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15 | Thursday, May 1 8, 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Every little bit CUT YOUR ENERGY can help KSM continued from p.14 An additional $ 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 was donated recently, bringing the total debt paid off so far in 2 0 1 7 to just below $ 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 . W ith about $ 7 0 0 ,0 0 0 now outstanding, KSM hopes to have its mortgage paid off by the end of this year. To that end, its latest fundraising initiative is Do More Good and D o G ood Better. "It' s amazing the change. It' s beyond w hat we had expected, which is always a pleasant surprise," said Gary O 'Neill, KSM executive director, on KSM' s turnaround with the support of the community. "Sixty-five per cent of our mortgage has been paid in less than a year and a half. The generosity and compassion within our com m unity is incredible." Although significant progress has been made since 2 0 1 3 -- overcoming the financial challenges that left KSM struggling to keep its doors open - there is still m ore to be done, O 'Neill said. "W e need people across our com m unity to join with us, from small to large donations, as every little bit makes a difference and will allow KSM to ensure the most vulnerable people in our neighbourhood continue to have access to the highest quality program s," said O'Neill. The KSM executive director noted the group was able to negotiate financing at a "m u ch better interest rate," which will position it to eliminate its remaining debt this year. The goal is to have $ 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 paid off at the end of June and then it will "w orry about the other $ 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 after," O 'Neill added. "Imagine how m u ch we could do and how m any people w e could help with the $ 1 2 0 ,0 0 0 per year that we have had to spend on interest," said O 'Neill. Before KSM could tackle the debt, it felt there was a lot of w ork to do first to improve the "value and im pact of services w e are providing for the community," O 'Neill said. "The less we worried about our own finances and the m ore w e worried about doing the right thing, this started taking care of itself, w hich is amazing," said O 'Neill. According to KSM, poverty affects one in 10 people in Oakville and KSM "strongly believes" its facility is a hub of care for the community. This year, there will be m ore than 7 5 ,0 0 0 visits through a wide range of programming, including core offerings and 17 com m unity partners operating m ore than 2 5 programs weekly. "W e really believe it' s the com m unity' s building. W e just happen to be in charge of it. Part of the reason w e have credibility is because w e've lived that way," said O 'Neill. Through program ming and relationship building, KSM is com m itted to identifying the root causes of poverty and "helping people m ake transformative change," O'Neill said. "W e realize w e can be a catalyst by bringing people together and, partnering with organizations, w e are able to better serve the com m unity and help those in greatest need," said O'Neill. At its recent Live on Kerr fundraising event, attended by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, KSM was called an "essential organization in our com m unity" and it was noted that Oakville is fortunate to have it serving its m ost vulnerable com m unity m em bers, according to O 'Neill. There will be m atching donations for $ 1 5 ,0 0 0 or $ 2 5 ,0 0 0 contributions to KSM' s debt reduction, if received before the end of the month. F o r m ore information on Kerr Street Mission or to contribute to its debt reduction, visit www.kerrstreet.com or call 9 0 5 -8 4 5 -7 4 8 5 . COSTS NOW! | HIGH EFFICIENCY WINDOWS & DOORS A S LOW AS $49 PER MONTH O n Your E n b rid g e G as Bill & ENERGY STAR 99.7% CU STO M ER SATISFACTIO N AIR MILES (fSg): R E W A R D M ILE S for booking an in home estimate ^ EARN 25 i l la C O N S U M E R 'S W IN D O W S ^ &doors v U r l v A I v I ^ E E O NTARIO 'S LEADING HO M E * IMPROVER Call for a no obligation estim ate or our nearest showroom or kiosk location 1 1.800.565.7366 D IS C O U N T C O D E M L 3 0 0 A WWW.CONSUMERSCHOICE.CA Visit our Facebook page: [ i / C O N S U M E R S C H O IC E W IN D O W S * A t your option, Consumers Choice's charges will appear in the Other Companies section of your Enbridge Gas Distribution bill. These offers and claims are made by Consumers Choice alone. Consumers Choice is not owned by or affiliated with Enbridge Inc. or Enbridge Gas Distribution. **Applies to new order o f windows only. Cannot be combined w ith any other offer.