October 4, 2011
by Challenge
0 comments
POVERTY FREE SASKATCHEWAN QUESTIONNAIRE:
This is your invitation to get involved in creating an action plan to eliminate poverty in Saskatchewan. We want to hear from everyone concerned with the issue of poverty in our province and taking the time to answer the following questions can help us develop a “Made in Saskatchewan” action plan. Continue Reading →
October 3, 2011
by Sheri Benson
2 Comments
I think the universal response from those of us in the “challenge” has been the understanding that we didn’t really experience, not did we believe we would, living in poverty.
Several recent posts have broaden the dialogue to ask why our voices as “challengers” were more readily heard by the larger community than those with the actual experience. Continue Reading →
October 2, 2011
by Curtis Anderson
0 comments
It’s late Saturday night and thanks to some extra weekend work forcing me to have an early supper- guess what? Im starving! So instead of eating as soon as I got home, it reminded me I’ve been neglecting these followup questions for too many days now. (especially since posting them on the blogs was my idea) Continue Reading →
October 1, 2011
by Amy Jo Ehman
0 comments
Question: In what way will this experience change your attitude about poverty? This question makes me uncomfortable. To be completely honest, eating from a food bank hamper for one week gave me little insight into the true lives of people who live in poverty. Sure, I was eating old bread and cheap garlic sausage, but I still drove my car, earned a decent living, spent $40 on a haircut and slept at night in a beautiful home that I own. Not for one minute did I feel what it’s like to be poor. Continue Reading →
September 30, 2011
by Challenge
4 Comments
Here are three questions from the Challenge Community Forum that address our perceptions of our city’s marginalized.
In what way will this experience change your attitude about poverty?
What things do you no longer assume about people living / struggling with poverty?
Was it difficult to understand that people on low income benefits have to use the Food Bank / Salvation Army / The Bridge until you experienced it for yourselves?
September 28, 2011
by Sheri Benson
0 comments
The simple answer to the series of questions regarding what would the challenge have been like if we had to cope with being a parent, transportation issues, health conditions, WEATHER, etc…the simplest answer is I could not have survived.
During the “week” (remember I was one that bailed), I keep thinking what if I had to travel to a grocery store or to the Food Bank, what if I had to some how figure out how to work all day AND try to get to the Food Bank…what if I needed to use my $5 on a pharmacy dispensing fee for medicine for a sick child or an elderly parent…what if just wanted to escape feeling hopeless, what would I have spent my $5 on… Continue Reading →
September 25, 2011
by Shelley Ballard
1 Comment
My apologies for taking so long to answer some of the questions left over from the forum. As a result of my tardiness, this blog post gets longer with every question added!
What I Can Do on a Personal Level . . . Continue Reading →
September 23, 2011
by Challenge
0 comments
Many people suggested extenuating circumstances that may have made the participants’ experiences even more challenging. In fact, many of the participants noted that only their diet had changed, while most other comforts were unaltered.
How would your experience change if you had been looking for employment this past week?
How do you think your experience would have been different if you had a disability like diabetes or food allergies? Why?
What would this have been like if you had done it at the end of January? What would it have been like if you had been using a walker? Or had one or two small children?
September 23, 2011
by Challenge
0 comments
Most of the participants addressed aspects of the following questions over the week. However, three of the audience members specifically asked about the psychological aspects of the food basket diet.
How did this experience affect your mental health?
How has this amount of food affected you emotionally? Has it affected your family life?
I was just wondering aside from physical aspects, what were, if any, some of the mental aspects you went through in trying to complete this challenge?
September 23, 2011
by Sheri Benson
1 Comment
I recently finished a great booked called, Do the Right Thing (can’t remember the author’s name, no age jokes please).
And here’s what I learned…
When trying to dispel myths about a particular issue, we often state the myth, and then offer an explanation about why that statement is a myth and not true i.e. People who live in poverty don’t work (which isn’t true as we all know).
What the research states is that people remember the myth statement as true! (you will need to read the book to get all the technical stuff).
The book is chalk full of useful information for communicators (written by a public relations guru) on social issues. Worth a read!