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ISARC Forum draws 75 religious leaders...
Politicians appear at the forum to offer party platforms on strategies for reducing poverty while new stats on the use of food banks are frightening
ISARC Chair Rev. Susan Eagle of Barrie's Grace United
Church enjoys a moment with Mike Balkwill from Put
Food in the Budget, the effort to live a while on what is
available from a food bank diet. Over 400,000 Ontarians
continue to depend on food banks, a 28% increase, despite
the government's announced pledge to reduce poverty
by 25%.
The political players...
Minister Laurel Broten addresses the ISARC Forum, Nov. 18, 2010
Excerpts from the Minister's Remarks:
When we introduced our government's Poverty Reduction Strategy, Breaking the Cycle, in 2008, we decided to focus on children, youth and families first.
This was done with the belief that with the right investments now, in the long term we can break the cycle of poverty. We can provide all kids with the opportunity to succeed.
Since 2008, and with the economic downturn, we have taken critical steps to both help families get back on their feet and made strategic investments in our children and in our economy.
Reducing poverty - providing the tools families and individuals need to succeed and participate fully - and addressing the economy are common goals for a prosperous and thriving province for our future
I am very proud of the foundations we have built during the first two years of our strategy- and despite there being more to do- I am confident that we are on the right track.
I want to emphasize that most of our initiatives including the Poverty Reduction Strategy itself are the result of people like you coming together to discuss the challenges and opportunities, to collaborate and come up with solutions. I want to touch on some of the key areas of progress that we have made together:
We have accelerated the increase to the Ontario Child Benefit which has removed a significant barrier to employment by allowing parents keep their children's benefits when they move from social assistance to employment.
This year we permanently filled the funding gap left by the federal government and maintained about 8,500 licensed child care spaces and 1,000 child care jobs across the province.
The Social Assistance Review Advisory Council was established to recommend the scope and terms of reference for a review of social assistance- the review is set to be launched this fall.
As part of our comprehensive tax reforms, we are making changes to ensure tax fairness for low-income families.
Changes that will mean 90,000 low-income Ontarians will no longer have to pay any personal income tax.
We also know that families need safe and affordable roofs over their heads.
That is why we are moving forward with a Long-term Affordable Housing Strategy.
This strategy will help transform the housing delivery system in our province over the next ten years.
Michael Prue of the NDP was less than satisfied with the Minister's remarks and plans. He spoke about having repeatedly challenged the government in the House at Question Period. Here are some
excerpts from his comments and challenges:
"This year, over 400,000 Ontarians were forced to turn to food banks for help. That’s a 28% increase since 2008, when the Premier launched his so-called poverty reduction strategy. The government won’t release its own poverty indicators until after the 2011 election, but new numbers from the Ontario Association of Food Banks show that more families struggle to put food on the table."
"When this government talks about a 25% reduction in poverty, we do not expect a 28% increase in food bank use. The McGuinty government refuses to take responsibility for the hunger that plagues more and more Ontarians. Instead, it blames things like the recession or has no answer at all. But food bank use is rising, even with the modest economic recovery and in spite of the fact of your 2008 promise. The Ontario Association of Food Banks knows that precarious work, lack of employee benefits, rising hydro prices and inadequate social assistance and retirement incomes mean that rising numbers of Ontarians are turning to food banks. My question: When will the McGuinty government stop letting hunger plague 400,000 Ontarians and do something concrete to reduce it?"
Hon. Ted Arnott from the Conservative Party spoke about his party's sympathy with the plight of the poor and the Conservative
response to Poverty Reduction. He will shortly undertake the challenge to live on the diet of the food banks by joining in the Do the Math exercise.
The Faith Community players...
Rev. bob paterson-watt, from the Shoelace
Collective and the Woodbine Heights Baptist
Church offered a reflection about our com-
passion deficit.
Newly appointed Executive Director of OCASA
(Council of Agencies Serving Southeast Asians)
speaks about the Colour of Poverty.
Jamie Swift, social justice advocate for the
Sisters of Providence in Kingston and one of
the three authors of Persistent Poverty: Voices from
the Margins reads some excerpts from the
2010 Audit witnesses.
Retiring ISARC Executive Director Rev. Brice Balmer
responds in a lighter moment at the forum after he is
presented a gift of appreciation for his three years of
service and 10 years of volunteer work at ISARC.
The impact of the recession on the four sectors:
The non-profits...
Catholic Charities Executive Director Michael Fullan spoke about being stretched out of shape by normal demands for service and then further
by the recession: demands for service are up in every division of their outreach.
The municipalities...
Douglas Bartholomew-Saunders of the Halton Region explored the successes and problems encountered in Halton municipal services in coping with the added pressures of the recession.
