Peter Clutterbuck of SPNO sharing his thoughts on steps the province can take to alleviate poverty.

Community members help decide the key poverty issues to be explored during upcoming provincial election

Over 60 people attended the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination’s community forum to discuss poverty-related policy issues in Ontario.  The forum was to help set local priorities for poverty alleviation as in anticipation of the fall provincial election.

Three speakers from across Ontario provided context for lively discussion that followed. 

Peter Clutterbuck of the Social Planning Network of Ontario and Brice Balmer of the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition presented on the role the provincial government in eliminating poverty.

Mark Woodnutt of The Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto shared with the audience the Do the Math Challenge.  The Challenge is an online tool to help people understand the difficulties of living with low income.

Following the presentations, participants used an electronic voting system (a la “Who wants to be a millionaire?”) to help the Poverty Task Force focus its efforts to make poverty an election issue come fall.  Audience members narrowed down a list of policy options for the Poverty Task Force to address.

The meeting afforded the Poverty Task Force an opportunity to release their 2011 Report to the Community.  In 2010, member groups of the Poverty Task Force undertook a number of initiatives to reduce poverty, including developing community gardens, collecting athletic shoes so that kids can participate in sports, and hosting poverty briefings for municipal election candidates in the city and county.

 “I’m so proud of what the Poverty Task Force has been able to achieve over the past year,” said June Holfand, co-chair of the task force and City of Guelph councilor.  “Working with the many members of the Poverty Task Force, we’re tackling the immediate needs of local residents facing economic hardship.  At events like today’s, we are also advocating for long-term change that will see poverty eliminated in our community.”

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