Leading authority on poverty stopping in Welland

May 14, 2012

By: Joe Barkovich, Welland Tribune
May 12, 2012

When it comes to poverty issues, few voices get as much attention as those at ISARC.

The acronym is easier to commit to memory than the words for which it stands. They are: Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition. That’s a mouthful.

It was one of the first on the anti-poverty bandwagon, one that started picking up steam in the mid-1990s after the Mike Harris cuts to social assistance and other “clawbacks” that caused more woe to those who live on the margins and beyond.

Things were tough then, those few years after the cuts did their damage. But it was nothing compared to what hardships were introduced when the Great Recession came to town, this town and so many others, large and small. It was the deepest recession since the Great Recession, experts in things such as this told us.

But they didn’t have to. People felt the pain and strain and drain on life and livelihoods and living.

When I think of ISARC, I think of innovation. I think of its great story-telling, story-sharing legacy, sending out “listeners” to communities across Ontario to hear first-hand what living in poverty is actually like, what it means, what it does to people — young and old. The compilation of those accounts in a series of books that made for compelling reading by seasoned anti-poverty activists and neophytes in the cause alike.

Now one of ISARC’s leading voices will come to Welland.

It belongs to Michael Skaljin, the executive director, no less. His visit, Wednesday, May 16, is something of a coup for the small anti-poverty group that has been meeting over the past few months mostly in church gathering spaces. It is non-denominational and it is spirit led, believe it or not. It also has an acronym: CROP, Community Roundtable on Poverty in Niagara.

Skalijn will be here to share “the latest advocacy actions and activities happening across Ontario to address poverty and social assistance issues,” says a news release about the meeting. It’s also an invitation to local faith communities to have a representative or two there and to join in.

One of its members, Marilyn McHaffie, writes a compelling piece about what government is doing and what churches are doing for people in need. Here are a few excerpts, provided as food for thought but also for motivation:

“When I spoke with people about housing issues I heard many horrific stories similar to my own experiences. As I listened to a person telling me that he had never used heat in over a year I was appalled that these conditions could exist. In a country with a cold winter climate heat is a necessity. How could a person live like this? Freezes and further cuts will add to the difficulties in housing that low income people face increasing the number of people living in substandard conditions or facing homelessness.

“Do we really deserve this? What have we done to be in a situation where we are unable to care for our basic needs? There are a large number of people that require assistance as they have mental illness. The maze of bureaucracy that exists is too difficult to navigate for people who have these challenges. People with medical disabilities and medical issues may have difficulty in obtaining services. Some services such as Handi-Trans and Red Cross are only accessible by phone. Unfortunately for some of us, a telephone is a luxury that we cannot afford.”

But McHaffie writes also about the growing strain on local clergy and their churches or parishes to keep up with demand in their work with the needy. This is no secret: were it not for work done by faith communities, many, many local people would do without meals during the week (thanks to Harvest Kitchen for that), food vouchers (thanks to St. Vincent de Paul for that) and many other acts of charity written about and spoken about more often than should be necessary.

McHaffie paints a dire scenario: “The church has taken on a role in society that goes far beyond the Bible’s instruction to care for the poor, widows and orphans. They have taken on a role that is beyond their means.”

Community legal worker Mary Beth Anger Sheffield is one of the principals involved with CROP. She said in a recent interview: “We’re looking for solutions within the community. You cannot wait around for help from government and that’s all levels of government.”

Anger Sheffield is not alone in that assessment of government’s involvement in working to alleviate poverty, in fact more and more people, especially those on the front lines, feel that way.

It will be interesting to listen to what Skaljin has to say. Will his message be innovative? Will it be provocative? Will it be a challenge for rallying public support?

He will be at Central United Church’s Fellowship Hall, 12 Young St., at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. If you attend, you just may find yourself with a place on the bandwagon to get something done.