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March 1, 2002
Stop-gap anti-poverty plan
In the wake of budget cuts, the community takes action.
PAT JOHNSON REPORTER
Members of the Jewish community's Poverty Coalition met Feb. 18,
hours after the provincial budget was brought down, and discussed
methods for advocating for the poor.
The meeting was scheduled before the date of the budget was set
and the contents of Finance Minister Gary Collins' speech dominated
the evening.
About two dozen participants considered the challenges laid out
by the extensive cuts to social services and other government departments,
but concluded that the government is not going to relent and so
ameliorative action at the community level is the most logical course
of action.
Rabbi Philip Bregman said the Jewish community - and others - will
have to pick up the slack as the government withdraws from services
and he suggested a slogan for this year's annual Combined Jewish
Appeal campaign: "We are the safety net."
Before effective action can be taken, the group agreed, there must
be an information-gathering process so the community can know where
its resources are most needed. Beyond that, a series of strategies
was adopted at the meeting, which was chaired by Zena Simces, past
chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, and head of the
Poverty Coalition's advocacy working group.
Letters will be sent to all presidents and executive directors of
organizations to determine the extent of the impact and what affected
people need in terms of services.
Participants at the meeting, who represented at least 12 Jewish
communal agencies and synagogues, will take the issues back to their
groups to be put on the agenda at future meetings of the various
communal agencies.
The group will also present a statement to the government. Although
there was little optimism in the room that such lobbying would see
a reversal of the cuts, it was deemed important that government
representatives know that opposition exists. One person who had
called a government minister's office on budget day told the meeting
she had been told the phone lines were quiet. Participants were
urged to call their MLAs to express dismay over aspects of the cuts.
Particular areas of concern expressed by participants were services
to the developmentally disabled, who make up five to eight per cent
of the Jewish and general populations. Another area is intervention
services by the Ministry of Children and Families.
"There's going to be more dead kids," stated participant
Shanie Levin.
The meeting concluded that one of the most straightforward acts
that communal agencies can do is educate the people who answer phones
for the agencies where to direct people who call seeking assistance.
The recommendation came after one participant in the meeting recounted
how she had arrived in Vancouver several months ago, called every
synagogue and community agency she could looking for accommodation
while she stayed at the YWCA and received no replies.
Lani Levine, chair of the Poverty Coalition, said making sure front-line
people have good information is basic and necessary. Although the
Jewish Family Service Agency may be the most logical place for people
with personal emergencies, some people who are unfamiliar with community
structures may simply open the phone book to "J" and hope
for the best.
In the meantime, the group discussed stop-gap measures the community
can take to deal with the needs of its members. One participant,
a physiotherapist, said she was prepared to offer her services for
free to people who were no longer eligible under Medicare. Seeking
like-minded dentists and other professionals was discussed and will
be considered further.
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