While the 2013 Ontario Budget is a step in the right direction, more substantial investments in people and the programs that support them are required.  The Poverty Task Force will continue to advocate for higher social assistance rates, the Ontario Housing Benefit, and better access to prescription drug and dental benefits for Ontario Works recipients.

Based on feedback collected through a series of public consultations and discussions with key stakeholders as part of the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination has called for government action to address six priorities. The table on page 2 outlines the six priorities identified in Guelph-Wellington and if and how the 2013 Ontario Budget responded to them.

Read the full report: Release – Poverty Task Force Response to 2013 Ontario Budget 

The document can be downloaded here: Furniture & Household Goods Access Guide

The report provides a snapshot of demographic characteristics of 210 people who live in households that access emergency food services in our community.The following is a sample of the results:

• 40% were single adults
• 48% reported paying regular market rent
• 58% have an average household income of less than $1000
• 80% indicated that they have an ongoing need for emergency food due to insufficient income.

The report also explores the barriers that community members face when trying to access emergency food in our community, including stigma, consistency and transparency of eligibility criteria, accessibility, and food quality.

The full report is available here: Using Emergency Food Services in Guelph-Wellington.

(L-R) Leanne Brire, Robert Barret, Tamara Johnston, Barb McPhee, Lee Maidlow, Tina Brophey, Martha Inglis (missing: Judy Noonan)

Eight community members with lived experience in poverty were selected to participate in a 6-week public speaking, social justice and advocacy-training program. Graduates of the program will have the opportunity to speak publicly (i.e. board meetings, community events, etc.) in order to put a human face to poverty.

The training started April 17th and will wrap up in mid-May. If you’re interested in booking a speaker from Advance Your Voice, please contact randalin@gwpovery.ca.

“Income, Wealth, and Inequality” was released on April 15, 2012, the day before the first of three days of study on inequality by the House Finance Committee. The report is comprised of seven two-page fact sheets, covering a range of topics from income trends, to the impact of inequality, to the growing concentration of wealth.

Download the full report and fact sheets here: Citizens for Public Justice

1. Immediately increase the Basic Needs Allowance by $100/month for OW and ODSP recipients as the first step toward adequate social assistance rates.
2. Index OW and ODSP rates immediately to keep up with the annual inflation rate.
3. Ensure that the proposed integration of OW and ODSP does not result in any rate reductions or cuts to benefits such as the Special Diet Allowance.
4. Introduce an earnings exemption for social assistance recipients with work hours so that a 50% clawback on earnings does not apply on at least the first $200/month earned.
5. Immediately provide OW recipients with the same access to prescription drug and dental benefits as ODSP recipients currently receive. Longer term, extend access to all low-income Ontarians, outside the social assistance system.

A full summary report of the community conversations held on February 21, 2013, is available here: Community Feedback on ‘Brighter Prospects: Transforming Social Assistance in Ontario. 

To show your support for this call to action, we strongly encourage you to sign the online petition before April 19, 2013. Please click the postcard below (once you submit your details, the petition website will ask for a monetary donation. Please ignore the request and rest assured that your signature has been captured): 

• 25-in-5 Network for Poverty Reduction is encouraging all political parties to make minority government work for all Ontarians by investing in poverty reduction initiatives. 25-in-5 is calling for a 2013 Budget that allows Ontarians living on low-incomes to Earn More, Keep More and see benefits Restored. Get more info and sign the petition urging government to take strong action against poverty in this budget. Click here to get started.
• The Ontario Federation of Labour is consulting with community groups, small businesses, trade unions and citizens to share ideas for a “People’s Budget” for Ontario. They will compile all of the submissions into a “People’s Budget for Ontario” that will be presented to the government. To learn more, click here.
• To learn how you can participate in pre-budget consultations, click here.

Federal Budget

• On March 12th, the CCPA released the Alternative Federal Budget 2013: Doing Better Together. This year’s AFB shows how growth-killing austerity can be replaced by a plan that strengthens the economy, leads to a better quality of life for all Canadians, and eliminates the deficit by 2016. This year’s Alternative Federal Budget   reduces poverty and inequality by investing in child care, pharmacare, affordable housing, income supports, and post-secondary education. Click here for more information.
  
• A synopsis of the Alternative Federal Budget 2013 is available here.
  

United Way Toronto’s newest report examines dramatic changes in precarious employment over the last few decades, revealing that only sixty percent of all workers in our region have stable, secure jobs. In addition to looking at the impact of precarious employment on individuals, the report also looked at its harmful effect on families and communities.

Attendees will enjoy a light lunch, free hair cuts, a fashion show, dinner supplies and used clothing all at no cost! Event admission is also FREE.

Where: Arthur and Area Community Centre

158 Domesville Street, Arthur

When: March 22nd, 2013

Time: 10am – 6pm

For more information, please click HERE for the event poster.

Bus transportation from Mount Forest, Clifford, Harriston, Palmerston, Arthur, Fergus and Elora is also provided. Please click HERE for bus schedule and pickup locations.

This toolkit was prepared in response to a local report, Guiding Principles for Emergency Food Service Eligibility Criteria in Guelph-Wellington, and a workshop attended by local emergency food providers in late 2012.

This toolkit is meant to assist emergency food providers in Guelph-Wellington to better understand the Guiding Principles introduced in the report and to provide them with the necessary resources and tools to implement them. The tools were identified by local emergency food providers at the 2012 workshop and will be moved forward by members of the Food Access Working Group, with support from the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination. 

For more information, please contact Randalin Ellery, Poverty Task Force Coordinator, 519-846-2715 x.4622 or Randalin@gwpoverty.ca.