The Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction has been doing magnificent work in tackling poverty in Hamilton. I received an email from Tom Cooper of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, in which he provided selected highlights of this good work. I wanted to share an excerpt with you, which Tom kindly agreed to have me post. Tom wrote:
The Roundtable has adopted a 'change framework' that looks at poverty reduction investments in key points in the lives of children, youth and their families. Prior to the start of the economic downturn, Hamilton was one of the few (if only) communities in Ontario to see a reduction in poverty in the last census - with more than 6,000 individuals moving above Statistic Canada'slow-income cut-off.
More recently, in the last year, more than $27 million has been leveraged from governments, funding organizations and individuals towards poverty reduction priorities. 47,000 children youth and families in Hamilton have been provided with enhanced financial and social assets.
As well, Hamilton's efforts have been recognized provincially (through the province in part adopting our framework in the Ontario Poverty ReductionStrategy), federally (the Roundtable was recently recognized by theCanadian Urban Institute for its work) and internationally as we routinely host guests from countries as far away as New Zealand as a community of'best practices' around our work on poverty reduction.
Congratulations to the good folks at the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction and their networks, who have worked very hard, and continue to work very hard to battle poverty in Hamilton.
Visit http://www.hamiltonpoverty.ca/ where you can learn more about this important and worthwhile effort, as well as see a more fulsome account of their many accomplishments.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
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What has really changed for those who struggle in poverty? Really not much, while some language has been implemented, the reality for those that struggle is something different.
ReplyDeleteIt is mostly smoke and mirrors, a public relations campaign, to make it seem like they are doing something but the truth is something else.
Anonymous asked: "What has really changed for those who struggle in poverty?"
ReplyDelete-$1,100 more per year in the Ontario Child Benefit (this year) as a direct result of the Roundtable's advocacy
-creation of an affordable transit pass in Hamilton for low income working Hamiltonians and expanded to include OW and ODSP recipients who receive employment top-ups
-$150,000 from the Hamilton Community Foundation to respond to the economic downturn (including funding for the Peer-to-Peer program) to provide direct help to social assistance recipients
-$53,000 in funding for low income kids to access recreation programs after school in neighbourhoods without rec centres
-increase in access to breakfast programs in schools in Hamilton
-2,253 backpacks filled with school supplies to respond to elimination of OW & ODSP "back to school allowance"
-7,000 children able to attend summer camp programs opened up in schools for the first time
-development of a 'leading edge employer handbook' encouraging local employers to adopt a 'living wage' and progressive employment practices
-691 tenants receive $100 housing allowance
-$1 million in Hamilton to create subsidized housing units
There's more... but you might get the point that work is taking place. Is it enough? Absolutely not. There is a lot more to do and only by working together can our community hope to move forward on real poverty reduction initiatives.
Thanks for your thoughts though.
I'm inclined to agree with the anonymous oppo perp.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty problem is extremely complex and for
most of those chaired in programs which claim to
seek solutions, IT is just another prestigious
title worn on their long sleeved cuff linked shirts.
Their presto presswork is a presumable prestidigitation.
What is needed art more folks willing to roll-up
their sleeves and get their hands down & dirty as
like pearls among swine make purses from sows ears.
Unvarnished glimpses of city's gritty core
http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/621525
"Provoking a discussion is the intention of Santucci's first visual arts exhibit, on display at You me gallery on James Street North. Called The Hood, the Bad and the Ugly: Contemplating the Gritty Core of our City, the show consists of six video screens showing images of Santucci's Landsdale neighbourhood."
Police team to probe recent shootings
http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/621510
"Hamilton police have created a special team to solve a string of shootings in the central city's Landsdale and Stinson neighbourhoods that sent three young men to hospital over the past 11 days."
I don't think HR PR's deserve a glowing review, do you?
ive been impressed since i returned to hamilton about how much better the community seem to be working together to deal with social concerns such as poverty. not sure if it is all because of this roundtable (stupid name by the way) but i think they are making some of the big wigs listen up which sure wasn't happening before
ReplyDeleteTom: The voices of those that struggle have come forward and what you put in place does not really address the realities.
ReplyDeleteYou have failed to address the "CLASS" war, where those at the bottom have lost ground, yet must deal with a bureaucracy that is so vile, that the people are so beat down and degraded, that it has created a situation where those who cannot find work are left to turn to the underground.
You fail to address the problems that exist within the many agencies and their bullies, that deny people and workers their rights.
But as long as they are getting a paycheque, do they really care where they are pushing people or if their rights as human, people, workers are being upheld? Not on your life, the "CLASS" war continues.
Yo Anonymous: Karl Marx called from the 19th Century and asked if he could have his manifesto back when you're done
ReplyDeleteRight said Fred said: Well one can see that you are a capitalist, which has nothing to do with democracy.
ReplyDeleteCapitalist = exploitation, no rights.
Not to mention the $1000,000 grant the Roundtable recieves from Hamilton taxpayers. Do we get good value for that investment?
ReplyDeletefor the record Mark it is $107,000, (not $1000,000 - not sure if you were thinking one million or not) and considering that $107,000 has in part helped to leverage $27 million for Hamilton residents, I'd say YEAH that's a pretty good return on investment. Even a diligent anti-tax crusader like yourself can see the value in that. All the best!
ReplyDeleteTom writes: $1,100 more per year in the Ontario Child Benefit (this year) as a direct result of the Roundtable's advocacy
ReplyDeleteBut what he did not tell people is that for almost every dollar given in the Ontario Chld Tax , it is taken off the Ontario Works cheques, which leaves people further behind instead of ahead.
Smoke and mirrors, public relations campaign, those at the bottom are losing more and more, yet those at the top get rewarded. How unfair is that!
Peer to peer does not deal with policy decisions. So if you lose your job, EI runs out, then you are forced onto Ontario Works, they can force you into a job that you may not get paid for a few weeks, as they deem this as training, "workfare". If you do not accept this employment which most likely will step on your employment rights, you are cut off, Ontario works period. All peer to peer does is send you to these various not for profit entities that step on your rights as a worker and as a human being.