Sunday, November 20, 2011

Disabled Oshawa man fighting City on driveway issue

Bylaw requires 50 per cent of front yards to be landscaped

OSHAWA -- A dispute over a driveway has an Oshawa man criticizing the City's treatment of disabled residents.
David Mandziuk, 22, was born with cerebral palsy and has limited use of his right arm and leg.
He's currently learning to drive an adapted car and is excited about the changes it could mean for his life.

"I want to be able to have my independence and live my daily life," he says.
The problem? His parents own a large truck and SUV, which get parked in the driveway because they don't fit inside the double-car garage at the family's Ormond Drive home.

That leaves Mr. Mandziuk with nowhere to park his newly modified Honda Accord. If he puts it in the garage and gets blocked in by his parents' cars, his disability prevents him from moving them.

The family members work and sleep on different schedules -- especially Mr. Mandziuk who does day and night shifts at Walmart -- making it difficult to shuffle the cars when needed.
Three months ago they tried to solve the problem by widening the driveway by five feet, allowing all three vehicles to be parked side by side.
Mr. Mandziuk says no one realized they were violating a City bylaw that requires at least 50 per cent of a front yard be landscaped.

A neighbour complained to City Hall and the matter ended up before Oshawa's committee of adjustment, which denied the Mandziuks' application last week.
"I'm not trying to abuse the system, I think bigger driveways should be allowed if someone has a disability," Mr. Mandziuk says, noting it would benefit people who use wheelchairs or walkers and need extra space to get in and out of a vehicle.

Scott Pigden sits on the committee of adjustment -- a group of citizens appointed by council to make decisions on minor variances to the zoning bylaw -- and is also a vocal accessibility advocate.

He voted against the Mandziuks' request because he sees the scenario as "a vehicle issue, not an accessibility issue."â?¨ Mr. Pigden says he can't get past the fact that the family has a double garage sitting unused because the parents choose to own such large vehicles.
"If I thought it was an accessibility issue I would be there with this guy yelling and screaming at the City," he says. "But I kind of feel like the accessibility thing is being abused."
Paul Ralph, the City's director of planning services, defends the policy that requires 50 per cent of front yards to be landscaped.
"Years ago we were experiencing people putting a driveway across their entire property, it affects the streetscape," he says, noting extra wide driveways can also create problems with on-street parking and water drainage.
The Mandziuk family has the option of appealing the committee's decision to the Ontario Municipal Board.
If that fails they will be forced to put their property back the way it was or face possible bylaw fines or penalties

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Top 10 Things You Need To Survive The Streets

This is the first in what is going to be a series of lists on surviving the streets. Living on the streets is not an easy thing – it can be as arduous as a full time job. Therefore it is essential that you carry only the most important things with you. Unlike a camping trip, you have to live light. You can’t carry a backpack with all your worldly goods – it is simply not practical. So, what do you need when living on the streets?

10. Sleeping Bag

A sleeping bag – preferably one made of down because it is lightweight and very compact. This is the most vital piece of equipment you will need. You can either stash the bag, or carry it with you. Carrying it with you makes you more mobile because you can sleep wherever you end up. If you can’t get a good quality down bag, double bagging two poor quality ones will do the job (though definitely not as well).

9. Matting

Matting is also needed (preferably plastic and lightweight) – you must keep your sleeping bag off the ground away from the damp. If you can’t find or buy matting, at least make sure you put your sleeping bag on cardboard – putting it directly on the concrete will result in you feeling like you are sleeping on a block of ice. The cold can cause your back muscles to freeze up and numb and the result is that when you stretch in the night you can tear them – potentially leading to months of difficulty walking (and walking is what you need to be doing every day).

8. Backpacks

A backpack – consider keeping a smaller backpack for use during the day and a larger one that you can stash. You should keep in mind that some states in the US have “camping bans” which make it illegal to walk around the city with a large camping backpack. One homeless man was even refused service at Denny’s because they “do not serve people with backpacks” – clearly discrimination against the homeless – but you need to be aware of this. A small day backpack will spare you all of these problems.

7. Toiletries

You will need: soap, a toothbrush, razors, at the very least. These you should keep with you in your day backpack. It is also worth trying to score a mirror of some kind; just because you are living on the street doesn’t mean you can’t take care of your appearance – you will certainly find life easier when dealing with non-homeless people.

6. Useful Items

Some extra small items are very handy to have when you live on the street. For example, you will want a needle and thread to fix minor tears and loose buttons – this can save you a lot of trouble trying to find new clothes – especially in winter. You will also probably want a couple of pens or pencils (you never know when you might need these). It goes without saying that an essential item is a can opener – without one of these you limiting the types of food you can buy (and canned goods are often the cheapest). You will also want a pair of scissors which you can use for trimming your own hair, cutting your nails, and for any other task that may require the use of something sharp. A bottle opener and / or a corkscrew is also useful. And finally, a box of matches or a lighter is essential.

