160526RHBMjuly.qxp_magazine trim 2016 2016-06-02 9:47 AM Page 45
a temporary home away from home to 2,300 children from birth to age 13. Of the centre’s 18 residential beds, only four are supported through government funding. Each bed costs between $70,000 and $80,000 a year to keep open. Ailene Wittstein, Merrymount’s executive director, says children come to the program for many different reasons. Parents could be struggling with mental health challenges, addiction, a tumultuous separation or an unexpected illness. If they don’t have friends or family who can help care for their offspring during these difficult times, parents can turn to Merrymount. “We have children who are brought here in the middle of the night by an ambulance when their parent has been hospitalized,” Wittstein notes. The average overnight stay is three or four nights. During their stay, children receive around-the-clock professional care and participate in group programs designed to help them improve their coping strategies, build resiliency and social skills, and increase their sense of safety and well being. “We also taxi them to school and back, so they don’t miss a beat while they are with us,” says Wittstein. “Kids are smart. They understand that something has gone wrong at home.” Many are mature beyond their years and care for younger siblings when their parents struggle to cope. “It takes time for a lot of our little ones to become a child again when they come here and to realize that someone else is taking care of their parents and that their parents are okay,” says Wittstein.
President’s message... To be a landlord in Ontario is to stay educated. Bill 132, an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), takes effect in September. It permits tenants who are experiencing domestic or sexual abuse or sexual harassment to terminate monthly or fixed-term leases on only 28-days’ notice, allowing the tenancy to end at any time during the month. Currently, tenants must give 60 days’ notice before the end of a fixed or monthly rental period. Experts predict the legislation’s secrecy requirement will pose the greatest difficulty for landlords. To help landlords prepare for the amendments to the RTA and to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, LPMA is holding a seminar on June 17 in London. Lawyer Joe Hoffer will discuss the changes and their impact on landlords. Limited space is available. Please join us for our annual LPMA Charity Golf Tournament on September 12 at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka. Registration opens June 1 and costs $160 per golfer. Various sponsorship opportunities, ranging in price from $250 to $1500, are available. Be sure to register early because the tournament, which will benefit Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre, sells out quickly.
The golf tournament takes place September 12 at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka. Online registration opens June 1st at www.lpma.ca/calendar and Trineer encourages members to sign up early to avoid disappointment.
— Shirley Criger, Property Manager Gateway Property Managament Corporation
Register for both the seminar and golf tournament at www.lpma.ca/calendar
Hassle-Free Laundry Rooms For more information, contact us today! 1.877.755.5302 ■ info@coinamatic.com ■ www.coinamatic.com
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