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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, September 30, 2016 | 6 You've seen them, heard of them or read about them... breakfast programs. They exist, in number, all across Ontario, Halton, Oakville... schools are the usual host and often they are a program that is open to all, not just a few. If you hold onto the illusion poverty , child poverty , doesn't exist here, the breakfast programs begin to tell the tale. They are but the tip of the iceberg -- a place where the monster of child poverty can at least be glimpsed. Kerr Street Mission (KSM), the Salvation Army Oakville, Fare Share Food Bank... they've seen it. Fare Share, which is beginning its Thanksgiving food drive, recites the statistics... it has been operating locally for nearly 30 years. The need doesn't change. It grows. The clientele changes, not the need. And in some cases, the clientele remains the same, too. Fare Share helps provide food to some 350 families -- 1,200-1,300 people -- every month. A signi cant portion of the people are children. While visits are monthly, groceries for the remainder of the month are likely picked up through other food bank programs by those in need. Poverty lurks in the shadows. It is there. The Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) works directly with the Halton Board of Education and speci cally serves the 10 per cent of the board's approximately 60,000 students whose families live at, or below, the poverty line. The Oakville Beaver introduced the rst of Metroland Media's four-part, in-depth investigative report into the issue in our Sept. 29 edition. Growing up poor: Child Poverty in Ontario can be found online at insidehalton.com and will continue to appear in upcoming editions. In it, Lesley Mans eld, executive director of the HLF , said while Halton is among the more af uent regions in Ontario, the poverty level is unbelievable and, on many levels, remains hidden. "Poverty is here. It's right around the corner from you. We have kids who share a pair of shoes with their parents. We have kids, who the father is not around and the mother has some mental issues of her own, and then you have two kids, basically taking care of themselves and coming to school with a can of Coke for lunch," said Mans eld. Like the HLF , many are working on the ground -- if not alleviating child poverty, relieving symptoms, for now. Our series delves into child poverty from the ground up, from the breakfast programs, shelters... the venues those in need turn to for help. Join us in exploring the statistics, the human stories and the frustration of those trying to help so that it's possible to see, understand and talk about the issue and then also join in the brainstorming of solutions, to target what's needed and what we can all do, not just to relieve symptoms of poverty temporarily, but to break the cycle for generations that are our future... our children. 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. It's right around the corner Editorial "Connected to your Community" 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 79 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 RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Letters to the Editor Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Couple very grateful to those who assisted On Sunday, Sept. 18, my husband and I were struck by a car whilst crossing Lakeshore Road at the pedestrian crossing with the traf c lights indicating we could walk. A car coming out of East Street and heading west knocked us down. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the people who gathered to help us until the emergency services arrived. There was a lady, who held my head, and another gentleman, who held my hand. There were others who helped my husband nd our glasses. In the shock of it all, we have no names and didn't thank anyone before we were taken off to the hospital. Our paramedics -- Lucas and Chris -- were understanding, ef cient and compassionate. We are blessed to have them serving our community. The care we received from everyone is deeply appreciated and you will always be remembered. We do hope that you will see this in the Oakville Beaver. To all those out walking and enjoying our wonderful weather, please remember that obeying the rules of the road does not necessarily guarantee your safety. Take extra care everyone. Merle and Mike Gillatt, Oakville 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: Pud by Steve Nease 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.