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It's about dignity
 by Bruce Voogd, ISARC Coordinator
[article
in ISARC e-newsletter, May 2010]
“We can be poor, but why do we have to be miserable poor”.
This was the lament of one single mother, at the point of tears. She was relaying her struggles of trying to survive on not enough monthly resources, despite her best efforts.
I have had the privilege of hearing many such voices while attending a number of the Social Audits that have taken place around Ontario this Spring. Each has been unique but common themes have emerged from the stories that were told.
And what has stood out has been the strength of individuals, who live under the stresses of poor housing, inaccessible or unaffordable daycare, health concerns due to poor diet, or an assistance system that assumes all clients want to abuse the system. People living in poverty face stresses many of us do not – like not having enough monthly income to pay for rent, food, and utilities, let alone other things we take for granted. It is nearly impossible to live with dignity under these circumstances.
“It would be nice to have a bit of money to once and awhile afford a night out”. “I work six days a week, eat once a day, haven’t been on holidays in 15 years”. “I make about $12,000 a year, that’s 46% below the poverty line”. “ODSP is just OW with a brighter ribbon”.
“I always put myself last; kids first”. “Living in lack is not nice". “Telling your kids they can’t have things is hard”.
“I live in a dump”. “Hydro is often as high as the rent”. “The housing we have does not accommodate well my husband, who is in a wheel chair. If he is in a wheel chair permanently, I might have to move out of the bedroom”.
“Because my wages are clawed back, why should I work? This makes you dependent on the system. I want to contribute and give back”.
“I feel like I am living in a third-world country”.
“People know you are buying the cheapest things”. “I feel bad I can’t provide fully for my kids”.
“Applying for welfare was the most demeaning thing I ever went through – becoming a stripper would have been more dignified”. “I cried every single time I went in for welfare”.
“Some workers talk to us like we are mentally challenged, and get rude and abusive when we challenge them”. “'A one size fits all’ approach doesn’t allow for specific solutions that are tailored to specific needs. There are 60 different problems that need 60 different solutions”. “Workers need to be trained to be more sensitive and encouraging. A ‘how can we help you be successful’ approach by workers and the system is needed. We are not lazy”.
“If it wasn’t for food banks, support groups, and other services offered by religious and community organizations many of us could not survive”. “Governments are downloading too much to the faith communities and the numbers are way up for people accessing these services".
“I’ve lost my confidence. We want to be self-motivated to improve ourselves, so we can provide for ourselves and our kids”. “Escaping poverty as a lifestyle you cannot change, it sucks! We all have to get out of this mindset”.
“Our humanity is diminished, we have to beg, and our dignity is taken away”. “I budget my money well, but I can hardly survive”. “There is a powerlessness that comes with poverty”. “It is very stressful living in poverty”.
The people who live in poverty and spoke at the Social Audits did not choose this as their lot in life. The people we heard from were resourceful, intelligent, full of good ideas, and, despite the hardship of their living situations, eager to get to a point where they could be off the system (or at least partially off) to be more fully part of society.
Despite their best efforts, people living in poverty are struggling to maintain their dignity against very difficult circumstances. They are just surviving, not able to enjoy simple pleasures like eating out or going to a movie. Things that many others take for granted. They can barely make ends meet during the best of times. They spoke of not knowing what they would do if an illness or emergency happened in their lives.
The people who told us their stories want to be released from poverty and its stigma. For this to happen, assistance rates need to increase, more affordable housing needs to exist, daycare has to be accessible, and transportation has to be more available.
But there just isn’t enough resources and support to help them do this. Community organizations and religious communities offering social and support services are tapped out. Municipal governments do not have resources to do more than they do now. It is clear, that both the provincial and federal governments have to step up and fill this void.
And if they do, then dignity for all is attainable.
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