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We can break the cycle of poverty. As January is Poverty Awareness Month, we are curious about exactly how folks like you and I can be part of creating a brighter future.
Poverty Awareness: Where do we begin?
Housing security. Food security. Fresh water. Education. Safety. Do you experience some stability in these things? Perhaps you do today, but you can remember a time when you were not so fortunate? Poverty awareness can land very close to home.
Take a minute to explore our charities listing, or visit the CanadaHelps website. Notice just how many charitable organizations are serving generously, wisely, and compassionately to address the issue of poverty awareness.
Visit the websites of local shelter, drop-in, and resource charities in your town or city. These hands-on workers have clear statistics about where your neighbours are most vulnerable.
Poverty awareness and support here at home
First, what does poverty in Canada look like?
The National Advisory Council on Poverty states,
“In 2024, we ventured out to talk to people in places we’ve never been, from stark and striking Whitehorse, to downtown Calgary, to the outskirts of Halifax, and to the rocky shores of St. John’s. We also spoke to hundreds of organizations during our virtual engagement sessions. The message stayed pretty much the same as in previous years – “we need help, now!” – but was said with much more urgency.
We were particularly distressed by the stories of tragedy and trauma, of lives lost, of deep despair and dread; we heard firsthand of young families torn apart by the very systems that were supposed to support them. We talked with people who were lonely, isolated and desperate. There were people who couldn’t see anything getting better and feared what the future holds for all of us.
Overall, this year’s conversation about poverty felt heavier than in the past, somehow more urgent. More and more individuals are in survival mode, seeking some sort of stability amid rising costs. The faces were different and the experiences unique, but the challenges raised were unfortunately familiar and similar to those we hear about year after year.
Some themes stood out from the rest. The availability and affordability of safe and suitable housing, the ever-increasing cost of feeding your family, the long hours and low wages of work to barely keep your head above water, service providers becoming clients within their own organizations: these were the things we repeatedly heard.
Having said this, we did see glimmers of hope – hope that if we come together, we can figure out how to do better. We were blown away by the entrepreneurial, innovative and collaborative action we witnessed and heard about.”
Some numbers that help round out our poverty awareness
“In 2022, according to Canada’s Official Poverty Line, the poverty rate was 9.9%, and about 3.8 million people living in Canada were in poverty” (Statistics Canada, 2024f).
This year, the NACP reports, “The data shows that costs remain high for key household expenses, such as groceries and housing (Department of Finance Canada, 2024). Further, prices have yet to stabilize as the costs of some vital needs continue to increase significantly. The cost of food increased by 8.9% on an annual average basis in 2022 (Statistics Canada, 2024a). Similarly, costs rose by 6.9% for shelter, 10.6% for transportation, and 4.1% for health and personal care in the same year.”
While poverty has decreased since 2015, the poverty rate increased for a second consecutive year in 2022. The 2022 poverty rate was up 2.5 percentage points from 2021 and 3.5 percentage points from 2020. This represents 1.4 million more people living in poverty in Canada in 2022 compared to 2020. If this trend continues, the Government will not only fail to meet its 2030 target of a 50% decrease in poverty compared to 2015, but may also fall back below its 2020 target of a 20% decrease.
High rates of poverty among groups made most marginal reflect persistent inequality throughout the country. In particular, racialized persons were more likely to live below the poverty line in 2022 (13.0%) than non-racialized persons (8.7%).”
Canadian charities bring practical support to poverty awareness
For some “How can I help?” direction from Inn From the Cold (a Calgary, Alberta shelter program), pop over to their Face Book feed. They offer some simple, practical ideas.
CityKidz offers this helpful graphic in expanding poverty awareness:
We can all be part of a more equitable future for Canadians
Happily, there are things we can do about this! If you haven’t already, do search out the helping organizations serving right in your area. These charities are resources not only for aid, but for those who wish to lend a hand. Find out where they need volunteers! Create, serve, educate yourself about what’s happening right in your own community. If you can, give! Many charities have a wish list. Maybe you have some clothing or household items that will be just the thing.
Give funds. Every Canadian charity that we are in contact with is need of monies to keep their programs operating. Perhaps you have enough to share?
And, of course, there’s vehicle donation. If you have an unused or unwanted car, van, truck, SUV, or motorcycle — donate it! The process is simple, quick, friendly, and free. Simple fill in an online donation form. Then, wait for your towing agent to call. We will send emails from time-to-time to keep you in the loop about how things are progressing. Lastly, you will receive a tax receipt for the net proceeds from the re-sale, or recycling, of your donated vehicle.
Together, we can work toward a Canada where all of our neighbours have the security of shelter, food, water, education, and safety. We can’t wait to work alongside you and your charity of choice!
