[homeles_ot-l] Fwd: Poverty Watch Ontario

[Terrie]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Poverty Watch Ontario <webmaster at povertywatchontario.ca>
Date: 2009/10/8
Subject: Poverty Watch Ontario
To: mocharebyl at gmail.com


   Poverty Watch Ontario <http://www.povertywatchontario.ca>
 <http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http://feeds.feedburner.com/PovertyWatchOntario>
------------------------------

No Relief in Sight This Thanksgiving: 1700 Ontarians “Do the Math” and Find
Social Assistance Rates Don’t Add
Up<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/PovertyWatchOntario/%7E3/T8-2vmX-0es/>

Posted: 08 Oct 2009 06:31 AM PDT

PRESS RELEASE
October 8, 2009

TORONTO – Thanksgiving is a time to remember that everyone should have
enough food to eat — if not to celebrate with an abundant meal, at the very
least to meet the minimum requirements for health and dignity. But data
released from a new website shows what too many people lining up at food
banks this Thanksgiving already know: social assistance in Ontario does not
add up.

The Stop Community Food Centre <http://www.thestop.org> recently launched a
web-based budgeting tool called “Do the Math” (
http://www.thestop.dothemath.org <http://dothemath.thestop.org>) that asks
people to weigh in on what they think a person on social assistance needs to
survive. More than 1,700 people have completed the survey since it launched
in June 2009, and results show that even the most frugal estimates fall far
short of what people receive on Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP). Highlights from the survey:

   - The average total amount needed to live each month was estimated at
   $1,430 (compared to $572 current rate for OW recipients)
   - 83% of those surveyed believe that a single person in Ontario needs
   more than $1,020 to live each month (the current single month rate for ODSP)
   - Average cost of monthly shelter was estimated at $624 (compared to the
   $349 provided for OW recipients and $445 for ODSP recipients )
   - The average cost of food each month for a single person was estimated
   at $260 (compared to the Cost of the Nutritious Food Basket data provided by
   public health agencies that estimates the average monthly amount needed to
   purchase healthy food each month is $209.55)
   - 69% of respondents indicated that having Internet access was a
   necessary expense
   - 57% of respondent earned over $30,000 per year
   - 14% of respondents are on OW or ODSP

“Results from Do The Math confirm that many people do not believe that the
stereotypes are true – that poverty is because of poor budgeting and bad
choices. In fact, people from across socioeconomic groups filled out the
survey and not only found that you can’t survive on social assistance, but
also signed virtual postcard petitions saying that the solution must be to
rebuild our safety net. Particularly in difficult times like these, having
adequate social assistance as a last resort will help people to bounce back
into the economy ” says Nick Saul, Executive Director at The
Stop<http://www.thestop.org>.
“Currently nothing could be further from the truth, and this is a key reason
why food ban and meal program use is up 30% in our organization.”

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr David McKeown, said Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on the importance of access to health food. “People who
live on social assistance cannot afford nutritious food and their health
status suffers as a result. The government should address this urgent
problem because social justice is an essential ingredient of health living.”

Over 3,000 people have signed the online petition or postcard that calls for
government to ‘do the math’ too, and overhaul of the system that sets rates,
as well as for an immediate increase of $100 as a first step to meet basic
needs. The Put Food in the Budget campaign is a partnership between The Stop
and the Social Planning Network of Ontario <http://www.spno.ca>, and is
endorsed by the Association of Public Health Agencies<http://www.alphaweb.org>
.

-30-

Media contact: Jonah Schein, The Stop Community Food Centre, 416-652-7867
ex. 235,
Cell: 647-244-3715, civicengagement at thestop.org, Fax 416-652-2294,
www.thestop.org

*PDF Version of Press
release*<http://www.povertywatchontario.ca/downloads/Oct-8-2009-DoTheMath-Press-Release.pdf>
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-- 
Terrie ( mocharebyl at gmail.com )
“If you see an injustice being committed, you aren't an observer, you are a
participant.” June Callwood
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and
renders the present inaccessible.  Maya Angelou
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