Community Partnerships

Why is poverty important to talk about?

People living in Leeds and Grenville are living in poverty
Living in poverty means you do not have enough money for basic needs or to feel included in your community
Poverty is always related to income, being able to access education, health services, and the feeling of being socially excluded

What is a living wage?

A living wage is the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in their community
A living wage is not the same as the minimum wage, which is the legislated minimum all employers must pay and is set by the provincial government
The living wage draws on community-specific data to determine the expenses to a family with two working adults and two children
Living wage employers voluntarily decide to pay a living wage because it’s the ethical thing to do

What is the impact of children being raised in poverty?

Children who are living in poverty experience a form of intergenerational and/systemic trauma. Adverse childhood experiences have lifelong impacts on health and well-being
Children in low-income families are over two and a half times more likely than children in high-income families to have lower functioning vision, hearing, speech, mobility, dexterity, cognition, and pain/discomfort
Inadequate housing may lead to lower school performance, increased risk of asthma and risk of exposure to lead toxins
Crowded housing conditions can also contribute to exposure to communicable diseases, diarrhea and vomiting, and lower respiratory tract infections in infants

What does food insecurity mean?

Household or individual food insecurity is inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints
Poverty is the root cause of food insecurity in Ontario

Are people food insecure locally?

9.7% of Leeds, Grenville and Lanark households (approximately 18,680 people) reported being food insecure
In Leeds, Grenville and Lanark food insecurity means people can’t afford to buy food for a balanced diet, people go hungry, they miss meals and may not eat anything for at least a whole day

Why doesn’t food charity help with poverty?

Food charity is the act of giving food to people when they need it most; they can include food banks, community hot meals programs and coupons or vouchers
Less than 25% of those living with food insecurity use food banks
Food banks can be challenging to access and stigmatizing to walk through the door

What is the difference between charity and public policy?

Charity is short-term relief that reaches a small number of people in need
Public policy is long-term change that reaches more people in need
Public policy removes barriers for people and charity is a bandage solution

Why is housing a human right?

Families and individuals living in poverty face challenges with the lack of affordable rental housing and discriminatory practices in the rental application process
Without appropriate housing it is often not possible to get and keep a job, to recover from mental illness or other disabilities, to integrate into the community, to escape physical or emotional violence or to keep custody of children
The Ontario Human Rights Commission is committed to providing protection against discriminatory treatment in applying for and living in housing, and a right to adequate housing without discrimination

Why does everyone deserve to be protected from what is unfair, unjust or avoidable?

All people deserve opportunities to have a healthy life and to realize their own potential in a supportive community – individuals have different needs to have a healthy life
As a community we can help everyone to have a healthy life by listening to needs and being flexible in supports and services we provide

How will sharing and compassion make a difference?

People living in poverty often feel the stigma of being judged, labeled, isolated or stereotyped
If someone has experienced shame or negativity they are less likely to reach out for help again
Sharing what you have is an example of kindness; Kindness has a positive impact on a person’s well-being
Compassion is the feeling of wanting to ease the suffering of others;
Connecting to others is a natural human instinct that enhances our health and well-being

What does health-in-all policies (HiAP) mean?

HiAP is an approach on health-related rights (human rights) and obligations (healthy community development) such as access to health care, education, job security, food security and community inclusion
HiAP encourages politicians (municipal, provincial and federal) to be accountable for the impacts that policies and by-laws have on our health

It’s time to change the way we think and act.