Affordable Housing...
Yutaka Dirks from the Advocacy Center for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) brought his agency's five tests for sustained long term affordable housing.
Food distribution...
Put Food in the Budget and Do the Math advocate Mike Balkwill spoke about getting some political urgency into the success thus far with inviting people to take the challenge and live on a food bank diet. The latest activity around Put Food in the Budget is found here .
Some friends and smiles...
Affordable Housing advocates Valerie Elliott-Hyman from Congregation Darchei Noam and Jack Panozzo of Catholic Charities take a moment at lunch to talk about the Multi-Faith Alliance for Affordable Housing (MFATAH).
ISARC vice-chair Rev. Jeffrey Brown, Michael Prue and Nick Volk of St. Vincent de Paul know there is a photographer in the area.
Greg deGroot-Maggetti of the Mennonite Central Committee and Rev. Michael Hackbusch of the Kitchener House of Friendship (partially shown on the left) have Catholic Charities Executive Director Michael Fullan in excellent focus.
(The following article appeared on the Anglican diocese of Toronto webpage. Author Murray MacAdam is also a member of the ISARC Executive Committee.)
Poverty struggle sparks debate at Queen's Park
Nov 19, 2010
By Murray MacAdam
While talk of financial deficits dominates political debate, society really suffers from a “collective compassion deficit,” said the Rev. Bob Paterson-Watt, at a Queen’s Park forum on poverty on Nov.18.
The event drew 75 faith leaders to hear from government leaders and anti-poverty advocates on current strategies to counter poverty. Sponsored by the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC), the forum attracted Anglicans from Aurora, Oshawa, Toronto and Ottawa.
While the province has pledged to reduce child poverty rates by 25 per cent by 2013, new figures show that more than 400,000 Ontarians now rely on foodbanks — up 28 per cent in only two years.
Laurel Broten, Ontario’s Minister for Children and Youth Services and chair of a cabinet committee for poverty reduction, applauded ISARC for its advocacy efforts, saying “poverty is one battle that we must wage together.” She outlined the Liberal government’s steps to help low-income people, including an increase in the Ontario Child Benefit, full-day kindergarten, dental care for children, and tax cuts for 90,000 low-income families.
However, MPP Michael Prue, the NDP’s poverty critic, cited government delays in releasing a long-awaited affordable housing strategy and increasingly higher foodbank use over the past two years. He urged faith groups to take a tougher stance when advocating with government. “You need to be tougher with them. Where are the results?”
Conservative MPP Ted Arnott also addressed the forum and said he is about to embark on a food bank diet through the Do the Math Challenge campaign.
Many of those at the forum are involved in direct service to the poor, and their comments reinforced the message that more and more people are falling through the cracks of society. Michael Fullan, director of Catholic Charities, spoke of a Toronto meal program for the poor that two years ago served 300 meals daily; now 1,200 hungry people are served each day.
Mike Balkwill, organizer of the Do the Math Challenge, which mobilized 400 Anglicans in the Diocese of Toronto to experience a foodbank diet, praised Archbishop Colin Johnson and the Anglican Church for its leadership on this issue. He urged participants to dig deep into the roots of their faith for inspiration to keep going in the long struggle to build a society free of poverty. “Churches and faith communities are reservoirs of social justice when they speak from that place of righteous anger,” he said. “The soul is what propels social movements.”
ISARC Forums Nov. 18, 2010
Queen's Park
Persistent Poverty: Elephants in the room
Persistent Poverty: Elephants in the Room
is the theme of this year's Religious Leaders Forum at Queen's Park on
Nov. 18, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Guest Speaker is Grace-Edward Galabuzi, a professor at Ryerson
who also works with the Colour of Poverty. We also expect to have
greetings and comments from the three political parties on the poverty
reduction strategy. An afternoon panel will discuss how the recession
is impacting on the elephants or the other factors surrounding poverty:
non-profits, municipalities, food distribution, and affordable housing.
Registration is $40 and includes lunch.
Register here.
ISARC Social Audit
... a provincial gathering to hear and discuss the initial findings from our community hearings on poverty
See news release - May 31, 2010
June 2, 2010 Religious Leaders'
Forum
Sam Sorbara Auditorium in Brennan Hall
University of St. Michael's College
In The University of Toronto
 Affordable Housing
November 5, 2009 Religious Leaders' Forum
Queen's Park, Toronto
 Faith Communities and Advocacy with Governments
October 29, 2009 Multifaith Forum
Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo
 Closing the Gap: Social Assistance in Ontario 2009
April 30, 2009 Religious Leaders' Forum
Queens' Park, Toronto |
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