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Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI 220 Randall Street Downtown Oakville Phone: 905.842.2100 www.peterwatsoninvestments.com Helping You Make Smart Decisions About Your Money 3 W ednesday, A ugust 24, 2011 O A KVILLE BEAVER w w w .insideH A LTO N .com deal of shame, which comes from being in her situation and she would rather people didnt know her name. White said she comes from a pretty nor- mal background. She was educated at the University of Ottawa where she received a bachelor of commerce, which she used to get various jobs with life insurance companies and banking institutions. She was married at 34 and adopted two children when it was found she could not have children of her own. White lived with her family in a large home in southeast Oakville. In todays market, she said, that house would probably have been valued at around $1 million. Whites decent into homelessness did not happen all at once, but slowly over several years. She said it began with a messy divorce and continued when she lost her job as a day trader and most of her savings and investments to the recent recession. Leaving her home, White eventually began leasing a townhouse in Glen Abbey, which she now realizes was completely beyond her means. It was very expensive, said White. The utilities and all the extras and food. I guess I was in denial. I knew I was running out of money. I started looking for apartments around May, because my lease was up in July, and I couldnt find any- thing, they were too expensive and I couldnt find a job. White said she was also hampered by the fact that someone stole her credit cards, maxed them out and destroyed her credit. This made finding someone who would rent a home to her even more difficult. When the lease on her townhouse expired, White said she stayed a few days at the residence at Sheridan College until it got to the point where she could no longer afford that. On July 19, White spent her first night sleeping in her car and it was only at this point the reality of her situation truly began to sink in. Its depressingdepressing, she said. The first night I slept in the public parking lot of the local canoe club. I had a hard time sleeping the first night and I woke up at 9 a.m. and there were cars all around me and nobody saw me. White said she was happy no one noticed her. A couple days after she became home- less, White noticed a vacancy sign at a fretirement residence in the area o Lakeshore and Trafalgar Roads. After being told rooms were $2,600 per month, White said, she lost it and began tearfully explaining her situation to a member of the staff. Halton police were called to assist White and it was suggested she attend a facility run by the Halton Safe Beds Program. The program run by the Halton Region provides short-term support to adults, 16 and older, experiencing mental health cri- sis. White said she doesnt believe she has mental health issues, but understands where they could come from, describing the process of becoming homeless as a traumatic one. It really hits your self-esteem. You cant look people in the eye, you walk with your head down, said White. Thats not me. It just eats away at you and I can understand now how this can result in mental problems. I dont think I have any now, but I can see it. With women not as strong as me, I can see suicide, depression. I can see it happen easily. While White said the living space at Safe Beds was nice enough, she took issue with staff members looking through her belong- ings and confiscating her diabetes medica- tion, a nail clipper and other things. The staff told her this was being done so she could not hurt herself or others. Within 45 minutes, White said, she had a panic attack and after collecting her belongings, left the facility, never to return. fThe experience has left White afraid o local shelters. I felt this place was for people who were in trouble for reasons other than just being poor, she said. I felt like I was being punished, but its more than that. I was stripped of my dig- nity because I didnt have a place to stay. They said, While you cant stay in your car, and I said, Well, its better than being here. It was just so degrading. Since then White has endured life in her car. She said she knows the location of just about every public washroom in Oakville and stays clean by paying $4 every morn- ing to use the showers at local outdoor pools. She receives some money from the Canadian Pension Plan and from her ex- husband, which she uses for food and other necessities. White said she has been attending an employment office in Bronte and has been trying to find work, but the fact she has no address has made it difficult for prospec- tive employers to contact her. She lists an email that she checks regu- larly at the employment office as her pri- mary contact. White said she has been told it would be easier to get into homeless shelters in Mississauga or Hamilton, however, this is an option White has flat out rejected. I have never lived in these places. I feel comfortable in Oakville because I have lived in Oakville for 25 years, said White, choking back tears. I raised my kids here. They went to soccer, basketball, horseback riding, swim- ming here. So I know this place and if I leave I wont be able to have contact with my kids anymore. White said she came forward to tell her story not because she wants money or any- thing like that, but because she wants the people of Oakville to know that women like her exist in their community. The Oakville woman is convinced she is not the only one. I was in Bronte, yesterday, and I saw these women drive and park for hours and hours and I figured, They must be in the same boat as I am, said White. Im divorced, Ive raised kids, I had an amazing career before What happens to us now? Were all so alone. Inside Full Delivery:Sport Chek, Rona, Ikea, Shopping NewsPartial Delivery: @Tour Library, XS Cargo, JYSK, Premier Dance, RMP Athletics, Salvation Army, Staples, National SportsOpinion............................................6 Artscene.........................................23 Sports.............................................25 Classified........................................29 For home delivery & customer service call (905) 845-9742 Mon., Tues. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Thu., and Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (open for calls only after 5 p.m.) Closed Sat. and Sun. NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS call (905) 845-9742 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com After 25 years, woman finds herself homeless in Oakville It really hits your self-esteem. You can't look people in the eye, you walk with your head down That's not me. It just eats away at you and I can understand now how this can result in mental problems. I don't think I have any now, but I can see it. With women not as strong as me, I can see suicide, depression. I can see it happen easily. Sharon White, a homeless woman Continued from page 1 The first night I slept in the public parking lot of the local canoe club. I had a hard time sleeping the first night and I woke up at 9 a.m. and there were cars all around me and nobody saw me. Sharon White, a homeless woman