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Heartbroken mom gets help
Nov 18, 2011 / 5:00 am
A smiling young mother and her daughter pass you by. You tend to think of them being a happy family, but that smile sometimes masks the stress carried by the working poor, a brave face for the benefit of an innocent child.
Beth is a third generation Kelowna girl and loves the vibrant town she grew up in. In fact, she says she’ll probably never leave. How could she? Her family and all her supports are here. But opportunities here, are limited.
As a young single mother with a six-year-old daughter, she is stuck in a minimum wage job with little chance of advancement. Not able to make it on her own and her parents not able to help out, she found herself in the difficult situation faced by so many low-income wage earners struggling to copy with the high cost of living in Kelowna.
“I work, full-time and I get some help from my mom babysitting my daughter, Sam, but I couldn’t afford to pay my rent, my bills, my groceries… all by myself, I needed help,” Beth says. She was having trouble providing properly for her daughter and it was breaking her heart. “You just have to provide for your children who can’t do it for themselves,” she adds.
It was Beth’s mother who suggested visiting the Kelowna Food Bank and she has been using Food Bank services for about a year. She says she doesn’t need assistance all of the time, but it definitely helps out, gets her over the bumps when other expenses are too much.
“I try to do what I can for myself but when I need them, the monthly hamper and few supplements for my daughter, like new toothbrushes and vitamins… those things really help out,” she says. “They have been so helpful in other ways, too, recommending community support services, especially programs for my daughter that help keep her engaged in healthy activities.”
Beth is an optimist, always looking on the brighter side. When it comes to assessing her own situation, she is very down to earth.
“I am a happy person who tries to do the right thing,” she says. “You see me on the street and you might think, there goes a carefree young mom who loves her daughter. And that part is right. I would do anything for her and that is why the Food Bank has been so important to our lives. They’ve provided me the support I need to keep going when times are tough. It isn’t just those who are down and out… not working… who need the help. There are a lot of people out there who have jobs and try hard, but just can’t make ends meet.”
She starts to walk away but stops and turns back.
“Kelowna has always been about community spirit… people lending a hand,” she says. “It might sound old fashioned, but in tough times it’s what we all need to remember to do. I do what I can, like volunteering and recycling Sam’s clothes that she’s grown out of. We can all do something to help each other.”
She flashes that infectious smile and looks down to take her daughter’s hand, turns again and walks off into that good vibe of her Kelowna.
Read more Cast-A-Light articles
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Personal
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26-50 Employees
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76-100 Employees
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- Alana Marrington from Pandosy Street Developments Ltd. puts a challenge out (on behalf of Collett Manor) to all employees and past care recipients in the medical community, as well as those in the golf and hospitality industries.
- Al Cosar from Kel West Carriers Ltd. puts a friendly challenge out to all transportation companies to match or better their $1200 Cast-A-Light donation.
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Cast-a-light Donors
- Cast A Light Auction $7404.63
- Barry Chase $4000.00
- Anonymous $2139.12
- Kelowna Pipe Band $2058.74
- Gerald Goertsen $1500.00
- Kel West Carriers Ltd $1200.00
- David Flemming $1000.00
- Pirjo Boucher $1000.00
- Pihl Law Corporation $1000.00
- Richard Skrapek $1000.00
- Kenneth Phillips $1000.00
- Nicola Consiglio $1000.00
- Daryl Klassen $1000.00
- Colin Axelson $1000.00
- Competition Glass $625.00
- J Kirby And Co. $600.00
- William Farley $600.00
- Stephen Netzlaw $600.00
- Janet Morton $500.00
- Jayne Brooks $500.00
- Bruce Stone $500.00
- Judith A Stringer $500.00
- Bernard Morel $500.00
- Jorin Wolf $500.00
- Pandosy Street Developments Ltd $500.00
- Mary Jane Slavin $500.00
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- Michael Sidoni $500.00
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- Brian Shepard $336.00
