I am...

Thanksgiving in Canada was in October, yesterday my friends in the US celebrated it but to me it is today. Today I am thankful to have a freezer full of food, a well stocked pantry and the ability to add a variety of veggies and items to my lunch, dinner or snacks.

I am thankful to have the means to buy fresh food and have a healthy diet and choice. I am also thankful I was able to participate in the Donated Diet to help me learn and understand. You truly can see the struggles some people go through.

I am also humbled as sometimes I have taken for granted our social safety net, assumed we will always be there to take care of those in our society who need a hand up.

I am mindful of some things that were said the other day. That all of us need to drop our bias’s we may have of why some one is using the food bank or on social assistance and offer help.
I am mindful of the cold today that may have some worried about putting the heat up a few degrees, or about where the money will come from for a winter coat or boots.

I am sorry as I have been guilty of donating close coded items to the food bank. From now on I will add in canned veggies and fruit. Even that would have been a treat!

I am respectful of those who try to be jugglers and provide for them selves and family under the difficult rules of our Social programs. Which first seems to try and rob you of your dignity and self respect.
I am confused as to why we allow something that costs the Canadian economy 72 Billion a year to continue. Governments will focus on cutting deficits but what about our people? All orders of government and all parties are responsible for not getting to work to eliminate poverty.

Finally, I am grateful to have been asked to participate. To be able to advocate on this issue and to try to work with Regional Staff and others to work for solutions.

I am grateful there are social agencies and people out there who spend everyday trying to help people.


I have always felt that the answer is not government but with all orders of government, social agencies, faith based groups and business working together.
We have work to do and need to get started…..NOW!

Halton Leadership Summit on Poverty Reduction

Today I attended the Poverty Summit. Rather timely after being at FCM meetings last week. The summit was well attended by social, faith, and other community groups. As well as leaders from the United Ways of Halton, Habitat for Humanity, school Boards. But most importantly by people who either are receiving social assistance or who have been recipients in the past. We were reminded the name should be elimination not reduction as reduction says that a level is allowed.

Poverty is estimated to cost the Canadian economy 72 Billion per year according to the Toronto Star editorial on Nov 21st. We have been studying it to death. We have the studies from the “social determinants of Health”; we have the data collected by the Our Kids Networks and the groups like the United Ways. We have the data what we have not had in Halton is the program or the people to push it. Push it big time. Hamilton has done a Roundtable on Poverty Reduction. That is a model I have had phone calls from people in other areas tell me we should do. Or the work of the Toronto City Summit Alliance.
The City of Vancouver has found that the cost of providing housing for someone is about 37,000 a year. But the cost for that same person if they were homeless is over $52,000 a year. The home gives them a base and a place to grow in and feel safe.
I do not think the solutions to Poverty elimination are all government. But business, community groups and all level of government must work together and find the solutions.

My thanks to the organisers for the hard work they did in getting everyone together.