Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 112

Dear Colleagues, 

We wish you all a peaceful holiday season.  We acknowledge all the hard work each and everyone one of you does to support and uplift our communities.  We recognize that many organizations’ staff and community volunteers will continue to work throughout the holidays. Thank you! 

Yesterday’s winter Solstice celebration reminds us to honor the changes of the season and our connection to nature. Key outcomes announced this week from COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference and the signing of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework gives us hope that world leaders are taking action.

“We have become the impatient species, too busy to let nature replenish itself and too puffed up with our own sense of importance to acknowledge our utter dependency on its generosity.” – David Suzuki

The Framework recognizes that without a social justice perspective, climate policies risk exacerbating the already unacceptable gap between rich and poor:

  • High-income families are responsible for a disproportionate share of the emissions that lead to climate change;
  • Low-income families can’t afford electric cars, retro-fitting homes or other measures that are usually proposed to reduce emissions;
  • Low-income residents risk being adversely affected by the carbon tax, higher electricity bills and other pricing measures than wealthier citizens. 

Climate change is influencing our community wellbeing, creating greater risks to both physical and mental health. Read more about local action: 

SAFE SPACES

Creating safe spaces that allow us to recharge in the winter is a luxury. For many, these safe spaces don’t exist but collective efforts are happening to carry out wellness checks, provide support and services. We have a mental health & addiction crisis fueling a homelessness crisis. 

  • Grey Bruce Coordinated Access: reported that in November 2022 there were 198 households active on the By Names List (BNL), with 156 of these households identified as experiencing chronic homelessness.
    • Bruce County (40 HHs) actively homeless and Grey County (158 HHS) at the time of their referral. 
    • The average number of months experiencing homelessness for households on the BNL is 9. 
    • The average acuity (scale from 1-10) is a 4.5. This would indicate that those experiencing homelessness are from vulnerable demographics and/or experiencing tri-morbidity and/or sleeping rough.
  • Short Term Shelter Program: will be operating through the holidays. Call 211 for anyone experiencing 211 to access emergency housing support in Grey County and Bruce County.  Coordination with hospital discharges and shelter have been anticipated and negotiated to ensure people will be housed. 
  • Despite any bans against accessing services, everyone will be offered a room until January 4th. Outreach workers will be working through the holidays to check on people in motel shelters.  

WARMING STATIONS

Lower tier municipalities, cities and towns will respond with plans under an Extreme Weather Warning.  Warming Stations are listed on 211. 

However, this year we may experience extreme weather on the holiday weekend when most of the organizations are closed on Dec 25th.

Safe Spaces

To know who is open/closed during the holidays for support please call 211. Please update your Holiday schedules with 211 online or by emailing John Meakin,  jmeakin@communityconnection.ca.

  • Safe N Sound: extended hours are in place M-F 9am-3pm. 5pm-10pm and Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 12pm – 10pm but will be closed Dec 25th and 26th. 
  • M’Wikwedong IFC Housing: staff will be on call through the holidays for emergency housing support.
    • M’Wikwedong IFC: 2 Spirit Youth drop-in, Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30. 
    • M’Wikwedong IFC: adult drop-in, Mondays, 5-8pm, starting in January 2023.
  • South East Grey CHC: shall be closed Dec 23rd to Dec 27th Markdale office, Dec 23rd to Dec 30th at Dundalk location. 
  • If you are a woman experiencing gender-based violence, and need immediate assistance, call 911. 
  • St. Georgen’s Anglican Church: – Open each Thursday (except December 29).  3 to 4:00 p.m. in the Hall – a safe and inclusive space.

FOOD SUPPORT 

Many food hampers, gift cards and toys have been distributed by organizations across Grey Bruce. Many of them required early registration. An incredible outpouring of Christmas cheer meant that many families have support for the holidays. Big and small efforts are always appreciated. 

211 has the full list of Christmas hampers and meals. 

  • The Salvation Army Owen Sound: provides $40,000 worth of groceries to local families every month. ⁣⁣⁣In 2022, they served 800 individuals/month (an increase from 600 individuals in 2021).   
  • St. Aidan’s Grey/Bruce: provided over 10,000 frozen meals for programs across Grey Bruce in 2022. 
  • Owen Sound: takeaway meals served at noon at OSHARE, 946 3rd Ave East. Please call 519-371-0957 for more information. Closed on January 1st.  Safe N Sound is hosting a Christmas Dinner for participants on Friday December 23rd at 5:30pm  Closed Dec 25th and 26th. 
  • Hanover: Grace United Church, 310 12th Street. Doors open at 11:30am and dinner will be served at 12:00pm. Please let Faye know you’re coming. 519-377-9774.
  • Wiarton: For residents of the townships of South Bruce Peninsula, a dinner will be available either as sit-down or take-away on December 21st at The Salvation Army Wiarton Community Church. Delivery available. Sit-in: 1 pm & take out: 2:30 pm. Call 519-534-0353. 576 Edward Street. 
  • Saugeen Shores: on December 24th, dinner will be delivered and is heat-and-serve in Saugeen Shores and Saugeen First Nation. Register by Dec 20, 2022. Delivery: Dec 24, 2022, 3 pm-5 pm. To order your delivery, contact Chuck or Linda at: 519-832-6003 or SSChristmasdinner@gmail.com. 
  • Grey Highlands: Registration up to Dec 19, 2022. Pickup: Dec 23, 2022 12:30 pm-2 pm. Gentle Shepherd Community Church (Eugenia Campus; 426176 Concession 8). Call Mary at 519-924-3832 to register. 
  • Kincardine: Register by Tue Dec 20, 2022. Call 519-396-2001. Doors open at 12:30 pm Christmas Day with the meal starting at 1 pm. St Anthony’s of Padus Catholic Church (749 Russell St). 
  • Durham: on Christmas day, doors open at 1 pm and dinner is served at 3 pm. Durham Community Centre, 451 Saddler St W. 

