Description
A Walk in Other’s Shoes is returning to this year’s Week of Action Against Poverty. This challenge is being undertaken by individuals in the community who have interests within the health field. Participants have been asked to attempt to stay within a social assistance benefits’ budget. A single person on Ontario Works would receive $337 monthly for all of their personal needs and $384 for all of their shelter costs. Because participants cannot replicate the housing conditions realistically, shelter costs are not included within this challenge. For the five day challenge, participants will have $11 daily to cover all food and drink, entertainment, some personal supplies and transportation costs. Each day, every participant will be given a challenge card which will reveal an unexpected challenge to be completed before the end of the day.
A Walk in Other’s Shoes is not a competitive challenge. It is a challenge that raises awareness of the hurdles that people living on social assistance face daily. As we within our community develop our own understanding, we can begin to reduce the barriers that they encounter and ultimately increase opportunities for increased prosperity for all. The challenge takes place February 10th-14th, 2018.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Today by foot i took to my daily things. And we joined in on our last meal at knox church for an amazing chili and sald dinner.
We kept company with another one of my favorite patrons from fellowship. And comforted him in his admission to having addictions. Such a kind man shared of his sturggle with himself every day with drinking. He is in my thoughts and prayers
Being able to eat and visit with the people whom we work for; and be on thr end of recieving with them has not only brougt me closer in heart to their stories but closer to them as a sister and friend in the community. I dont just see them at work anymore; i see them everywhere and i can connect with them more now thats ive spent the time ..... knowing them further. Can also help me extend to them the support they may need to get the resources best suited to them. Connecting a man to a proper detox; learning of upcoming birthdays to share a token for ; and being able to put a hand on a back to connect to the root of the issues; this challenge has brought me closer to thenpeople i want to help.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
My challenge was actually that i needed to do laundry and i didnt have a washer my plan was to do a bathtub wash tonight of two or three articles of clothing..
But truth has it i brought my daughter home and although i was trying to avoid the lice plague at her school by applying tea tree to her locks ... she still managed to get it! I had to rush to the pharmasave and purchase a 23.00 lice shampoo kit and load every article of clothing into the wash cycles.... reducing my time and efforts for my challenge to not have a washer.....
The truth of the matter is.... this would be a horrible reality if i couldnt deal with it in this way. When i dealt with the * pretend bed bugs it seemed so much more simple by bagging my own items and throwing them outside and bleaching everything.
Here is a real life problem that needs tending to. And all bedding all clothes jackets hats and pillows need to be dealt with by washing not cold air in this case. rather than mybown things alone .... my whole family had to take part.
Whst If i didnt have the 23 to get the shampoo and what if i didnt have my own washer in our apartment!? Im really thinking right now and feeling slightly embarrassed that todays challenge was washing and my solution to do my own laundry in the bathtub literally would be an all night affair for all of us.
Thanks be to god.
I spent the day preparing with and taking part in the speeches at the fellowship today on poverty.
A woman with a very bad food i have seen hobbling around for days shows distress she has an appt at the hospital but has no method of transportation. This is a common issue with patrons; being able to arrive at appointments for serious issues.
I have on several occasions supplies rides to our fellowship for various reasons.
Even travel to a longer term detox centre in winnipeg.
With a small emergency like lice i dont even know half the battle of executing an attempt to deal with a health problem without transportation and or money . How can a person with a walker or severe disabilityor injury get to the appointments to get better without supports??
Today one of the speakers spoke about how he needed a support tohelp him and we were introduced to his support; he went onto to explaining that we are all brothers and sisters made equal by the creator that we need to start reaching out and helping others and even accepting help if thats our position.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Challenge i had to invite a friend and tell them i didnt have any refreshments. It was very uncomfertable considering I invited them over to have a visit. The reality is when you dont have anything to spare ; leaves little room to share. And this would be very hard for me as i want to have something to offer at all times. Instead of food i showed her some floor core exercises for her to try at home so the better part of our visit was spent doing something active.
At fellowship 130 lunch
Yvonne suprised us with muffins!!! The soup was packed with rice turkey corn potatoes ... and those muffins!! Bran and raisin .... and gt to sit with one of best buddies from the centre.... hearing stories about colten and the justice that needs to be served .
