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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=13217 Export date: Tue Jul 23 9:30:36 2024 / +0000 GMT |
“More than just food” – the extensive impact of food insecurity Two boxes of Kraft Dinner, three servings of dry rice, two cans of soup, three single packets of oatmeal, a tin of tuna, three eggs, a small jar of peanut butter, two cans of vegetables, one potato, one onion, one can of beans, a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, three juice boxes, and three fruit chews; this was food for three days for Dufferin community members who were part of a panel raising awareness about the extensive impact of food insecurity. It is also a way of life for more than 7 per cent of Headwaters households living in poverty. Questions before the panel included: Could they survive? What did they experience? Was it a healthy and dignified life? The Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance (HFFA) took part in this province wide “Put Food in the Budget” Campaign to increase the social assistance food allowance. The initial campaign began in January of 2009 as push back against stagnated social assistance rates with a demand that the Social Assistance Review Commission recommend payment levels that “ensure a life of health and dignity.” Since then, one thousand people in 26 communities have lived on a “food bank diet” for one week to raise public awareness. The Dufferin participants shared their experience on a blog hosted by Headwaters Communities in Action (HCIA) with the three day experiment wrapping up in a Town Hall meeting at the Lord Dufferin Centre on May 5th. There, the panel held a public discussion on their experiences and what they learned. Orangeville Mayor Jeremy Williams was not able to participate as initially announced; other participants included: Elaine Capes Performance and Learning Consultant, Ed Crewson Federal Liberal Candidate, Juli Griffin and Steve Murphy Crisis Professionals, Heather Hayes Service Coordinator, Dufferin Child and Family Services and Deputy Mayor of Mulmur Township, Wayne Kalinski Orangeville Chief of Police, Dan LaCute Principal of St Andrews Catholic Elementary School, Bethany Lee Professional Communicator, Jeff Sedgwick Director at The Co-operators, Rita Sethi Director of Community Health and Wellness at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, Bill Tremblay Journalist at the Orangeville Banner. Michael Balkwill, Provincial Coordinator, for Put Food in the Budget, led the panel discussion, reminding the audience, “Politicians surf the waves of change, but they don't make change…we make change.” Emcee Keith Palmer, Director of Community Services in Dufferin reported 800 individuals in Dufferin visit his office and strive to survive from food banks, “This challenge is just the beginning,” he said, “there is more to it than just food; we are talking about all social services.” Project lead Kathryn MacDonald says, “The conversation started around the impacts of poverty and the opportunity to ask ourselves what we can do to reduce poverty in our community. In that three days they (the participants) discovered how hunger and homelessness can be unseen for those not directly effected or involved in providing support to community members living with economic hardship.” Deputy Mayor of Mulmur Heather Hayes said her reflections are very different than she thought they would be. “I envisioned it was a lack of cooking skills with what you were given, but what I discovered was that it is about feeling isolated. While cooking skills may be helpful, it comes down to being disempowered over lack of choices. The share was enough to keep me fed, but the high carb diet took a toll on my body, and not being able to choose my food and eating the same thing over and over got old quickly.” Dufferin-Caledon Federal Liberal candidate Ed Crewson said he had “great empathy for people who live in distress, because as a kid my mom and I were.” The Federal Liberal candidate challenged Mike Balkwill's statement that “politicians surf the waves of change” firm in his conviction “to be part of the wave.” He said, “The experience made me truly appreciate the fresh fruits and vegetables and meat that I eat every day. It made me appreciate what others have to endure and I will try to make a difference.” Kathryn MacDonald says, “Limited food access is one part of the issue and is often paired with concerns about shelter and transportation.” During panel discussions the audience heard about “the physical and emotional impacts of the three day experience and the potential for health impacts if stresses such as lack of food and shelter were to be ongoing.” The central message from both the project lead and provincial coordinator on May 5th was, “It is not an us and them situation. We are them and we need to work towards solutions to poverty within our community, as well as at the government level to ensure a healthy community for all residents.” “Food insecurity is a very complex issue,” said Kathryn, and the panel challenge “helped shed light on the impacts of food insecurity in our community and ask all of those in attendance what we can do.” MacDonald says the panel was “a starting point” and hopes that “participants along with audience members join HCIA on June 4, 10 a.m. until noon, at the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit in Orangeville for an initial Dufferin Poverty Reduction Task Force meeting.” For more information http://headwaterscommunities.org/do-the-math-challenge/ By Marni Walsh |
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Post date: 2015-05-13 19:37:13 Post date GMT: 2015-05-13 23:37:13 Post modified date: 2015-05-21 09:07:17 Post modified date GMT: 2015-05-21 13:07:17 |
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