TRANSPORTATION 

  • GOST: due to the potential weather moving into the area, the GOST afternoon departure at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 23, 2022, is cancelled.
  • Owen Sound Transit: will continue to operate on the regular schedule. When a change to scheduled service is required, customer alerts are posted on the City’s website as soon as possible. For the most up-to-date information, people can check owensound.ca/transit or call Voyago directly at 519-465-0783

Mental Health Supports

  • The Métis Nation of Ontario is offering a 24HR Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) 24/7 Crisis Line for anyone discharged from hospital, 1-877-767-7572.

Consider how you or your organization can create slower lanes this holiday!  

Stay well, Jill 

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Housing Action Group, Poverty Task Force, Resources

Defining Adequate Housing

apartment architecture balcony building
Photo by George Becker on Pexels.com

Housing is a basic need and is internationally recognized as a human right. Housing forms the foundation for our homes, neighbourhoods and communities.

Housing provides shelter, security, a space in which family life can happen and where children grow up and thrive. Yet, for many people, their housing jeopardizes their health and well-being.

The unfit conditions in housing, disproportionately experienced by people living in low income or other marginalizing circumstances negatively affect people’s physical and mental health. Multiple chronic diseases and acute effects, including asthma, respiratory conditions, allergies, chemical sensitivities, as well as cardiovascular disease and its numerous risk factors can be exacerbated or, in some cases caused, by poverty, stress, and living in unhealthy conditions.

Our Community Voices  are featured in a recent series of Rentsafe videos:

Defining Adequate 

My Voice is Power

Stigma in the System

Towards Healthy Homes for All: RentSafe Summary and Recommendations April 2018, summarizes the research over the past 3 years and offers recommendations for action to improve intersectoral action and capacity to ensure healthy housing conditions

 

jillumbach Advocacy, Media, Partner Activities

Rain won’t stop homeless campout

OWEN SOUND – As preparations were made Friday for Safe ‘n Sound’s second annual overnight campout to raise awareness and some money to combat homelessness, the rain started.

Organizers want to remind people that some around us do camp in all kinds of weather because they have to. Richard Suchow, the manager at the downtown drop-in and homeless referral agency, plans to pitch tarps, a tent and camp behind the centre at 310 8th St. E.

“We’ll brave the elements as long as we’re able to do that without being ridiculous and freezing to death,” Suchow said as the rain already started to fall over the lunch hour. “Where unlike true homelessness, we can go in and get warm and come back out.”

The centre will be open all night to support campers, who may simply wrap themselves in blankets and sleeping bags and sit on chairs through the night, Suchow said.

He and three other volunteers, Bill Baker, Shawn McMann and Lynn Dilworth, sat on a bench behind the centre with sleeping bags in hand and talked about homelessness and what they’re trying to do about it.

The citizen-led agency opened in spring, 2009. It offers a place to meet, lockers to store belongings and get help accessing resources. Arrangements for after-hours emergency shelter are made here too.

Safe ‘n Sound receives $2,000 per month from Grey County to help cover expenses but the operation runs mostly on volunteers.

Baker is responsible for the storeroom where donated clothing and toiletries are given to people in need. He said local people are very generous. He planned to hand out available sleeping bags Friday night.

McMann is currently couch surfing and declined to discuss his personal circumstances. But he volunteers at the centre and does Dilworth, who was homeless 2 1/2 years ago after a marital breakup left her with little more than a backpack of belongings. Now she accommodates homeless people on her couch and even in a tent and in her backyard.

Suchow said the agency always needs money and volunteers in a variety of capacities, including web design and even someone with a truck to pick up donations. But the educational part of Friday night’s event is just as important, he said.

“Unfortunately, when you’re in poverty and homelessness the people feel less of themselves.

And they really feel like they’re under the microscope,” Suchow said. And so, he said, homeless people are often apologetic when caught sleeping in stairways and bank machine enclosures.

“I think it’s because people don’t understand homelessness. And so they don’t realize this isn’t a bad person because they are homeless. That we see middle-class families in some cases have lost everything. It just happens.”

Saturday morning at the Queen’s Park bandstand along 1st Ave. W., speakers will talk about homelessness, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller will make an appearance and Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell is scheduled to make remarks about 10 a.m.

To donate money online, go to Canadahelps.org and search Safe ‘n Sound Residence. To learn about volunteer opportunities or to arrange to donate materials, call 519-470-7233.

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