- Thomas E Wyatt $300.00
- Geri Davis $250.00
- Tara Treadgold $250.00
- Cecile OBrien $200.00
- Alexander Campbell $200.00
- Anonymous $200.00
- Corey Doak $200.00
- Brian Milligen $200.00
- David Jones $200.00
- Ricardo's Mediterranean $200.00
- Joyce House Bed & Breakfast $200.00
- Anne O'Keefe $200.00
- James Berwick $200.00
- Aaron Jackson $200.00
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- Sandra Backman $190.46
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- Gary Stoutenburg $100.00
- Terry Hogan $100.00
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- Keith Alimonti $100.00
- Geoffrey McLaren $100.00
- Russ Horton $100.00
- Christina Coombes $100.00
- Taylor venden Brink $100.00
- Richard Provost $100.00
- Michael Delorme $100.00
- Cameron McIntyre $100.00
- James Kay $100.00
- Donald Searle $100.00
- Kevin Mcdonnell $100.00
- Kathy Adie $100.00
- Dulce Fry $100.00
- Leslie A Falk $100.00
- Lori Field $100.00
- PKW Management $100.00
- Chris Jenner $100.00
- Christine Poirier $100.00
- Caitlyn Liberto $100.00
- Denise Kristensen $100.00
- Ken Murray $100.00
- Jim and Marilyn Ivanitz $100.00
- Aurora Corcoran $100.00
- Ena Galloway $100.00
- James D. Dickie $100.00
- Darcy and Sonia Provost $100.00
- Doug Kilgour $100.00
- Margot Carlyle $100.00
- Troy Mack $100.00
- Chris Ridley $100.00
- Chad Semeniuk $100.00
- Deborah Wiersma $100.00
- Christine J. Von Lokvenz $100.00
- Monika Jaegli $100.00
- Susanne Hirschmiller $100.00
- Laurie Lowe $100.00
- Zoe Bird $100.00
- Railene Anfuso $100.00
- Michelle Jamison $100.00
- Anne Lacey $100.00
- Janet Sutherland $100.00
- Kate Carr $100.00
- Leanna McDonald $100.00
- Gayle Voyer $100.00
- Lisa Michelle Taylor $100.00
- Susan Ruck $100.00
- Wendy Spence $100.00
- Darryl Somcher $100.00
- David Harman $100.00
- Heather Baker $100.00
- Leanne Pastore $75.00
- Donna Kozak $60.00
- Sellena, Shawn and Karen $60.00
- Andrea and Ryan Saari $50.00
- Judy Ronacher $50.00
- Polly Palmer $50.00
- BAI Comics $50.00
- Paul Shearing $50.00
- Morgan Tranfield $50.00
- Donaleen Glosser $50.00
- Sharon Hyatt $50.00
- Brijesh Mathur $50.00
- Heather Stoutenburg $50.00
- Charles Stuart $50.00
- Meagan Lauer $50.00
- Denis Beaudry $50.00
- Sandra Hinterleitner $50.00
- Tracy Harrison $50.00
- Patricia Bellamy $50.00
- Tom Bell $50.00
- Tamera Sinclair $50.00
- Christina Street $50.00
- Tera Pemberton $50.00
- Lindsay Sill $50.00
- Gwynne Harries $50.00
- Keith Gaudreau $50.00
- Robert Sawatzky $50.00
- Justin Hettinga $50.00
- Christopher Krause $50.00
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- Cameron Henry $50.00
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- Sandy Nestor $50.00
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- Shane Worman $50.00
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- Meiko Koga $50.00
- Erin Dickieson $50.00
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- Lynsay Pickard $50.00
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- Dana Kruiper $50.00
- Karen Tymchuk $40.00
- Joel Yanow $36.00
- David Greenshields $30.00
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- Ron P. Ruppel $25.00
- Kelvin Giesbrecht $25.00
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- Michelle Kooistra $25.00
- Wealth Win At Home $25.00
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- Karen Emmond $20.00
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- Christina D Shaak $20.00
- Susan Ross $20.00
- Dennis Bennett $20.00
- Dixie Beardmore $20.00
- Corey Sullivan $20.00
- Adam Goodwin $15.00
- Brett Slutker $15.00
- Lydia Ross $10.00
- Nicholas Mcparland $10.00
- IKirsten Harrison $10.00
- Lisa Fennell $10.00
- Xavier Mendoza $10.00
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- Thank you Kelowna! Jan 17
- With a little help from our friends Dec 30
- Misato helps the children Dec 29
- Lindsay gets on the bus Dec 28
- Interior Savings spreads the joy Dec 27
- Angels for Donna Dec 26
- SIFE: making a difference Dec 23
- Christmas is all about connections Dec 22
- Coping with severe allergies Dec 21
- No hungry children Dec 20
- Donations still needed Dec 20
- Volunteer superstars Dec 20
- Don't take anything for granted Dec 19
- Okanagan Chefs dishing out support Dec 16
- Don't take the basics for granted Dec 15
- Cancer, chemo and a need to pay bills Dec 14
- 40% more children use the food bank Dec 13
- Soup to calm the soul Dec 12
- Kelowna Hostesses: a toy story Dec 9
- Choking down green pancakes Dec 8
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