Empty Bowls today

We look forward to welcoming you to Empty Bowls today. More than 150 tickets have been sold and the lower hall of St Paul's United Church on Main Street East is being set up for a noon start. It is wonderful to see the formal launch of a project to make provision for those most in need in our community, which started back in September 2008.

Halton candidates respond to questions

The Champion asked the five Halton regional candidates specific questions. Champion Tuesday April 26th Each responded to the following question "The majority of social services agencies in Halton are experiencing increases in demand and homelessness is on the rise. What strategy has your party adopted aimed at the elimination of poverty?" Read their responses.

130 tickets sold so far to Empty Bowls

This is amazing. 130 tickets have been sold to date for the Empty Bowls event this forthcoming Saturday. This equates to a wonderful $6,500 and so we are well on our way to making $10,000 to start off the first transitional housing unit in Milton. We are very grateful to all the businesses and individuals who have committed to support so far. We hope to sell another 70 tickets. They are available through the www.miltonchristianchurches.ca website. Click on Empty Bowls.

Town of Milton promote Empty Bowls

I am thoroughly delighted to see potentially the first reference to Tranistional Housing and Homeless on the Town of Milton website. The Empty Bowls event appears in the Community Events calendar Another key step forward. Thank you Town of Milton.

Home Suite Hope Milton - it's official

It's official. Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corp in Oakville have approved the use of the name Home Suite Hope Milton for use by Milton Transitional Housing project of Milton Area Christian Churches Working Together (MACCWT). The Empty Bowls event on April 30th can now be the Home Suite Hope Milton "Empty Bowls" event!! Another key milestone in our journey. Read yesterday's article in the Champion. http://tinyurl.com/42jdtzl

Champion Thursday April 21 page 3 & 4

Here is a link to today's article in the Milton Canadian Champion. Click here for the article talking about the Milton Transitional Housing and Empty Bowls fundraiser on April 30th. I am rather embarrassed that to read how much the article attributes to me. Sorry. I really has been a team effort. Still I hope the article raises awareness amongst our Milton community and draws people out to our Empty Bowls fundraiser and launch of the Milton Transitional Housing project.

Local candidates

I was delighted to meet Connie Laurin-Bowie at the award winning Pasqualino's this week. She indicated that Liberal would try to enact the National Homeless Strategy. It was noted in the media that the subject of homelessness has yet to be addresses by the leaders of the parties in the televised election debates. We hope that Connie and the other candidates will attend the Empty Bowls on April 30th to launch and raise funds for this new Milton Transitional Housing project.

Home Suite Hope Shared Living facebook page

Here is a link to Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corporation facebook page. The original Oakville charity. It includes an advert for our own Empty Bowls event.

Here is the link to HSH Oakville website

Mill Pond 'Learn to kayak'

I have read the Town bylaws and they allow kayaking on Mill Pond. I am therefore proposing a "Come & Try It -" and "Canoe Polo" on Mill Pond over the summer. I need to discuss what fundraising type of event would be allowed by the Town but residents could donate to the Milton Transitional Housing project. I am sure the Mississauga Canoe Club canoe polo team would be happy to run a 'Learn to kayak' and introduction to Canoe Polo.

Hawthorne Villager

Empty Bowls mentioned in the Hawthorne Villager

Direct link to Empty Bowl tickets

http://tinyurl.com/3mt5loa

Here is the direct link to buy tickets for the April 30th Empty Bowls event

Posters are displayed at the five Starbucks around Milton on the 'In the Neighbourhood' boards

Vote on a new name

We voted tonight on a new name for the project to take us forward as a corporation. Milton Transitional Housing was unanimously carried. We proposed to seek to use Home Suite Hope Milton name as the operational name, subject to contractual acceptance by Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corporation.

2011 Milton Community Fund

We hope to be able to submit an application for the Town of Milton Community Fund to support the Milton Transitioning Housing project, The fund was established to distribute a protion of the funds received from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (Mohawk location).

Offers of help

I received a call today from a social worker in town offering to support our Milton Transitioning Housing project and delighted to see action being taken to address the issue.

Empty Bowls

One of the Town's employers, 3M Canada north of the highway has promoted to the Empty Bowls event to its employees. It will be great to encourage other employees in Milton to promote the event and raise awareness through their employees, many of who make up residents in the community.

What will it take to eliminate poverty in Halton?

The Champion ran a story on Thursday March 31st entitled "Halton regional council hikes social program funding". Director of Community Development Halton (CDH), Dr Joey Edwardh presented at the region's health and social services committee. The paper reported the approval to increase CDH's funding for social programs from $50,000 to $67,500 and also to proivde $175,000 to Volunteer Halton in 2011. It was stated that the region is looking to provide low income residents with a free transit pass.

Champion

The Champion photographer Graham Paine met with Bill Dickinson, owner of Simply Creative, plus the Milton Transitional Housing project team, Audrey Peddie and Bob Walker to promote the Empty Bowls event coming up on April 30th. Watch out for the story in the Champion.

Champion

Bob, Lorna and I met with Christina at the Champion yesterday. She was able to provide us with some recommended new contacts. I will be exploring setting up a photoshoot at Simply Creative to publicize the Empty Bowls. We also considered what question we should be asking the Halton federal candidates.