5. Clothes

Most homeless people prefer to layer their clothes. This means you wear all of your various layers of clothes during the night, but as the day progresses, you can remove each layer successively. This allows you to keep cool when you need, and warm if it gets too cold. A good pair of leg warmers is recommended for wearing under your pants. In addition, you will need a good scarf and a hooded sweatshirt.

4. Headwear

In summer you will need a baseball cap to protect you from the sun – this is essential to prevent you from suffering sun stroke and even potentially getting skin cancer from overexposure. It can also help to conceal a head of hair badly in need of a cut which can be very off-putting to people you may need to deal with. In winter you will need a good warm ski knit hat. A lot of the body’s heat escapes through the head, therefore this is one of the most important things you will need in winter.

3. Shoes

You absolutely must have a good quality pair of shoes – especially in winter. If you have a hole in your shoe and your socks get wet, you will have a miserable few days with wet feet – this can, of course, lead to health problems that you want to avoid. If you do not have quality shoes, forget buying beer – use all the money you can muster to get good shoes without holes. Make sure you wear socks – shoes rubbing on the skin can cause lesions. One homeless guy in the local soup kitchen had been wearing dress shoes that were ill fitting without socks for months – his ankles were covered in festering sores which were being scraped by the shoes every time he walked. It was too late for him to do anything about it – don’t let this happen to you!

2. Bags

Plastic garbage bags are essential to life on the streets. They will be raincoats in winter, and protection from the sun in summer. You can use them to protect your matting from the wet ground. A tip for getting free bags: janitors in large buildings often keep spare bags under the garbage can for easy replacement when emptying. If you make sure you take just one or two per garbage can no one will notice and you will have a constant supply on hand. You will probably also want to keep a few smaller bags on hand just in case you have a need for them.

1. Miscellaneous extras

It is very important that you travel light – you want to keep your belongings to a minimum and the items above cover virtually everything you will need. Having said that, you should consider carrying a few other smaller items that can be invaluable. For example, priority mailing envelopes (free at the post office) are great for storing things and they are durable and water proof. You may also want to keep a bottle or two to store things like coffee. Forget things like flashlights – they are heavy, the batteries run out, and they show everyone exactly where you are – and you probably want to remain fairly anonymous and blend in on the streets.

Pastor Garry Cuthbert
Holy Spirit Ministries Food Basket / Universal Life Church CanadaIs A Non Profit Ministry and A Non Denominational Church
203-1990 Whites Road,Pickering, Ontario, L1V 6P5
Tel: 905-839-9031 Fax: 905-839-9031
E-mail: gcuthbert@rogers.com
Web site: http://garry9002.tripod.com/

God Calls Us To Show Mercy and Compassion to Our Fellow Man

Warnings on Taking Advantage of Others In Need

Exodus 22:22
Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan.

Deuteronomy 14:28-29
At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 15:7, 11
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns

Leviticus 23:22
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

Psalm 12:5
Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the LORD, I will protect them from those who malign them

Psalm 37:25-26
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

Psalm 41:1-2
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

Psalm 68:5
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling

Psalm 112:9
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn [a] will be lifted high in honor.

Proverbs 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 14:21
He who despises his neighbor sins,but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 19:17
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 58:6-7;10
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

Ezekiel 16:49
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Zechariah 7:8-10
And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 6:1-4
Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 25:41-45
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.'

Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Luke 10:29-37
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Luke 12:33
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

Luke 14:13-14
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

1 John 3:17-18
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Pastor Garry Cuthbert
Holy Spirit Ministries Food Basket / Universal Life Church Canada
Is A Non Profit Ministry and A Non Denominational Church
E-mail: gcuthbert@rogers.com
Web site: http://garry9002.tripod.com/

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Let Us Not Forget Our Fallen Shoulders

Oshawa:

Branches 43 and 637 of the Royal Canadian Legion are holding a Remembrance Day parade and service, beginning at 11 a.m. at the cenotaph in Memorial Park, at Simcoe and John Sts.

Discovering your roots: Honour the brave men and women in your family tree

By Lesley Anderson, For Postmedia News November 2, 2011

I'm always proud to pin my poppy onto my jacket every November. Remembrance Day is when we really get to say thank you to the Canadians, past and present, who have served in the armed forces for all they have given up for us. And in particular, it's a holiday to reflect and remember those Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country. By wearing a poppy this November, we honour their courage and pledge to remember their role in our national history.

That's why I'm always surprised that so many Canadians are unaware of the military connections in their ancestry.

My husband has a military hero in his family tree, and my daughter and son- in-law are both in the military. I'm extremely proud of the life my daughter and her husband have chosen to live - proud to call myself their mother. One of the best ways I can honour their dedication is by making sure they are never forgotten and putting their story in my family's tree.

This November, take a moment to discover if your family has any historic military connections. You could find a registered war grave detailing the circumstances of death and next-of-kin of an ancestor. Additionally, you could find Attestation papers that indicate their willingness to serve, and personal details, such as birthplace, age and regimental number.

By adding the information you discover about your ancestors onto an online family tree, you can share your discoveries with other family members and ensure that future generations will never forget them, either. To get started, consider taking advantage of the free access to all Canadian military collections, available on Ancestry.ca from Nov. 9 through 13.

