Only 22 Shopping Days Till Christmas!

That's what I heard on the radio today as I was getting ready to attack the snow that was piling up in my drive way for the last two days. So armed with my neighbors snow shovel in one hand and Lucy on a lead in the other I headed out to the front driveway. It was freezing out there and I was miserable. I hate the cold here in the lower mainland. It is so damp that it goes right through you. That made me think of another news article that had come out this week. A recent survey found that by a conservative estimate there are 10,580 people in our province homeless! It is shocking really. I could not imagine being out in this cold all day long looking for a place to lay my head come evening time. As well another study this past month says that we have the highest rate of child poverty in the country! Can you believe that 21% of children in BC live in poverty and the numbers are growing. Even with 22 more shopping days to go I doubt that these children will be getting much for Christmas this year. This puts Christmas and the season of greed a little more into perspective and I have a few suggestions for having a great Christmas while giving others one too!

• Ask your children what they are giving this year instead of what they are wanting to get.
  
• Volunteer as a family for a soup kitchen or homeless shelter
• Invite the neighbors in for coffee and cookies and ask them to bring a food item for the local food bank.
  
• If you know of a family that is struggling this Christmas invite them for dinner over the holidays. Make extra and pack up the left overs for them to take home with them.
  
• Adopt a family and get the whole family involved in creating a great Christmas for a needy family in your community. Most social agencies have lists of needy families.
  
• Give tickets to a special Christmas performance to someone who couldn't otherwise afford to go.
  

I am sure there are dozens more things that could be added to the list and you guys will come up with some unique ones just for your community. Then when the season is over write your MLA and Premier Campbell and ask them what is going on? Demand that they take some action to increase affordable housing in the Province and to find out why so many children in our province are going to school hungry everyday.