The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Support for f grieving children h ld free f of f charge h thanks h k to d donors Continued from page 1 21 · Thursday, January 12, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com good for the little ones. We cannot do that. We can only be here for them... We're providing them a space in which they can meet others who understand them... so that they come to terms with the death; not that they get over it, but come to terms with it." As a registered non-profit charitable organization, the Lighthouse Program was founded by Jo Fallon in 1999. Fallon, who lost her own mother when she was 12 years old, understood the impact of death on the development of a young child and the help they ought to receive afterwards, said Martini-Miles. LENDING A HAND: The Canadian Million Dollar Round Table Foundation donated $2,500 After being in touch with The Dougy Centre, to the Lighthouse Program -- which will support two grieving children for a year in the program. Fallon founded the Lighthouse Program with the Making the presentation were left, Joanne Taylor, executive director of the Million Dollar belief that every child deserves to grieve in a support- Roundtable Foundation Canada, and Sam Midha, to Lighthouse director Britta Martini-Miles. ive and understanding environment. Thanks to grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, The United Way of Oakville, Halton Hills and Milton, individual donors and private foundations, the Lighthouse Program is able to provide its $250,000-a-year service at no cost to the families. A bereaved child is something adults are uncomfortable about, said Martini-Miles, noting, "We don't want the child to grieve, we want the child to be better." So, adults tend to cover traces of the death and make the world all right again for the child. "What we don't recognize is the child does need to grieve and the grieving is an important part before you can heal and start rebuilding your life." According to Martini-Miles, clinical research in child bereavement shows society instinctively tends not to speak to young children about death and tries to protect them from the grieving process -- but she explains children still recognize a loss and when they don't get a proper explanation, the results could be more severe. See You page 23 Do you have a question or concern relating to the provincial government? Please don't hesitate to contact me at my community office­we're here to help. Kevin Flynn MPP­Oakville Community Office: 2330 Lakeshore Road West, Unit 2 Oakville, ON L6L 1H3 Tel: 905.827.5141 Fax: 905.827.3786 Kflynn.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Join us on Facebook! Canada's BIGGEST and BEST Selection of Leather Wool, and Shearling Coats Monday to Thursday 10-6 · Friday 10-8 · Saturday & Sunday 10-6 ))0! *00! 00! 519 - 853 -1031 Acton 49 Eastern Av. I t 's Wo r t h t h e D r i v e t o A c t o n