The holiday season is a time when family and friends gather together to enjoy meals and holiday spirit.
Holiday movies play constantly on the television where Santa works his magic, where everyone wakes up to find presents around the Christmas tree and a piping hot turkey meal on the table.
But for some, the reality is they will not be waking up to presents or a hot meal.
There are people in the community who don’t have a family to be with this Christmas, some don’t have a home to decorate or the money to take part in Christmas gift giving.
What do you do if you are alone, broke and every day is a struggle – no matter what day it is on the calendar?
It’s not something most people like to think about, but food banks are straining under the pressure and the extreme-weather shelters are overflowing with people who have nowhere to sleep and are just looking for a little warmth.
For those not knowing where to turn in times of trouble, the Vancouver Island Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-494-3888.
Empathetic, non-judgmental workers who care about what’s going on in a person’s life, no matter what the circumstance, can provide resource information.
For more information, please go to www.cvics.ca.