Poverty is...
- Not having enough money to meet basic needs (food, clothing, shelter).
- Not having access to school or not knowing how to read.
- Not having a job.
- Fearing the future and living one day at a time.
- Not being able to participate in recreational activities.
- Not being able to pay for medications for an illness.
- Poverty varies considerably depending on the situation. Feeling poor in Canada is different from living in poverty in Russia or Africa.
- Poverty is a complex societal issue, as it is important that all members of our society work together to provide the opportunities for all our members to reach their full potential.
local poverty
There are many people who volunteer their time to improve the level of poverty within the Northumberland/Quinte West area. Although not as extreme as some third world countries or larger cities, there are still issues concerning poverty locally. Many local citizens donate their time and money in order to provide clothing, healthy snacks, and gifts (during the holidays) for families who are unable to provide on their own. Organizations such as ENSS’ Breakfast Club, Adopt-A-Child, Trenton’s Care and Share Food Bank, and Brighton’s Beacon Youth Centre allow for this to be possible.
enss breakfast club
ENSS provides breakfast (bagels, packaged snacks, milk/juice) every morning before classes start for the day. This program was designed for students who cannot afford to eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Snacks are generously donated by organizations such as the LCBO.
adopt-a-child
Adopt-a-Child is a non-profit organization that was run by a local radio station, and is now coordinated by a local business. Local parents can sign up their children if they are unable to afford new clothes for Christmas.
Quinn Masterson (right) and Caroline Birch ran the program within ENSS for four years, which entailed collecting money from each class every morning, shopping for children, wrapping gifts, and making absolute sure that each adopted child was accounted for. Quinn says, “The number one thing I learned from this incredible experience was how unbelievable it feels to give back to your community. Recognizing that I am playing such a dramatic role in the outcome of a child’s Christmas is an indescribable feeling”. |
The trenton care and share food bank
The Trenton Care and Share Food Bank is a proud and active member of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB). The Trenton Care and Share Food Bank is the official representative of the OAFB in the community of Quinte West. Their mission is to serve the people of Quinte West within OAFB designated borders by providing food and services to families during their time of need.
The Beacon Centre
The Beacon has been a drop-in centre located in Brighton, Ontario for almost eight years. During these years, hundreds of youth have benefitted from having a safe and friendly place to visit during some lunch hours and evenings. Students get free lunches, healthy drinks, and snacks. They can sit and talk, shoot pool or play air-hockey. Adult volunteers provide nutritious food and supervision, and special events and activities have also been held during summer months and on some weekends.The concept originated out of meetings between the Brighton Municipal Council and local churches. Kids needed a safe place to hang out, and therefore Youth Unlimited was asked to manage the Beacon.The Beacon’s philosophy is to welcome all youth equally and without regard to faith or religious background, and encourage them to achieve their full potential and grow spiritually. Youth visitors are expected to respect the facility, respect themselves and respect each other.
national poverty
It is estimated that there are 200,000 homeless people in Canada annually, and at least 30,000 are homeless on every given night. Warming centres, food banks, homeless shelters and government assistance are all available to those requiring support. A warming centre is a short term emergency shelter. It operates when temperatures and weather become dangerously unsafe. There are many warming centres located across Canada for instances like this. Each month, almost 850,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks, and 36.4% of those helped are children and youth. As a result, homeless shelters have opened throughout the larger city centres (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver) in order to provide temporary housing and assist in taking people off of the streets. Canada has several income assistance programs geared towards those living in poverty. Many are geared towards seniors, as well as families with children.
global poverty
Nearly half of the world’s population live on less than $2.50 a day. Those who live in extreme poverty (1.3 billion people) live on less than $1.25 a day. There are several organizations that are committed to improving the level of global poverty. Two key players in this are The Salvation Army and The Red Cross. More than 1.8 million people receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year. The Salvation Army assists in distribution of more than 2.8 million meals, the provision of 5,724 shelter beds each night, and assistance to 1,375,000 million people with food or clothing.
The Red Cross supplies primary health care programs, relief supplies, water/sanitation and shelter solutions to people suffering from disasters and/or poverty. It promotes cost-effective, community-based programs, ultimately helping large numbers of people.The Canadian Red Cross and The Salvation Army assists millions of people around the world every year.
The Red Cross supplies primary health care programs, relief supplies, water/sanitation and shelter solutions to people suffering from disasters and/or poverty. It promotes cost-effective, community-based programs, ultimately helping large numbers of people.The Canadian Red Cross and The Salvation Army assists millions of people around the world every year.
what can we do?
It is obvious that we, as Canadians, have attempted to help those living in poverty in many different forms. Despite our attempts, this is clearly not enough. Considering there are many large, well-developed countries, there should not be countries that continue to suffer. It seems as though as the rich become richer, the poor become poorer. There are many different ways that poverty can be reduced on all three levels. All of Canada’s political parties have platforms which discuss ways of decreasing poverty in our nation. Although these parties have made suggestions, it is doubtful that any of them would be able to decrease or improve the problem enough to make a significant difference. Personally, I believe that those who have the ability to donate their time and/or money should continue to do so. If everyone were to contribute, there would be a much greater, positive, impact on the poverty levels that our society currently faces.