SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908 ~ WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
VOLUME 68 • ISSUE NO. 48 • SUMMERLAND, B.C. • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 • $1.15 INCLUDING GST
WHAT’S INSIDE:
2015
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Festival of Lights
Summerlanders and visitors took part in the many activities during the Festival of Lights on Friday evening.
Pages 20 and 21
Middle school system urged
A group of Summerland parents are asking the school board to keep the existing middle school educational model.
Page 3
A year at the council table
Members of Summerland’s municipal council look back at their accomplishments and challenges since they took office a year ago.
Pages 8 and 9
Sponsorship initiative
Catholics in the South Okanagan are sponsoring a family of Syrian refugees who will be relocating to the region.
Page 10
Providing food
Laura Harris, left, Pat Keehn and Linda Bolton, volunteers at the Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre, unpack donations of nonperishable food items. Over the past year, 581 people used the services of the food bank. The number of people using the food bank has been increasing in recent years.
Poverty increasing Homelessness observed by staff at Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre John Arendt Poverty has become more visible in the community, according to those who work with the Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre. “There are lots of people living
in not good conditions,” said Tara Hollas, resource coordinator at the food bank. These include people living in motels or rundown accommodations, including some paying $700 a month plus utilities for homes with mould on the walls and broken windows. She said one Summerland woman had to move her bed into the living room of her home, since she could not afford to keep the
bedroom heated last winter. In addition, Hollas said some of the food bank’s clients earlier this year included a homeless couple and two single homeless men. In addition, three single men were living in their cars. While most of these people have since left the community, Hollas said she knows of two who are still living in vehicles. John Bubb, president of the food bank, said the food bank’s
homeless clients were temporary residents. “They are by nature transient,” he said. The couple had hoped to remain in Summerland since they felt safer in a quiet community than in a shelter environment. Hollas said there are many more food bank clients who have housing, but are not able to afford the food they need. See DONATIONS Page 2
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