough to cover them at Christinas. : "A lot feel there is no hope. All they see is gloom." As Isabelle Jones sees it, helping the less fortunate is more than just a holiday habit. "The spirit of caring lor one another another is our responsibility year- round," she says. , The purpose of the food hamper is to make sure that everyone has a half-decent Christmas, with food on their table and gifts for their children. children. by Laura J. Richards Durham Regional Councillors have voted 19-11 to move Durham's social services offices out of downtown downtown Oshawa. The vote came on Wednesday afternoon afternoon following almost one and one-half hours of discussion, debate and calls for recorded votes. Leading the opposition to the regional regional department moving to a plaza at King Street and Thornton Road was Oshawa Mayor Nancy Diamond. Diamond. Speaking on the issue of accessibility accessibility for social assistance clients, Mayor Diamond bluntly stated: "I find it inconceivable for someone to think that this site (at the west end of Oshawa) is more accessible for our clients." Looking at the idea that many of the social service clients in Oshawa live, in the northern portion of the municipality, Mayor Diamond said these clients will have to get on and off three buses to get to the new location location near the Whitby border. "I have to wonder...are staff hiding hiding from clients by going to a new location?" She went on to speculate out loud if this is how others will interpret interpret the move. While some figures were quickly tossed around by the councillors from Oshawa, Mayor Diamond told council that it seemed to her -- and probably to municipal taxpayers -- that the one concern behind the move out of the downtown core is parking. However, businesses will also feel the loss of the 200 or more jobs when the move is made to the west- end plaza. "I don't think you've factored in the 200-job loss. It is significant," Mayor Diamond added. Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson Nicholson asked why everyone was in such a rush to approve this move. "What's the rush? There is no deadline you have to meet. "Why not take the time to negotiate? negotiate? Until you sign a contract, you can still negotiate," Councillor Nicholson said. This move will really not benefit anyone, he stated. As it is, "this reaches into Oshawa taxpayers' wallets wallets and takes money out of their Turn to page 4 Graham's IGA* Maxi Drug (Indicates partial distribution) For information about inserting flyers in The Independent, please contact our office at 623-3303 Santa Stops for Breakfast in Newcastle Village Despite his hectic schedule, Santa didn't pass up the opportunity for breakfast with the children of Newcastle Village. He dropped by on Saturday morning, December 18, for the Newcastle Optimists' Optimists' Breakfast With Santa. In addition to meeting the Jolly Old Elf, those in attendance also enjoyed enjoyed pancakes, bacon, sausages, eggs, and all the trimmings. Outside the Community Hall, the Clarington Fire Department displayed their Fire Safety House and fire track. In this photo, Carly Reed and Kylea Greentree get acquainted with Santa Claus. Neighbours Seeking Donations and Funds Community Assists Family Left Homeless After Fire Winter clothing and children's toys have been piling up in a Kendal basement from neighbors and friends hoping to help a Kendal family burned out of their home five days before Christmas. Patty Simiana and Kevin Collins and their seven children had to rush home from Lindsay Sunday night, after being notified by phone at a relative's house that their Mill Street home was engulfed in flames. "By the time wc got there, they were already on the roof. The fire was that far along. It was a nightmare. nightmare. It still is a nightmare," said Patty Simiana. "Wc just bawled." The interior of the $100,000 house was completely ' gutted. All the presents she had hidden under her bed waiting for Christmas Day, slip watched go up in smoke, along with any hope for a peaceful holiday. holiday. Patty and Kevin are presently being being housed at the Flying Dutchman Hotel in Bowmanville while the children are separated, staying at various relatives' homes. Losing her home and all her family's family's belongings is hard enough, but being apart from her children over the holidays is almost as big a heartache. heartache. More than anything now, Patty and her husband want to be reunited with their kids for Christmas under a new roof, or at least at a place they Turn to page 3