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ELIGIBLE OWNERS RECEIVE $1,500 IN WINTER CASH. ELIGIBLE O $1,500 905877-6944 33 Mountainview Rd. North, Georgetown WITH YOUR FIRST MONTH'S PAYMENT ON US. FULLY LOADED LEASE EVENT See dealer for details www.RealEstateGeorgetown.com Your Home Sold For 100% Market Value Guaranteed Or I Will Pay You The Difference* 905-877-3629 Direct* Angie Cormpilas Broker REMAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC., BROKERAGE www.georgetownrealty.ca edimou@georgetownrealty.ca EFFIE DIMOU Sales Representative Thinking of buying or selling? Call Effie Dimou for all your real estate needs. 905-877-5211 Dir: 416-991-4247 Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage Thursday, February 19, 2015 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown 56 Pages 50 Cents (+HST) Sports, pg. 37Visit us at www.theifp.ca facebook.com/Independent&FreePress Twitter: @IFP_11 Just a bit Halton Hills has received an 'interim payment' -- just a third of what was requested-- for the damage sustained during the December 2013 ice storm. See page 4 A CARING CANADIAN Saloma Smith of Georgetown has received the Caring Cana- dian Award. See page 33 It's not just a big city issue It was just another typical eve- ning for *Howard, a teen living in Halton Hills. After hanging out with his buddy until bedtime, he gath- ered up a pillow and blanket and headed outside into the frigid winter air. As he created a make- shift bed in a car that belonged to his friend's parents, he started thinking ahead to where his next meal would come from and how he would get to school in the morning. Like several other teens in the community, Howard was home- less. While one won't see local youth sleeping on street corners or begging for money, the prob- lem is very real in Halton Hills, and is on the rise, said Links2Care Executive Director Kate Power. "� is is not a new issue," she said. "Numbers are certainly in- creasing, along with the com- plexity of the issues that surround youth who are homeless." Since last April, Links2Care has assisted 31 homeless youths and six others at risk of home- lessness in Halton Hills. Almost half of them slept outside at one point. During the previous � s- cal year (from April 2013-March 2014), Links2Care helped 29 homeless youths and 10 at risk of homelessness. Power said when "couch surf- ing," or short-term stays at the homes of friends, neighbours and other youth, is exhausted, homeless youth resort to other means. "Youth stay at 24-hour fast food places, laundromats, inside clothing donation bins, under bridges and in forests and ra- vines," she said. "Youth go where they can stay warm and safe." Most recently, Links2Care be- came aware of three youths in the community who were homeless and sleeping outside in the biting cold temperatures that have been par for the course this winter. Homeless in Halton Hills By Melanie Hennessey Special to The IFP Continued on page 3 Since last April, Links2Care has assisted 31 homeless youths and six others at risk of homelessness in Halton Hills. Almost half of them slept outside at one point.