Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 113

Dear Colleagues,

The impact of rising prices on vulnerable people for rent, food, utilities, etc. and our slow recovery from the pandemic are creating the start of a tough year. It means more people are having to make hard decisions about what they can and can’t afford.

Five weeks into the new year, we are all busy with new strategic planning, advocacy for budgets and the release of new studies.  

NEW ADVOCACY/POLICY 

  • Ontario released Pathways to Safety: Ontario’s Strategy in Response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
  • How Can We Confront Homelessness in Rural Ontario: is aTVO panel interview held at the recent Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) meeting.  The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay has been looking at social financialization of housing and the Institute’s Marilyn Struthers was part of the panel.  
  • The Ontario Human Rights Commission issued a statement on human rights and access to cold weather services.  The importance of respecting the rights of people experiencing homelessness was reaffirmed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on January 27, 2023 when it denied the municipality of Waterloo’s request to remove an encampment when there is no adequate indoor shelter space as it would violate the residents’ Charter rights to life, liberty, and security of the person. 
  • Rest Stations for Extreme Weather: 211 provides listings of warming stations available in Bruce County and Grey County. 
  • Short Term Shelter Programs in both Counties have worked hard this winter to ensure that people were sheltered before weather systems hit.  Connections were made with prisons and hospitals to ensure that people were not discharged onto the streets during the extreme weather. They reached out to people living in tents to do wellness checks and offer warmer shelter.  
  • Safe N Sound in partnership with the City of Owen Sound extended their hours, including one extreme weather episode providing all night shelter.  

NEW BUDGETS

INCOME SUPPORT

  • Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS): The Ontario government is doubling the GAINS payment for seniors for 12 months beginning January 2023. This measure will increase the maximum GAINS payment to $166 per month for single seniors and to $332 per month for couples, a maximum increase of almost $1,000 per person in 2023.
  • Canada Housing Benefit  The one-time top-up aims to help eligible low-income renters with a tax-free one-time payment of $500. Applications are due by March 31st 2023.
  • Ontario Disability Support Program Earnings Exemption: the government has increased monthly earnings exemption for people with disabilities from $200 to $1,000 effective 1 February 2023 and reflected on March 2023 payment. This will mean that the first $1,000 earned in a month is exempt and will not affect ODSP income support. For each dollar earned above $1,000, the 25 cents is exempt from the calculation of income support. However, the total earnings are based on the household income, not the individual’s income on ODSP. 

NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

  • Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF): responds to the adaptation and modernization needs of non-profit and charitable organizations facing immediate and long-term impacts of the pandemic as they continue to support communities.The deadline to apply is February 21st at 5:00pm. Find out if your organization is eligible and how to apply here. 
  • An online CSRF Q & A Session for Grey Bruce community service organizations applying to the Community Services Recovery Fund is happening on February 9 from 4 – 5 pm. Register here.
  • 2023 Emergency Food Access Grant: as food banks struggle with the urgent and increasing need of their communities, Food Banks Canada has a new fund ($2M in funding). Application deadline is February 19th, 2023. For eligibility or apply here:

NEW RESEARCH 

  • Bruce County Housing Demographic Study: has been released and the link to the Committee item is available at Human Services Committee – February 02, 2023 (escribemeetings.com). 
  • Re-engaging Retreated Workers: After analyzing the participation rates in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region it was noted that 6,000 workers retreated from the workforce in March of 2020 and were no longer participating in the workforce. With close to 90% of the available workforce between the ages of 25 – 54 (Labour Force Survey 2021 Custom Data Purchase) already participating it is more important than ever to re-engage the workers who have retreated. This report by the Four County Labour Market Planning Board looks at challenges to re-engaging workers in the region. 
  • RentSafe’s new suite of resources on mould aims to support proactive and coordinated action to address one of the most pressing habitability concerns in rental housing. RentSafe baseline research found that dampness and mould is one of the most common health concerns in rental housing. 

