CFN – How many of you reading this have lived under the poverty line? How many are living it now? Those on social assistance here in Ontario and across Canada have very little extra left from their income to buy food. Many rely on the kindness of strangers and food banks for survival.
Canadian writer and songstress Bif Naked helped create awareness Nationally recently when she championed the Raise the Rates campaign in British Columbia.
Bif lives in Beautiful BC now although is originally born in New Delhi! She grew up in Winnipeg. A strict raw food vegan she also is a survivor of Cancer.
She breaks it down to surviving on $3 per day for food. That’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee and muffin in many chain places that so many of us stop at every morning.
That’s only $21 per week. Of course malnutrition leads to medical care in short and the long term. Does it make any sense for people in this day and age to live on these amounts in a country like Canada in 2014?
TV interview with BIF
CFN asked Bif some questions as well which she graciously and kindly answered for us.
CFN
Living below the poverty line for several years, I was surprised to receive a notice that I owed another $150 on top of the taxes I had paid the year before. I wrote a note explaining that true enough I was supporting an out of work spouse and child and had been blowing my money on groceries and diapers. I wrote a cheque for the outstanding amount on the back of a shirt, and hoped they’d get the message… a month later I received my bank statement and the “cancelled shirt”, which had been dutifully cashed and stamped “FOR DEPOSIT TO THE RECEIVER GENERAL CANADA”.
Only One comment on your article Jamie?People deepdown really don.t give a rats ass about people who need help, be it for any reason.In there minds if you need help your a lazzie bum. Get out and get a job you bum are most responses.
Yes Marc, The reality is that Poverty isn’t an issue in Cornwall. Even the Agape wouldn’t respond to take part in this. It’s very sad when a food bank plays petty personal politics over principle.
I disagree with Marc. I think people do care about people that need help. Poverty isn’t an issue in Cornwall?
Hugger I respectfully disagree with you. I watched Gary Samler’s work fall on deaf ears. It’s not just sexy compared to hockey or the CTS. Mix in horrible management at Agape and it just kills the public’s interest locally.
I swear if I were looking for a job in Cornwall I’d love to take over the Agape and I’d do it for half of what Alyssa makes.
I guess it depends on what people see is how things are perceived. But like they say perception is reality. And a question…..what is the CTS?
I lived below poverty line until I got my first job. Then again going through my divorce but I got my butt out do bed and did housework, did some private respite care for the elderly so as far as I am concerned you have to save yourself make your own wealth.. Today I am very comfortable… I also prefer helping one family than donating to places that I do not know where my money is going. I have worked too long and hard and I think some of the poor need to do the same.
Receiving welfare is not intended to be a comfortable perfect alternative existence or lifestyle. A handout is something that is received by someone who either feels entitled or is a non contributor (taker). A hand up is something that is appreciated and inspires one to become self sufficient and a contributor.
I personally have no desire to pay Agape salaries. I do not support the massive overhead that the United Way business incurs in the name of charity. So how does a giving person assist someone who would like to better themselves and become a contributing member of society rather than merely survive as a leech of a socialist system?
Once a year I find a deserving family/individual and extend a hand up. Nothing lost to administration, advertising or salaries and overhead expenses. I call it simply, charity.
David that’s lovely; but in the reality of today we live in an engineered society that leaves far too many trapped in poverty. I myself right now struggle as I have no drug or health plan as a small business owner in a struggling market that is under attack.
There are many people that would be working that are not today because of our high minimum wage and over head for employers. Can you blame so many for moving offshore?
The residual effect is many that simply have not found their way for one reason or another.
Now here’s the catch. If we don’t help people sustain a basic life we end up spending far more on legal, justice, and health care costs. It’s the bottom line.
So if we can subsidize jobs as we do; IE the province just gave Honda a huge financial incentive, and if we can gerrymander our economy then we should be able to provide a basic humane minimum that those that fall through the cracks. It’s not about charity; it’s about our society.
Jeea, I hate it when I agree with Jules and / or Furtz. Now I’m agreeing with Jamie. Will the insanity never end?