Valerie Getten has a roof over her head, which is a step up accommodation-wise from some of the people she knows. And for that, she is truly thankful.
For seven years, Getten's apartment in the View Towers has provided her with a small bit of home. It's a place to lay her head that isn't on the street, some shelter from the storm.
Living in the building isn't always an ideal situation -- there have been a few fires and several police incidents -- but until she can move, she's focusing on the positive.
She is receiving help from the Times 91原创 Christmas Fund, which will provide some holiday comfort. Getten has been supported by other agencies such as the Open Door and Mustard Seed Food Bank in previous years, so she's aware of the assistance they provide.
Getten, 52, came to Victoria in 1992 after spending much of her life in Edmonton.
The Prairie winters were unrelentingly tough on her fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, degenerative conditions known for causing a high degree of pain.
Worse still, she can't take any prescription medication for her condition, which requires her to be on disability assistance. "Nothing seems to agree with me, so I suffer through it. I'm getting used to it, but there's days where I hurt. I ache. There's not much I can do about it so I put up with it."
Getten soldiers on. Five years ago, she decided to help others in need, and signed on as a volunteer at the inner-city sanctum Open Door, which has since been amalgamated into Our Place. It was a decision she has yet to regret.
"I enjoy what I do. I can't pull down an eight-hour [a day] job, so I volunteer three days a week sorting clothes and handing out socks and toiletries to people. It's a family there."
Christmas is a lonely time for Getten. None of her six siblings and step-siblings live in Victoria; her father passed away in 2006, and her mother resides in a nursing home in Alberta.
Getten has fond memories of Christmases past. Growing up on a farm in Alberta had its hardships, but December was always a highlight, she said. "That's what I miss. I wish I could go home for Christmas."
If she had one Christmas wish, it would be for some relief from her pain. "I would ask Santa for a new bed. ... It would help me a lot."
HOW TO DONATE
The Times 91原创 Christmas Fund is a member agency of the Greater Victoria Christmas Bureau. The bureau gathers names of the needy at Christmas, then distributes lists of names to member agencies, which raise money and distribute food and presents. The Christmas Fund is accepting donations for this year.
- Mail a cheque to the Times 91原创 Christmas Fund, 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2.
- Use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438.
- Donate online through our partnership with the Queen Alexandra Foundation at www.queenalexandra.org
- The Christmas Bureau can be reached at 250-388-5704.
