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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, January 29, 2016 | 6 The Al-Balkhi family members left their native country for the chance at a new lease on life -- one free from oppression and the ravages of civil war. They have travelled some 9,000 kilometres, landing safely at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, where they were greeted by supportive Canadians, including family, friends and loved ones. They came to Oakville in late December and were of cially welcomed at Maple Grove United Church last Sunday. A story in yesterday's edition of the Oakville Beaver (you can also nd it at www.insidehalton.com/ oakville-on/) offered some insight into who this family is, what their experience has been, as well as their hopes and dreams. One thing is sure... through a mixture of English and Arabic... they expressed it clearly. They are safe. They can begin living again. They look forward to the future. They are among hundreds of Syrian families, who have settled in the Greater Toronto Area -- with more to come. Although some of these men, women and children don't have a solid grasp on the English language, their expressions of gratitude are evident the moment they set foot outside the airport's international arrivals gate. Broad smiles. Tears of joy. That's exactly what 20-year-old Ahslan Al-Balkhi told the Beaver earlier this week -- he wouldn't believe it until he could see it, basically... and now, he is here. In the fall, the Government of Canada announced a ve-phase plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, which, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship, included identifying Syrian refugees to come to Canada, processing applications overseas, transportation and welcoming to Canada, and settlement and community integration. Once presented, the plan was swiftly rolled out. By the end of December 2015, the Al-Balkhis were among some 10,000 refugees that were ringing in the New Year on Canadian soil. Others are joining us by the end of February. While the Canadian government, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, must be commended for its prompt attention to this international humanitarian crisis, so should individuals and groups. Community residents, organizations, faith groups and agencies wasted no time doing their part to ensure a smooth transition. They rallied, raising funds and donations of clothing and other items. Some opened their homes to host families, while others opened their wallets, donating generously to the cause. In Oakville, Abraham's Children Together (ACT), which is made up of Maple Grove United Church, Shaarei-Beth El Synagogue and charity Canadians in Support of Refugees in Dire Need (CSRDN), is sponsoring the Al-Balkhi family. They've met challenges in nding suitable, affordable housing. There will likely be many more -- but in a community that is welcoming, friendly, helpful and supportive, those hurdles should be nothing like the obstacles created by war -- lack of safety, security, freedom and future. As readers using our social media stream have been offering in response to our story... Welcome, all the best, let us know how we can help. Good luck. A warm welcome Editorial M A Y C O U R T C E L E B R A T E S 6 0 "Connected to your Community" Y E A R S 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 54 | Number 9 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER KELLY MONTAGUE DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, centre, proclaimed Monday, Jan. 25 as The May Court Club of Oakville Day in the Town of Oakville during the club's luncheon that celebrated its 60 years of service in the community. Current president Debbie Morris, centre, accepts the proclamation from the mayor as club board members join in for the occasion. The service club, which boasts 240 members locally, will celebrate its anniversary with a gala dubbed Let's Get this Party Started on Friday, April 15, at the Oakville Conference Centre. It is also soon to launch a revamped website and is aiming to boost its club pro le. For more information, visit www.maycourt.ca. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Food for Life responds to plummeting loonie As food prices continue to climb due to the plummeting Canadian dollar, low-income families are struggling to put food on their tables. The increased price of food combined with cold temperatures during the winter, makes living on a limited budget extremely challenging. Individuals and families are forced to make tough decisions, such as paying for heat, warm clothes or food. Food for Life, a local charity that collects donated, surplus food from grocery stores, wholesalers, retailers, distributors and farmers and provides it to those in need, is asking the community to come together to help those in need by providing nancial donations. All donations will go towards Food for Life's mission of distributing fresh, nutritious food to the hungry. Food for Life is able to turn every dollar donated into $15 worth of food, so every donation counts. "We want to ensure people in need are getting the proper amount of nutritious food and see Getting on p.8 Letter to the Editor Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Food for Life driver Ron Hiegelsberger and volunteer assistant driver Tom Gallinger are on the road delivering food to those in need in the community every day. | submitted photo The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter.