“Participants are asked to journal the personal and social drama that accompanies economic hardship, to tell the story of privilege firsthand and help shine a light of empathy on members of our community facing that situation every day.” Those were our instructions....
After dinner last night, hamburger patty and sweet potato with margarine, I started a blog entry with “I really hate margarine!” and that was definitely my rant at the moment. Today I decided that there may be a place in the world for margarine and that was in the cookies at lunch. Who would have thought that you could make shortbread-type cookies using margarine? They were so good and I looked so pathetic that I was given two to bring home with me. There were cut-up oranges and whole apples in a large bowl for patrons to take with them. A bell went off in my head to pick up a large bag of oranges and drop them off at Knox or at the Fellowship Centre where they try to keep fruit available all day. Got it? A bag of oranges a week to one place or the other?
I'm going to interrupt my own train of thought here to mention a man who was walking along 3rd St S when I was en route to Knox. He asked for directions to 4th Avenue so I said I'd walk with him until I needed to turn. He was obviously not a man of means ( “...by no means” so says Roger Miller) and we chatted as we walked up the middle of the road because the streets are so icy. Today was going to be a good day.
The question jumping out at me is, prior to this challenge would I have engaged this man in conversation, would I have discovered he was 'lost' and would I have chosen to walk with him instead of cutting up to 2nd St as I had planned?
The people at my table weren't very chatty so I didn't intrude past greeting but I did find a lady sitting out by the front door and sat down with her. I casually asked her about her day and what was she going to do with the rest of it. I didn't want this to sound like an 'interview.' She was very forthcoming and told me a lot about her day and her life. Then a really nice 40-something Aboriginal man got into the conversation and I realized that they were a couple. Loosely, apparently. She lives in town, gets $590 on OW and pays $500 for rent!! I asked how she can possibly live on that and how she can do anything but just live. (Isn't that what we're supposed to be determining this week?) She told me she eats at all the food services. What does she do with her day: walk around down town until it's time to go home and watch tv or sleep. She does have basic cable included with her rent. She goes to the FC for community and noted that they have movies there and some games but that “people are always taking the playing cards home and then there are none for those who want to play.” (Note to self: pick up several packages of cards next time I'm at Dollarama in the city.)
I asked the young man where he lived and he told me Grassy. That is why they're living apart and under the circumstances they're in. He doesn't pay rent; he has a house at Grassy but she won't live in it because there's no running water. Ever. It's not like his pipes froze in the cold weather. I asked how they do laundry. His mother's house at Grassy does have water and she does his laundry.This lady on the bench was vague about it but said that when she gets her GST cheques and tax returns, she does laundry. She was clean and well-presented so she must have to eke out laundry funds somewhere in the interim. They were both delightful to talk with.
Then a very interesting caucasian man joined us and shared his story which apparently is widely known so I'm not breaking any confidences. He is on ODSP so gets a little more than OW. However he literally lives in the bush, in a teepee. He's a trapper and when he's able that's what he does. He also uses the various food services. This is a man I could chat with over coffee; actually they all were.
Then off to Sally Ann and the rest of my afternoon was very enlightening. Major Karen and the day manager gave me a complete rundown of their services. There were cardboard Safeway boxes covering the floor of the office, with two plastic bags of groceries in each box. If I were to come in with picture I.D and proof of living within Kenora, I could take home one hamper per address per month. I lifted what would have been my 'allotment' and certainly wouldn't have been able to carry it home. So if I WERE to pick up free food, I'd have to take a taxi to get it home! Because of staffing, there is also a small window of time, three days a week when groceries may be picked up.
They have a good system in which larger boxes of cereal are broken down into plastic bags so the contents of one box will go into several hampers. Same with tea, coffee, rice and similar products. Each bag has balanced items with pasta, cereal, juices, tea and various other things. The basement pantry is amazing. People donate items, but the cases and cases of cans stacked neatly on the shelves have mostly been purchased by the managers with funds donated to the SA. There are a couple of regular volunteers who repackage everything in that bright basement and make up the bags and hampers. Note: They can use MORE volunteers in December when contributions are greater and the need is also greater.
They communicate with Frank and Lyn at Jubilee and their services don't seem to overlap.
One real Incident of Awareness for me today was that this is not an easy road for people on Ontario Works. Knowing that someone is on assistance I know I've heard the thought expressed, and may have been guilty of it myself at some point, that “they're in it for a free ride” and must be lazy. Believe me, from what I've seen this week NO ONE would choose to be on this welfare program. Thank God it's there and available, but it is not a lifestyle ANYone would choose.
Major Karen gave me a reference from a MB project titled “It Takes All Day to Be Poor.” I began to read it with the purpose of reporting on it here, but it's way too in-depth for that. I'll read it offline and just post the address here. I can already see that it's worth reading.
Haven't spent a cent today and I'm having a second bowl of pasta, ground beef, tomatoes, pasta sauce and onions. Every family seems to have their version of this dish and we called it gobbledegook. It tastes just as fine tonight as it did when my kids were small. I have enough for two or three more meals.
Okay,this one made me cry.
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