HOUSING SUPPORT 

NEW SURVEYS/STUDIES

  • Bruce County Strategic Public Engagement: is underway and seeking initial ideas.  Please submit your initial ideas online through the Bruce County 2023-2026 Strategic Plan Public Engagement Survey by Friday, February 10, 2023.
  • Grey Bruce Health Services Addiction Treatment Services: have released 3 new surveys. Community Addiction Treatment (CATS) Services, Withdrawal Management Services (WMS), and WMS survey for friends and family seeking feedback on program and service needs. CATS survey, WMS survey and WMS Survey for Friends/Family. 
  • City of Owen Sound Community Garden Policy Input: closed on 30 January 2023 with input from Grey Bruce Community Garden Network Coordinator. A feedback report will be presented at the February 15th Community Services Committee. This is the first of its kind in Grey Bruce and sets a good framework for other municipalities/towns and cities. 
  • Seniors Home Share:   Bruce County Housing to undertake a local  feasibility study with York University. The team from York University is carrying a literature review/best practices analysis and carrying out key informant interviews/focus group discussions. The study results are expected to be released in March 2023. Contact Matt Meade, mmeade@brucecounty.on.ca, for further info.  
  • West Grey Public Library Children & Youth Service:  Click here to provide input to the programs for kids and teens in West Grey. Contact Kayla, 519-369-2107,   kids@westgreylibrary.com.

FOOD SUPPORT

  • Grey Bruce Foodrescue: nearly 60% of food produced in Canada is lost or wasted each year according to Second Harvest.  1/3 of that waste is still edible, yet it goes to landfills instead of to those who could use it. 
  • No Frills Owen Sound and Foodland Markdale have been added to the program.  OSHaRE continues to be a central hub for pick up, sorting and making surplus food available to community agencies. For more info contact Colleen Seaman, info@oshare.ca or 519-377-7460. 

TRANSPORTATION

  • Grey Transit Route (GTR): route changes have been affected by budget and the Flesherton to Hanover/Walkerton route will be canceled in April 2023.  
  • Student Travel: students at Georgian College’s Owen Sound Campus will be able to access free GTR during the winter semester.  This will help them getting to and from campus as well as to employment and field placements, co-ops or practicums.

The next Poverty Task Force meeting shall be on Friday, February 17th.  

Stay well, Jill 

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 74

Dear Colleagues, 

Cathy Hird wrote in a Owen Sound Hub article that “one day is not enough”. Many partners hosted or participated in National Truth and Reconciliation Day/Orange Shirt Day last week. But we must continue to improve relations and to understand what actions we are committed to as “treaty people”. 

While May 5th, 2021 was Red Dress Day, this week is Red Dress Awareness Week. October 4th marked Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day. A day when we honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, support grieving families, and create opportunities for healing.

The 2021 National Action Plan responds to the many demands to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. It is meant to honour and respect Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples’ values, philosophies, knowledge systems, and agencies through the prioritization of Indigenous-led solutions and services, developed in partnership and sustained through the adequate resourcing of this work. 
The National Action Plan responds to the Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Métis Perspectives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and LGBTQ2S+ People report.

The National Action Plan is not meant to be frozen in time; it is evergreen, recognizing the urgency for immediate action, but also the importance of continuing to cultivate transformative change over time.

COVID19 IMPACT SURVEY – GREY COUNTY & BRUCE COUNTY

  • A county-wide survey is asking Grey County and Bruce County residents how COVID-19 has impacted their daily lives. Residents are being asked to provide feedback on a range of social, economic, and health-related questions. The survey is in partnership with the University of Guelph. Results will help the County and local municipalities make important decisions regarding pandemic recovery efforts. Go to: Grey County Survey or Bruce County Survey. 

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS

HOUSING SUPPORTS

  • Tamarack Is hosting a mid-Ontario Rural Community of Practice (CoP)  on Tuesday, October 12th from 1-2pm. Dominica McPherson, Coordinator of the Guelph-Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination, will help to kick off our conversation by sharing their YIMBY campaign and how they have reduced overall chronic homelessness by 25% and youth chronic homelessness by 76% in the community. Contact Jill Umbach if you want to join the zoom call. 
  • Rentsafe Owen Sound Collaborative: our Landlord Survey is still open. Recently Erica Phipps and Jill Umbach joined Mary Jane Murray on Rogers TV.  Start at the 30 minute mark for the Rentsafe interview. 

INCOME SUPPORTS

  • New Rules for Employment Insurance: There are new pandemic-related changes coming to the Employment Insurance system that took effect Sunday, September 26. This is a list of a few changes. To see all criteria, visit Service Canada at  https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html. 
  • Eligibility: In the last year, EI applicants received a one-time top-up of hours to help them qualify. This ends and is replaced by a requirement to have worked 420 hours to qualify. These hours will be in place until September 24, 2022. 
  • To qualify for EI-Sickness benefits, the government is again requiring a medical certificate proving the applicant is sick and can’t work. This requirement was waived over the last year because of COVID-19. 
  • Benefits: The weekly minimum payment will decline to $300/m from $500/m.  
    • Regional unemployment rates will once again be used to calculate the duration and value of benefits. 
    • Anyone with an existing EI claim won’t see any changes to the value or duration of their benefits with the new rules.  
  • Seasonal workers in 13 regions will still be eligible for 5 extra weeks of EI regular benefits until October 2022. This is specific to seasonal workers who started claims between August 5, 2018 and this coming October 30th and depends on them having 3 claims for regular or fishing benefits in the last 5 years, and at least 2 starting around the same time of year. 

