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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 6, 2014 | 8 No shortage of need in Oakville and KSM steps up continued from p.1 "Most people think of us as a food bank and one of the reasons I wanted to have this night is to get people to see beyond that because we are so much more," said Gary O'Neill executive director of KSM. "We have after-school care. There are 30 children that come here every day. Our staff pick them up at the school and walk them back here... then they participate in our programs until their parents pick them up. "At the same time, we have about 30 junior high kids that come every day. They are in the youth centre -- I would love to tell you they are in the computer lab doing homework, but they're playing video games," said O'Neill. The high school students who make use of the youth centre also enjoy the facility's music room and gym, said O'Neill. He noted the various activities keep the youth engaged and off the streets. The free after-school care program for lower-income families means parents can work with the knowledge their children are being well cared for and that a significant portion of the money they earn is not being spent on childcare, said KSM staff. O'Neill said this year KSM started a homework club called Club 31 through a partnership with Oakville Toyota-Scion, the Michael `Pinball' Clemons Foundation and Do you know how your Most people think of us as a food bank and one of the reasons I wanted to have this night is to get people to see beyond that because we are so much more. executive director of Kerr Street Ministries Gary O'Neill grows? garden 1 Yard Soil Sacs $ delivered starting from + taxes & deposit. 99 Pictured in the youth room at Kerr Street Ministries' (KSM) Dream Centre are, from left, Canadian comedian Colin Mochrie, musician Suzie McNeil and television news personality Diana Swain of Oakville. The three were helping to promote awareness about the many programs and services KSM has to offer. | photo by Inger MacKenzie - special to the Beaver Cash & Carry Bags of most products available. LINGTON BUR GARDEN SUPPLIES LIMITED 905-336-7725 2273 Dundas St., Burlington, ON VISIT US AT burlingtongardens.ca Lexus of Oakville. The organization also holds family dinners for those in need and allows groups like ArtHouse to use its space to introduce children to arts programs. Lighthouse for Grieving Children has also made use of KSM's youth centre to hold support groups for children dealing with the loss of a parent or sibling. During the evening, members of KSM's board of directors took guests on tours of the Dream Centre to learn about the programs offered. Family Program Coordinator Michelle Lockhart spoke about how the organization is currently limited to providing each adult client with just $15 worth of food per week. Approximately 250 families make use of KSM's food bank on a weekly basis. She said KSM recently began participating in the Halton Fresh Food Box program, which sees boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered once a month to KSM by the not-for-profit Halton Fresh Food Box organization. Boxes cost between $8 and $17 and Lockhart noted that because many of KSM's clients cannot even afford this reduced price they are looking for sponsors to help cover the costs. "For a couple of the families, they said this is often the only fresh fruit and vegetables their kids will have over the course of the month," said Lockhart. "It is just hard for them to provide and because it is not something we have in here very often, we just can't get it into their hands." There is no shortage of need within Oakville for KSM's programs, according to O'Neill. Despite the affluent appearance of the Oakville community, more than 10 per cent of the town's population lives below the poverty line and depends heavily upon social assistance and other supports, the KSM executive director told the Oakville Beaver. Attendees also heard from Oakville Mayor Rob Burton who spoke about the importance of KSM. "Kerr Street Ministries is an integral part of the way this community reaches out and shows that it cares for people who need help," he said. "It is a really important model because it amounts to intervening early in an effort to keep people on a good path so we don't end up having to deal with them in a much more expensive way." KSM is on the rebound after coming within three months of possibly having to shut its doors during a funding crisis that climaxed last summer. O'Neill said the organization is still looking for assistance so it can maintain and expand its services and continues to seek donations, volunteers, sponsors and partners. 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