Free car seats to help protect 14 local kids
Non-profit agency in Penticton receives car seats to hand out to families who can’t afford them
Fourteen local children will ride more safely, thanks to a shipment of free car seats received Wednesday by a Penticton nonprofit agency through a regionwide safety initiative.
Research conducted by BCAA shows that an estimated 23,000 children in British Columbia travel in vehicles without a car seat when needed.
Part of United Way’s mission is to protect families that are vulnerable to such dangers, so it founded the Child Safety Initiative Program to help children buckle up safely in cars.
With the program in its fourth year, United Way has seen significant growth of the initiative’s reach, due mainly to a variety of community partners, including Kal Tire, Costco, Budget Car and Truck Rentals, KGH Foundation, Central Okanagan Foundation and Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation.
“One in five children live in poverty,” said Reanne Amadio, manager of community investment for United Way, “so our goal is to reach as many families as we can.”
Car seats can range in price from $150 to $350 and up — a cost, Amadio says, that can prove to be a challenge for many families.
“No family should have to choose between transporting their child safely and putting food on the table,” she said.
In just one year, the number of car seats available to distributing agencies in 13 communities from Salmon Arm to Osoyoos has jumped to 114 from 84 thanks to local donors.
The seats, which were delivered Wednesday, will be distributed in Penticton by OneSky Community Resources.
“This program and helping families in this community is very personal to me,” said OneSky executive director Tanya Behardien. “I have two little ones myself, both that are in car seats.”
Car seats that OneSky receives from United Way are handed out within a couple of days, and Behardien is grateful to be able to help protect little ones who otherwise might not be protected for financial reasons.
“Families are attuned to the importance of their children’s safety, but it really comes down to the affordability,” she said.
Cube vans provided by Budget Car and Truck Rentals spent the day travelling the region. In Kelowna, the British Columbia Dragoons delivered car seats to two local distributors in their TAP-V armoured vehicle.
“Each year, we really look forward to helping families in need, and it’s a true community effort to do that,” said Amadio.
“It’s a real partnership effort throughout the region, and we couldn’t do it without the support of all of them.”