FOOD SECURITY SUPPORTS

  • Meals2Motels: After 19 months, the United Way is phasing out of the Meals to Motels program as of September 30th. Close to 12,500 OSHaRE meals were delivered to those housed in motels. 
    • OSHaRE remains available to support people with meals twice a day. 
    • The YMCA Housing team will ensure there are frozen meals at the Key Motel in Chatsworth.
  • OSHaRE served more than 10,000 meals in August 2021. In all of 2019, OSHaRE served 22,000 meals. 
    • Pre-pandemic, OSHaRE was serving about 100 meals per day, and that rose to about 300 to 350 in the spring of 2020. Currently they are serving  between 150 and 200 people at lunch Monday to Saturday and from 280 to 350 at dinner Monday to Friday. All meals remain take-out due to the pandemic.
    • OSHaRE has observed that the rising cost of food and cost of living in general means they are seeing more people that need our service than ever before. There is no sign of the need waning.
  • Since March 2020, the Owen Sound Salvation Army has provided practical food assistance valued at $1,001,890.00. 
    • They have added an additional 321 new households that have never needed to use Food Bank services since the start of the pandemic.  

  FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

  • The United Way has released its 2022 call for United Way grants. Deadline is December 10th, 2021. Contact Francesca Dobbyn to discuss ideas and potential partnerships.  All the details, online application links, PDFs of the questions and any updates are on the United Way’s website: https://unitedwayofbrucegrey.com/about-us/community-impact-grants/2021-granting-call/
  • The Ontario government has announced a new $1.6 million Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant Program. Eligible organizations, including community-based, not-for-profit organizations, can apply for grants of $40,000 over 2 years for independent projects, or $100,000 over 2 years for partnerships between two or more organizations.

 Stay well, Jill 

jillumbach Media, Partner Activities

OSHaRE holds soup lunch fundraiser

By Rob Gowan, Sun Times, Owen Sound

Friday, September 27, 2013 2:56:40 EDT PM

 

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A growing need to feed people in the community has the Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort using new ways to raise funds.

A soup luncheon held at the bingo hall downtown on Friday is one of those ways.

“This is just new for us and we hope to make it an annual event,” said Peggy Moulaison, director of operations with OSHaRE, adding the reason for the fundraiser is to both raise funds and create awareness about the organization.

“A lot of people still don’t know about us and that there is an organization that is committed to helping those in need in Owen Sound.”

OSHaRE is a non-profit volunteer and donation driven soup kitchen that serves dinners Monday through Friday in the basement of the former Knox United Church, now Harmony Centre, in Owen Sound.

Since it started operating in February the number of people it has served nightly has grown from about 40 to more than 100.

“We are having 100 people a night right now and it is very, very busy,” said Moulaison. “We are up to 100 people and we had 115 people last night and it requires us to have a lot of food, a lot of prep, a lot of volunteers.”

Moulaison said the committee based their budget on serving between 60 and 80 people a night.

The organization’s $105,000 annual budget, which includes staff, groceries, rent and utilities, is entirely dependent on donations.

“It doesn’t seem to be slowing down any, so I am not to sure where that is going to take us,” said Moulaison, who added some nights they have actually ran out of food during the dinners, which run from 5 to 6 p.m.

“Sometimes at night if we run out of food, which we have, we will make sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches and we will heat up soup because we have that as a backup,” said Moulaison. “We don’t want anybody to go away hungry so we will do that.”

Moulaison said the local heart and stroke association held a soup luncheon for a number of years, but haven’t had one in recent years and she felt it was a good fit with OSHaRE.

The event was held at the bingo hall because of it is centrally located. Moulaison hopes to hold the event at the Harmony Centre in the future so that members of the public get a chance to see the facilities OSHaRE uses and get a better feel of what the group is all about.

By about 11:30 a.m. on Friday about 50 people were sitting down to a lunch of soup donated by local restaurants, a bun, vegetables and dessert. Moulaison hoped about $2,500 would be raised from the event for OSHaRE, which she said has been getting great support from the community.

“The community has been very, very generous,” said Moulaison. “We have been getting a lot of food donations and a lot of monetary donations. People have been bringing their fresh vegetables from their garden and it has been very, very wonderful.”