The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Turkeys given to homeless shelter housing seniors By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Those in need this holiday season will enjoy a warm holiday meal with some help from the Salvation Army Halton Lighthouse Shelter and the new Fortinos store in Burlington. Storeowner Frank Scorniaenchi was approached by shelter chaplain Sharyl MarriottLowry at the store's recent grand opening. The chaplain asked if the store would make a donation to the shelter. Scorniaenchi's response -- eight turkeys (as of Dec. 15) for the Lighthouse Shelter's Christmas dinner. "I was delighted to find he was more than open to giving us as many turkeys as we needed because he said he likes to help out. That was really kind," said Marriott-Lowry. "If we need any more than that, he will be happy to donate them. Christmas is a very, very hard time for a lot of families. It is a hard time for a lot of homeless people." The shelter accommodates Halton residents facing a temporary housing crisis that leaves them without a safe and secure living environment. It houses single males and females aged 16 and older. Its goal is to help individuals live independently, one step at a time. Support is offered in community support groups and internal training in job and housing searches. Currently at full capacity, the shelter can house 28 people -- but during times of some who are over 80 (years old). The last place they should be is a shelter; but there's no place else for them to go," she said. Often seniors needing shelter will have no contact with family members because of a falling out they've had, Marriott-Lowry explained, so the Lighthouse becomes a "refuge." "We try to encourage them, with the government's help, to start a new life to find a dwelling of some kind where they can go and live a normal life. We try to encourage them to find jobs," she said. "On occasion, we try and get them reconciled with family or friends because they're going to need a support group when they leave." Those interested in helping can call the shelter before dropping off any items they can donate. Particularly welcomed is clothing -- coats -- food, toiletries, towels and bed sheets, among other items. For more information, call 905-339-2918. The shelter is located at 750 Redwood Square in Oakville. 9 · Thursday, December 22, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER A GIFT FOR THE HOMELESS: Frank Scorniaenchi, owner of Fortinos Appleby Line, donated a number of turkeys to the Salvation Army Lighthouse Homeless Shelter. Scorniaenchi displays some of the donated turkeys along with Salvation Army shelter chaplain Sharyl Marriott-Lowry. extreme cold or hot weather, it can shelter up to 36, said Marriott-Lowry, noting they've seen a recent increase in the number of elderly people using the shelter. The number of seniors living there varies from month to month, but right now they house three or four in residence, MarriottLowry said. "What's really sad is we're having more and more elderly people. We have people here, The Art of Living We W ll Pe P rf rfected Discover Oakville's award winning retirement rental residence for people too busy to act retired. Yo Y u'll join other like-minded adults who just got tired of preparing meals and doing chores. Our spacious rental suites include meals and offer plenty of room to have family over. r Our extensive amenity areas will make them look forward to it. At Delmanor Glen Abbey family is always welcome. Join us. Come celebrate the lifestyle you've worked hard to achieve. (905) 469-3 3232 1459 Nottinghill Gate (west of Dorval, south of Upper Middle) www.delmanor. r com Darryl R Demille Ins Agcy Ltd Darryl Demille, CFP Oakville 905-842-1020 www.darryldemille.ca Andrew Heideman Oakville 905-829-0018 www.andrewheideman.ca Angelo Gualtieri Oakville 905-257-7773 www.angelogualtieri.com Deborah Bartucci Oakville 905-337-3276 www.autoinsuranceoakville.ca Stacey Sutherland Oakville 905-339-3276 www.insuranceinoakville.com Stephen Ostapchuk Mississauga/Oakville 905-238-5643 www.stephenostapchuk.ca Daniel Durst Oakville 905-847-1898 www.danieldurst.com 1010152 State Farm · Canadian Head Office, Aurora, Ontario