I volunteered some time to clean cups and
Walked warm in my belly to the rec centre
Today is the first day to engage in work while taking on this challenge, since where I work serves lunch I will be able to participate in the meal with them, as well as discover where the rest of the food is served throughout the week, along with taking part in having a meal here I can see what kind of nutrition is available for people facing the challenge everyday,
Its an extreme cold warning today -40
people with walkers, wheelchairs and major disabilities are making their way from the emergency shelter to the only place in town that they can seek shelter
I sat with some of the patrons for coffee this morning, they are required to leave the shelter by 8 am every morning, so everyone makes their way down to the fellowship Center where a movie, hot beverages and breakfast for them in the morning .Hot cereal is served in a huge pot and bowls of sugar and milk are on the side. coffee is free here and served all day.
A gentleman in a wheel chair is here, tea tree in hand, he expresses that tea tree is his favorite medicine to use, when dealings with sanitation, bug repellent, in the winter this man lives in the bush, but for now in the winter it is too cold.
another patron i decided to chat with; expresses that he wasn't always homeless that he had a really great place on the hill, but fell into acoma for 3 months....he woke up and no longer had a place to live and all his possessions were gone. for 2 years now he had to use emergency shelters because finding a place in Kenora is near impossible, this man also has a walker and a severe low back injury from the incident in which he still has no idea as to what happened.
its a wake up call, taking part in the poverty challenge is one thing, but learning how and why people are in the situation is another
Below are the kitchens within Kenora that serve, I will take part in at least one of these kitchens
Agape Table
Knox Church,116 - 5th Avenue South
Dates of Operation: Meal provided Sept - May 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Tuesday/Thursday/Friday
Contact: Agency
807-468-6923Helping Hands
Jubilee Church of God, 215 First Street South
Dates of Operation: Meal Provided 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Mon & Tues all year long
Contact: Cindy Peloquinhelpinghandskenora@gmail.com
Emergency Food Access
Salvation Army, 104 Matheson Street
Dates of Operation: Emergency food once a month, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Contact: Agency
807-468-8452
Emergency Food Access
Jubilee Church of God, 215 First Street South
Dates of Operation: Sunday Meal 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm all year long
Contact: Frank Kowal
807-468-5297 or 468-5008
jubileechurch@shaw.ca
Emergency Food Access
Jubilee Church of God, 215 First Street South
Dates of Operation: Saturday & Sunday Supper 5:00 pm Oct - March
Contact: Frank Kowal
807-468-5297 or 468-5008
jubileechurch@shaw.ca
Emergency Food Access
Fellowship Centre, 208 Water Street
Dates of Operation: Emergency food access with supervisors approval
Summer hours: Soup Kitchen May 22 - September 4 at 1:30 pm every day except Sundays
September 5 - Christmas: Monday, Wednesday and
Sunday, February 11, 2018
And spent 5.36 today on this beef.
Prepared meals of eggs and a fruit cups for the week and cooking up the beef for my dinners I have Used the boiled water from the eggs for half my sink of dishes . Tonight is bath night so i will save the water to wash my clothes from the weekend and clean up my finds from twice is nice for tomorrows gym on the pass from fellowship.
My mind is wrapped around being able to help others on this same income to be healthy; i have to keep into account my size. Im a slight woman and my caloric intake doesnt need to be as high as some people out there that struggle.
Looking forward to volunteering some time to get people moving at fellowship in the morning though. The only thing available that I have found for exercise is a class that runs on thursdays at ivers gym and program directors have to be ontop of the fact it is available and send their clients;
So i woke up super itchy last night and was told by a family member that i needed to chexk for bugs in my mattress and i saw one!!! I had read that bed bugs dont survive the cold so i have stripped all my linens bagged every article of clothing and towels and dragged my mattress outside ... i will leave it all outside and wipe down all surfaces when i return from church... thankfully there is no carpets in my place .
Today is a fasting day. I will not have my next meal until tomorrow 2 hours before goig to the gym on my volunteer earned rec pass from the fellowship.
I will take a walk later to find a meat source for the week with my 11 dollers.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
I walked down to no frills mid morning with 11 in hand ... i purchased eggs this morning to boil for the week and cucumbers full of electrolytes ... and a 6 pack fruit cup from doller store
There is meat upon request at the jubilee church. I will approuch them later today or tomorrow by foot.
I need to blog at wi fi spots Internet isnt high on my priority list ; the rec centre is close to me downtown here. And free.
Touch base later this evening . I have recieved 15 dollers for twice is nice today. I want to see if they have gym shoes. As i have heard that gym passes are given when you volunteer at the fellowship centre.