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7 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,N ovem ber 25,2021 w aterloochronicle.ca same owner, one name, 7 great locations! open evenings and saturdays by appointment payment plans available APD testing available at all our locations. Ages 5 & up. What is aN auditory ProcessiNg disorder? Auditory Processing refers to the means by which we make sense of what we hear. "Auditory Processing Disorder" refers to the abnormal interaction of hearing, neural transmission and the brain's ability to make sense of sound. Is your child: Having trouble understanding discussions in a noisy classroom? Often asking you to repeat yourself? If so, they might have an Auditory Processing Disorder Struggling with spelling and reading aloud? formerly Auburn & Mountain Hearing Centres • 550 Fennell Ave. E. Unit 16 B, Hamilton 289-768-6167 • 723 Rymal Rd.W. Unit 500, Hamilton 289-768-8971 • 570 University Ave. E. Unit 905, Waterloo 888-907-1436 • 350 Conestoga Blvd. Unit B3, Cambridge 888-737-9976 • 168 Barton St. Unit 3, Stoney Creek 289-203-3256 • 1144 Wilson St. W. Unit D203, Ancaster 289-203-3195 • 370 Winston Rd, Grimsby 289-206-5364 Certified Lyric provider • www.serenityhearing.ca I was injecting opiates beforemy 17th birthday. I was homeless. Panhandling. I was arrested for shoplifting and prescription fraud. I tested positive for Hepatitis C. I burned so many bridges. At 25, I went to OATC. The doctors and CARE team helpedme somuch. I'm 7½ years drug free. I'm now in Toronto. My family gave me another chance. Doors are open for me. I have hope. Reach out for help. They will be there for you. They were there forme. Call OATC at 1-877-588-2043 today. | oatc.ca You can get the help you need right now. Call us today or visit our website to learn more about our addiction treatment programs. You can also walk into any OATC centre across Ontario to get started right away. We are open 365 days a year, and our CARE team is ready to help you. Putting Patients and Communities First. Scan here for more information "It's not hopeless. Getting off opioids isn't as hard as you think, you just have to reach out. There's no shame in asking." Alexander, 32 years old, Ottawa/Toronto Take Back Control Of Your Life. Choose Recovery. well above the proposed minimum wage hike. "The proposed mini- mum wage hike is a good start, but it will not move the needle on ensuring eco- nomic security for our citi- zens," said Campbell. "We need a more holistic ap- proach to tackling socio- economic issues facing our region." Executive director of the Wilmot Family Resource Centre, Trisha Robinson, said it's a positive step for- ward, but she too believes more needs to be done for Ontario families and indi- viduals living in poverty. "A living wage with full- time hours including bene- fits and universal child care, and ultimately a guar- anteed income, would make a greater impact and difference in all of our lives," Robinson said. As a front line holistic service organization serv- ing the rural townships, the centre sees people fac- ing impossible choices, Robinson said. For exam- ple, a family may need to choose between paying rent, or putting food on the table, or paying their utili- ty bill, or putting gas in the car to get to work. "As one client said, with her arms spread out wide, I have this many bills, then she moved her hands to- gether within just a few inches, and this much mon- ey," Robinson said. Food, gas, utility and rent costs continue to in- crease and many incomes just can't keep up, Robin- son added. Job loss plus the mental health and family violence crisis trending up- wards due to the pandemic are also causing stress. "The proposed increase in minimum wage won't be enough to help those who really need it," she said. "The pandemic, while dev- astating, has taught us many things and pushed us to move forward quicker in many areas that needed changed. Through this we've learned it's our rela- tionships that are key to a strong and healthy com- munity. "Let's take note of this and implement policies and actions which priori- tize our relationships with one another. Time is of the essence here; let's do the right thing." In addition, The Food Bank is calling for in- creased measures to tackle the insecurities in the la- bour market as a result of the pandemic. Various industries in- cluding retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construc- tion and long-term care have been hit hard by la- bour shortages. Workers in these industries are often precariously employed, working fluctuating hours with no benefits. This contributes to eco- nomic insecurity, which has ripple effects on the en- tire community. Story behind the story: When the Food Bank of Waterloo Region advocated for a further increase to Ontario's minimum wage, the New Hamburg In- dependent contacted it and other service agencies to find out how an increase would impact struggling families. NEWS Continued from page 3 Volunteers with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region sort through food donated to help those in need. Food Bank of Waterloo Region photos MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE DOESN'T CUT IT, FOOD BANK TELLS PROVINCE