When I take my minute of silence on Nov. 11, I will be honouring all the soldiers in my family tree - including my daughter. I have assured that their duty to this country will always be remembered, and it would be wonderful if you did the same.

I can truly say that I am a proud Canadian and willing to give respect and honor to the men and women who paid the price with their own life for my independence and freedom here in Canada, may you have internal peace in our Heavenly Fathers Kingdom in the days to come may you always be remembered and given respect that is so rightfully yours.

Price of War

A Friendly Reminder About The Homeless And Needy!!!

A Prayer for the Loss of Others

Lord, I come to you know for my friend. I come to you to ask that you provide them strength and comfort in this time of deep need. Their hurt and grief run so deep. I feel so much pain for them, but I can only imagine how hard this time must be for them. I pray that you help them maintain their faith in you during this difficult time.

I know you can be our greatest shoulder, but I also ask that you remain their biggest provider. It is a time when daily life can be so burdensome. Please provide patience from others as they work through their grief. Surround them with understanding so that they can work through all the emotions this loss brought up. In this time when so many things get lost - bills need to be paid, homework needs to be done, etc. - allow those around them to help keep regular life on track.

And Lord, allow me to be a comfort to my friend. Help me be what they need during this time. Provide me with the comforting words, the kindness in my heart, the patience to allow the grief to take it's course. Let me be part of your light and comfort during this time.

I pray these things in your holy name. Amen.

A tribute to the men and women that have ended up for one reason or another in the streets across Durham Region and into the GTA, whatever the circumstances or the situation was that caused the individual to end up on the street or whether it was through their own stupidity or fault it is not up to us to ridicule or to pre-judge as we do not have all the facts and we are not walk in and they choose these individuals and nine times out of 10 they have a logical practical reason for being in the streets.It is amazing how our current programs and system has allowed these individuals to slip through the cracks of political propaganda and as usual political "BULL SHIT" I am wondering in most cases if the political ram is any a better and then let these individuals put up with on our streets because they seem to have the same characteristics as each other and no matter what level when there is political or on the street they are still a bunch of seagulls overhead and they are very well no matter what to make their personal deposit and they are not particular light the majority of our political figures where there dropping as mainland in the past few weeks there has been reports that when people are doing their gardening no overhead action above the top of the trees there is still activity with these creatures flying around in a civil manner until they decide to make their deposits on the individuals that are below them.

No matter how you look at it simply is always getting shit on, but we are supposed to believe that is part of life and we must accept it and take it with a grain of salt and my simple question is I am wondering how many other political figures are enjoying seeing each individual get splattered by these individual critters that are good man god had created at the time of these creations I would like to know what I was thinking.

Poverty in Ontario - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

Another Successful Mission Accomplished

Holy Spirit Ministries Food Basket Pastor Garry Cuthbert, and Salvation Army
Ajax & Pickering House of Hope-Diane Gauthier - Salvation Army Advocate Representative gives hope to homeless woman who has been on the streets for over a year.

The homeless woman (Natalie) is now in a women's shelter and now able to be taking care of and receiving kindness and understanding as well as being able to bath and/or shower and to have sufficient nourishing meals and to be warm and to sleep In comfort in a traditional bed with assurance of being a safe and secure.

On Tuesday November 8th, 2011 Pastor Garry Cuthbert meet ( Natalie ) in the area of Kingston Road and Whites Road in Pickering, Pizzaville In the area was very willing and generous to donate four slices of variety's of Pizza for (Natalie) to eat, Once again a special thank you Pizzaville and staff for the donation.

On Wednesday 09th, 2011 one of the workers who works for Wendy's was very generous feeding Natalie in the afternoon and in the evening prior to closing, Fred we need more people like you to come forth it was it was a real blessing that you were there in the time of need for Natalie, Once again a special thank you to you Fred.

It is so sad that our elected officials in our current municipalities under that umbrella of Durham region, It appears that were one reason or another that they seem to be blind and not listening or wanting to face the problem and to try in some sort of fashion to come to grips that they have a problem within their own municipality.

We as people in these municipalities must be willing to keep reminding them that there is a problem of this nature and we all must come to a common denominator from the peoples perspective as well as from the municipalities elected official's perspective, to try to make an honest evert to rectify the problem.

On November 15th, 2011 Holy Spirit Ministries Food Basket wishes to give a special thanks to Mr. Alan Perron of Whitby, Ontario for his personal efforts, and his personal assistance in obtaining the following Items being; a sleeping bag, tent, warm socks, and some toiletries....for a homeless individual under the umbrella of Durham region.

Pastor Garry Cuthbert
Holy Spirit Ministries Food Basket / Universal Life Church Canada
Is A Non Profit Ministry and A Non Denominational Church
203-1990 Whites Road,
Pickering, Ontario, L1V 6P5
Tel: 905-839-9031 Fax: 905-839-9031
E-mail: gcuthbert@rogers.com
Web site:http://garry9002.tripod.com/