One man’s crusade to make life easier for those with physical challenges has led to doors being opened for him — and others.
Ron Macketuk has a developmental disability that requires him to use a rolling walker to get around. One of his daily obstacles was the heavy entrance doors of the Fairfield Community Association, where he has volunteered for more than 15 years.
“They were just too heavy,” said Macketuk, 54. “I had a hard time opening the door.”
He reasoned that if he was having a hard time, others, including mothers with baby strollers, would be having difficulty as well. He took it upon himself to convince the building manager to have an automatic door installed to make it easier for physically challenged clients to get into the facility.
Macketuk, a client of the Garth Homer Centre in Saanich for 25 years, also took on the City of Victoria.
Also as a result of his persistent requests, the city recently installed a new automatic entrance door at the Fairfield Community Place.
The Starbucks in the Cook Street Village, one of his favourite coffee shops, as well as his former apartment building, quickly followed suite.
“I guess you can call me a good talker,” said Macketuk.
For information, go to garthhomersociety.org.
Our Places serves Christmas dinner for 800
On Tuesday last week, Brian Cox celebrated a quarter-century of community service by serving a Christmas meal to 800 people.
As manager of food services at Our Place, Cox has been cooking for the city’s most vulnerable for 25 years.
“I love it,” Cox said. “The Our Place family really appreciates that we deliver such a special feast for them at this important time of year.”
This year clients consumed 450 kilograms of turkey, 225 kg of potatoes, 110 kg of stuffing, 100 kg of vegetables, 115 litres of gravy, 25 kg of cranberry sauce, 125 pies and more than 1,500 cups of coffee.
Our Place is an inner-city community centre that serves the city’s most vulnerable citizens. It provides 45 transitional housing units and more than 1,500 meals per day. It provides a sense of hope and belonging to those in need. For information, go to ourplacesociety.org.
Couple plays Santa to First Nation kids
Tomorrow, about 80 children will receive early Christmas presents thanks to a Victoria couple who wanted to share the joy of the season with those less fortunate and teach their children an important lesson.
Nikolas Chapman and his wife visit the Ditidaht Nation, a small First Nations community on the west coast of Vancouver Island, most summers. They wanted to do something special for the Ditidaht children by making sure they all received a gift thsi Christmas.
So they put out a call for toy donations at their children’s school, École Willows. The response was heartwarming, with parents, children, teachers and staff donating enough toys to fill more than 60 shoe boxes.
“I wanted to do it partly as a lesson on empathy for my two children,” said Chapman, who is enlisting their help in distributing the decorated shoe boxes today.
Furniture store offers blankets for the needy
For the past three years, Urban Barn, a furniture store with a branch in Victoria, has been donating blankets to the needy through their Blanket the Country in Warmth event.
This year the chain donated 12,000 blankets across the country, with 378 brand-new fleece blankets making their way to the Victoria Cool Aid Society. For information, go to urbanbarn.com.
Community group sponsoring Syrian family
A local community group is proposing Victorians consider a different kind of gift-giving this holiday season.
They are working with the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia to sponsor a Syrian refugee family under Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program.
Donations will go directly to the mother, father and three young children to cover their costs as they settle in Victoria and build a new life.
The family is part of the three million people who have left that country as refugees since violence broke out.
They are expected to arrive within the next 18 months and funds for their first year in Canada — estimated to be $38,000 — must be raised by that time. The group hopes to raise at least $5,000 of that total amount with an online crowd-funding campaign.
Donors are encouraged to “buy” an item that this family will need in their first year in Canada. Donors receive a certificate with the details of their donation, which they can give a friend or family member in lieu of a gift for the holidays.
For example, $20 donation buys a backpack, $150 provides groceries for a week, and $500 will cover half a month’s rent.
For information, go to faezagroup.com.
Couple needs help after home destroyed
A newly retired couple who escaped with their lives — and not much else — after a mudslide is looking for help as they try to piece their lives back together.
Noel Stephen and Judith Munkholm of Qualicum Beach were inside their home when it was hit by a mudslide this month.
Fortunately, they suffered only minor physical injuries and were released from hospital later the same day. However, they have lost virtually everything they own and are struggling to rebuild their life. A landslide is considered an act of God, and is not covered by insurance.
At this point they are left waiting to find out how much it will cost to rebuild their home and how much of it will be covered by the National Disaster Fund.
People are encouraged to help with products or services in kind.
Contact: Elaine Peligren 888-488-7099 or [email protected], Annie Donald 250-752-6728, or Candice Pady 250-228-2707 or [email protected]
Cash donations accepted at Royal Bank branches in the couple’s name or online at gofundme.com (search for LQRV mudslide).
VicPD officers raise money for the less fortunate
Members of the Victoria Police Department have gone above and beyond the call of duty as Christmas nears.
Members of the department’s Focused Enforcement Team, Crime Reduction Unit and Strike Force sections officers spent weeks collecting money in order to purchase gifts and supplies for a deserving family for Christmas.
In turn, members of the Professional Support Staff and CUPE members raised hundreds of dollars to gather gifts for Santa’s Anonymous.
The giving does not stop there, as many sections within the department fundraise for local charities throughout the season.
Other sections within the department not listed here do their part by fundraising for local charities throughout the season.
“I am so proud of the people who make up the Victoria Police Department,” said Chief Frank Elsner. “It’s evident every day that they truly care about our communities and everyone who lives here. These officers and professional support staff exemplify Honour Through Service and through their actions, they help make Victoria and Esquimalt great places to live.”
Finally, a bit of holiday cheer was spread when a four-year-old boy and his mother came to the station Wednesday night, to give chocolates to the officers.
Everyone in the department knows this boy, who lives nearby and likes to drive around in a miniature police car.
Officers, not to be outdone by his shiny miniature car, took the boy for a ride in a real police car with mom’s permission.
B.C. Transit welcomes Santa onboard
B.C. Transit got into the holiday spirit with arrival of the 28th Annual Santa Bus last week, with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and an elf treating customers to holiday stickers, candy canes and festive music.
The Santa Bus was easy to spot with its bright red nose. Some lucky riders in downtown Victoria, UVic, James Bay, Royal Oak, Dockyard and at the Camosun College Interurban campus got a chance to take a ride with Santa.
The Victoria Regional Transit Commission and B.C. Transit are encouraging everyone to make the safe choice and take free bus rides after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Holiday schedule changes:
Dec. 24 - regular weekday schedule
Dec. 25 - Sunday schedule
Dec. 26 - Sunday schedule
Dec. 31 - Friday schedule, plus free rides after 6 p.m.
January 1 - Sunday schedule
For more information, call 250-382-6161 or bctransit.com/victoria.
Sorry, Rudolph, Santa has a helicopter now
Santa Claus arrived by helicopter to visit children at the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health in Saanich.
Santa’s visits by helicopter started 14 years ago when two children of Darcene Thirkell, Coast Guard Superintendent, attended the child care program out of the G.R. Pearkes Building.
“It occurred to me that parents of children with special needs may find it difficult to take their children to see Santa in a busy mall,” said Thirkell.
So he arranged for the Coast Guard to bring Santa to the kids instead — in a shiny, red and white helicopter.
The tradition is possible with the support of Coast Guard staff and Transport Canada pilots.
“Every year, the children stare in amazement as the red helicopter lands on our site,” said Linda Hughes, CEO of Children’s Health Foundation. “Some watch in silent awe, others jump up and down and cheer for Santa as he comes out of the helicopter, ringing his bells. What a wonderful tradition to bring to the kids at the Centre.”
For more information, go to childrenshealthvi.org or ccg-gcc.gc.ca.