Left to right: Robert MacKay, Aurea Cormier, Johanne Petitpas. (Photo: Allan Dearing)
An anti-poverty organization wants to break down the myths and prejudices surrounding people who live in poverty.
The Common Front for Social Justice has launched a campaign to combat common terms often used for the poor such as “they are lazy” and “they don’t want to work”.
A number of individuals are telling their stories including Robert MacKay, who is on social assistance, and says he grew up with alcoholic parents.
“I was living in a prison, not of my own making. It took me years to get over my fears of being in a crowd… that made it so difficult to put in whole days in the workforce that most normal people can handle easily.”
MacKay says no one chooses to be on social assistance and it is not a disgrace to ask for help if you need it.
Aurea Cormier, with the Common Front for Social Justice, believes it would make a big difference if the province increased how much someone can earn (up to at least $650 from the current $500) while on social assistance before getting clawed back.
“They would be able to afford maybe more than a room… a small apartment. They would be able to go to the grocery store instead of being forced to go to the food bank and the soup kitchen,” Cormier says.
The awareness campaign runs for eight weeks on radio and social media.
