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KSM hard at work to deliver Christmas Wonders by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff 9 | Friday, December 11, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A holiday tradition that began 13 years ago will continue to provide families with a Christmas to remember. Christmas Wonders and Beyond is an annual Kerr Street Mission (KSM) holiday drive that ensures families struggling to make ends meet won't miss out on Christmas. This year will be a challenging one for some Oakville families, with 8.6 per cent of the community living in poverty, according to a recent Oakville Vital Signs report. Christmas Wonders and Beyond Coordinator Agnes Unger Stassen saidthe KSM program has grown from helping about 20-30 families to supporting 400 families each year. It has also evolved from its early years, when donors were matched with families in need to buy them Christmas presents. Based on feedback from the program participants, the program now provides gift cards that will allow parents to shop for presents for their own children and purchase not just the items they need, but those they want. Each family member will be given a $25 gift card for food and $50 for a gift. Families will also receive a box filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, pajamas and a toy for children, and other items either donated or sponsored by community members. Kerr Street Mission's (KSM) annual Christmas Wonders and Beyond program is underway. Pictured, from left, are: Sheridan College social services students Dora Liptay and Laura Mooney, Kerr Street Mission Christmas Wonders Co-ordinator Agnes Unger Stassen and Communication Co-ordinator Lisa Goetze with some of the donations. | photo by Nikki Wesley ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Stassen said providing gift cards allows KSM to be fair and distribute the donations amongst the families equally. It also gives parents the "dignity they deserve," she said. As a single parent of two children for many years, Stassen said she knows how much it means to get the extra $50 gift card. Even when you have a full-time job, you can find yourself struggling to make ends meet, and at Christmas, you sometimes don't have any money left to spare to buy gifts. "Just to have that little bit extra at Christmas meant a lot because for once, you could go shopping and choose whatever you wanted instead of just the bare necessities of your milk, your bread, your (pasta) and so on. The kids would come with me and we could just choose whatever we wanted," she said. KSM Executive Director Gary O'Neill said the Christmas Wonders and Beyond program is really about giving the families a break from their daily struggles of worrying about what to spend their money on and the opportunity to simply treat themselves and enjoy Christmas. "They can go guilt-free and splurge a little bit," he said. This year's campaign goal is $350,000, the same as last year. Stassen said KSM is on track to meeting the see Christmas on p.11 eXPerience tHe Halton VacuuM Deals Deals Deals Get them while you can! Difference GOOD BETTER classic Power BOXING WEEK PREVIEW! BEST Great Value Performer Performer Visit our store for in store sPecials LiMited quAntitieS Sale ends January 2, 2016 ULTIMATE · 640 air watts · Powerful for even the largest homes · Serenity quiet operation · Beam electric power head and hose kit · Complete set of attachments · 10 year motor warranty · Gore self-cleaning filter 640 serenity Power Package · 550 air watts · Powerful enough for even large homes · Serenity quiet Operation · Beam electric power head and hose kit · Complete set of attachments · 10 year motor warranty · Gore self-cleaning filter 550 Best Power unit Package · 500 air watts · Powerful enough for most homes · Beam electric power head and hose kit · Complete set of attachments $ 500 Model #SC200 Only 59999 · 550 air watts · Powerful enough for even large homes · Beam electric power head and hose kit · Complete set of attachments · 7 year motor warranty · Gore self-cleaning filter Only 550 $ 699 99 $ Only 79999 Model #012323 $ Only 89999 Model #012323 Model #SC225A Model #SC325 Model #398A Save $ 220 OFF M.S.R.P. $820 Save $ 280 Model #012323 OFF M.S.R.P. $980 Save $ 390 OFF M.S.R.P. $1190 Save $ 610 OFF M.S.R.P. $1510 Model #012323 SALES · SERVICE · SELECTION · QUALITY BRANDS · INSTALLATION Clean Starts Here! Trafalgar Ridge Shopping plaza 2379 Trafalgar Road (in the Winners/HomeSense plaza) 905-257-6145 Beside Scotia Bank Mon ­Thurs. 10 to 5, Fri, Sat 10 ­ 3 Sun Closed Haltonvac.ca DIAMON D DIAMON D Voted Best Vacuum Store Voted Best Since 1999 Customer Service