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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2007 13THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 200712 January Special! Upcoming Lecture Series Weight Training Create a Program for 2008 with Local Female Fitness Competitor Judith Kirkness Saturday Jan. 12 10:00am - 12:00pm Call for details (519)853-2650 Sign up now for a 3 month Full Use Membership get the 4th month FREE also receive a FREE 30 minute Nutritional Consultation with Naturopath, Dr Nicole Meier N.D. regular price $199 NOW $160+GST GINGERBREAD: Lynn Trudel (Santa hat), owner of Ice Dreams, with daughter Mi-Mi (back left) ran a ginger bread making workingshop on De- cember 16. Four Acton children attended, left to right: Shauna Gard- ner, Mitchell Gardner, Valarie Wood and Ve - ronica Wood. - Tracey Gardner photo. Actons Bearcat girls hockey team defeated the Burlington Central High School Blues 5-3 on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at the Acton Community Centre. Jessica Hamilton of the Blues opened the scoring in the first period, with Sarah Kumka of the Blues following only a minute later, giving them a 2-0 lead. Megan Evans of the Bearcats cut the lead with only two minutes left in the first. In the second period, Evans scored her second of the game, tying it up , with Kaylee Kearns putting the Bearcats in the lead shortly thereafter. Seconds later, Chelsea Pronkewich added to the lead with another goal for the Bearcats. The Blues looked like they may make a come-back with Sarah Kumka scoring halfway through the third. With only 12-seconds left, Toree Cunningham scored the final goal of the game for the Bearcats securing their win. Bearcats give Burlington Blues By Justina Pembleton Region funds project to reduce homelessness Links2Care is among seven community initiatives to benefit from $3.02 million from Halton Region aimed at addressing homelessness and eviction prevention. The funds will permit Links2Care to continue to serve homeless families in Halton Hills in three apartment units with support for five years. The funded projects is part of the priorities from the Regions Comprehen- sive Housing Strategy to develop a basic level of ser- vice for homeless individuals and families and to enhance eviction prevention services to keep people housed. The approved funding rec- ommendations are the result of a two-stage, community- wide proposal call initiated in July 2007 with a Request for Expressions of Interest (REI), followed by a Call for proposals to the applicants who successfully met the REI evaluation criteria. The process included interviews with each applicant organiza- tion and an evaluation by a committee of senior staff and the Chair of the Homelessness Advisory Committee. Available funding included promised Federal Homeless- ness Partnering Initiative funding ($435,592), Regional Comprehensive Housing Strategy funds ($500,000) and funds received by Halton from the Provincial Deliver- ing Opportunities for Ontario Rentrers (DOOR) ($2.09 mil- lion). Four of the projects pre- viously received a total of $233,702 in federal home- lessness funding and will continue to provide tran- sitional housing programs and outreach to homeless and at-risk youth, with some expansion. Other projects include: Halton Multicultural Council to provide transitional housing to newcomer fami- lies in a four-unit dwelling with support services or three years. Rents will be offset by housing allowances. HMC formerly assisted newcomer families in two units. Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corp. will receive funding over two years to provide support services in the organizations transitional housing units. Summit Housing and Out- reach Programs will assist 12 individuals with serious mental illness with housing allowances over 10 years. Support and Housing Halton will continue to assist five individuals with serious mental illness at a time to move to more independent living in the community. Five housing allowances will assist graduates of the program with affordable rents. Transitions for Youth will receive funds for two initia- tives assisting homeless and at risk youth. The Bridging the Gap Program that pro- vides outreach assistance to troubled youth throughout Halton will continue for three years, and, Transitions for Youth will develop Haltons first tran- sitional housing project for homeless youth through the purchase of a dwelling for three to four youth at one time. It is critical that we work to ensure long-term, stable funding for initiatives such as these to reduce homelessness in our community, says Chair Gary Carr. Halton Regional Council will continue to urge senior levels of government to develop a national hous- ing strategy to help people in need in Halton and across Canada.