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The entire proceeds from each delicious chocolate chunk Smile Cookie will be donated to the Halton Learning Foundation. Tim Hortons, 2010 To find out more visit timhortons.com Tim Hortons Smile Cookies are coming starting Monday, September 19. w w w .i n si d eH A LT O N .c o m O A K V IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , S ep te m be r 16 , 2 01 1 4 Oakville DentalArts 2010 Gold Award Winner aO kville Beaver Speaking about poverty is a first step back Her world became smaller because it was dif- ficult to socialize with friends, having no money to even go out for coffee. Being on social assis- tance made her feel like a drain on society and there is a stigma associated with it. You believe what everybody says about you, whether you want to or not, she said. She said shes thankful there was a system to help her, but those social services are very expen- sive. She was invited into Voices for Change Halton where there were people who understood what people such as her were going through. Through that I started to understand I had a voice and I had to get it back, she said. She became involved with the organization. Her life is now improving, being off expensive, publicly-paid-for medication, and feels as though shes less of a drain on society. Because Ive been given my voice back, Ive also been given hope. We all need hope. We need to see theres something we can do. Though shes still on social assistance, she said she will soon be able to contribute to society after being given a hand-up, not a hand-out. That is why she decided to speak, so people will understand the need to help people in tough fContinued rom page 1 See Work page 12 times. I want people to under- stand the value to society to help me find my voice, to move ahead, to get out of the system, to become a person I used to be, she said. Or, when people get onto the system, to stop the slide, to stop losing your job, or getting ill, to being beaten down, to becoming less than you are because then the journey to getting a job is a lot harder. Emily Murphy The 21-year-old Murphy said she has been on Ontario Works since the age of 18. I never thought of myself as living in poverty, she said. I wasnt aware of the issues and I didnt find myself as poor not when I was living off $25 a week for groceries, or when I was washing my hair in public Pastor Dan Phannenhour bathrooms... or when I was staying at the Lighthouse shelter... I was just going through a rough patch. Murphy said she comes from a mid- dle-class family. She got into poverty because she hated school. It was a case of not fitting in and she was miserable in high school. One day, she couldnt get herself back into the school building and she never graduated. She began arguing with her family about not completing school and then she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. That was the final straw. With all the logic of a wounded animal, I decided to straighten up on my own. It didnt take me long to end up on OW (Ontario Works), she said. Paying $450 a month for housing, she had little money left for anything else. Murphy felt like a drain on the sys- tem and an absolute failure. Her self- respect took a beating. She told herself she would eventually do better and become better but it didnt happen. She recently went to Voices for Change where she learned a single per- son on OW gets 39.6 per cent of the poverty line. This needs to change, but she understands the battle is a difficult one. I feel obligated to try to do some- thing about it, whether its effective or not, she told the group. I want to be able to do something that I can be proud of. Im definitely proud to be up here speaking today. Thats a good start. Juliana Juliana lived a well-off life with her husband and children in Dubai. However, the couple knew it wasnt the best place to raise their children so they decided start fresh in Canada. They packed up their lives and came to Canada in 2002, being promised an easy start to get to the wealth they had enjoyed. HWY. 7 (1MILE WEST OF ACTON) 519-853-0311 (800) 387-4039 Go to our website and sign up to receive our store specials by email: www.macmillans.ca Its Worth The Drive To Acton OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Monday to Friday 9am-7pm Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 10am-5pm SERVING ACTON & AREA FOR OVER 25 YEARS! SENIORS 10% OFF EVERY WEDNESDAY (REG. PRICED MERCHANDISE) September 16 th to September 29 th Specials 2 x 8" Pumpkin Pies $ 5.99 (reg. $3.99 each) Thaw and Serve 10 inch Pies Also Available Get Ready For Thanksgiving!!! Gourmet Home Made Soups!! Quick, Easy and Nutritious 2 x 1L soups $9.99 (reg. $5.99 each) 7 Varieties To Choose From GREAVES Jams, Jellies and Marmalades 3 Jars for $10.99 (reg. $4.49 each) 27 Flavours Available Stuffed Pork Tenderloins Two For $ 10.49 (reg. $12.99) Traditional or Cranberry Stuffing Available 5 lbs.$16.99 (reg. $19.99) New Crop Wild Blueberries A Great Source of Anti Oxidants. Perfect For Jams, Smoothies, & Baking