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Victoria - Regina competition aims to aid local food banks


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#61 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 09:26 AM

Although I donate cash each year to the Mustard Seed, I understand the concept of Food Banks was supposed to be a short term solution to the recession of the early 1980s.

The Socreds, NDP and Liberals didn't properly address the issues of poverty since then, hence the continuing reliance on food banks.

We shouldn't be grouping food banks in with other fund-raising schemes - food is a basic necessity for survival.

I appreciate and respect that there are many intelligent people on this forum.

I think with the collective wisdom of this group, practical solutions to dealing with poverty (and the resulting hunger) could be debated.

How about a goal of eliminating the need for food banks within 10 years?

Thanks,

Dave


If you ELIMINATED the food bank today, I think you wouldn't find too many people dying of hunger.

You are right, it was a temporary measure. But now people rely on it. In the past the severly disadvantaged relied on church groups and other charities to get by. Now many able-bodied people use the bank weekly, because it's easy. I could go there today, or whenever a single guy is allowed to pick up. All I would need to put aside is my pride, and I'd be handed a bag of groceries with no questions asked.

#62 Holden West

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 09:34 AM

I think that's why there will always be food banks. There will always be people that need food but aren't yet in or have fallen out of the bureaucratic cog wheel that is welfare.
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#63 SeaG

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 10:22 AM

If you ELIMINATED the food bank today, I think you wouldn't find too many people dying of hunger.

You are right, it was a temporary measure. But now people rely on it. In the past the severly disadvantaged relied on church groups and other charities to get by. Now many able-bodied people use the bank weekly, because it's easy. I could go there today, or whenever a single guy is allowed to pick up. All I would need to put aside is my pride, and I'd be handed a bag of groceries with no questions asked.


I'm not sure what you are suggesting as a solution to poverty and hunger... do you mean close the food banks now because most people that use them aren't really poor?

Or close the food banks and let the churches fill in the gap as they did before food banks? No, you can't mean that, most food banks are currently run by churches.

Maybe some people abuse the system, but that isn't an excuse to abandon the many who do need help.

#64 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 10:26 AM

I'm not sure what you are suggesting as a solution to poverty and hunger... do you mean close the food banks now because most people that use them aren't really poor?

Or close the food banks and let the churches fill in the gap as they did before food banks? No, you can't mean that, most food banks are currently run by churches.

Maybe some people abuse the system, but that isn't an excuse to abandon the many who do need help.


I'm just saying that the NEED isn't as great as you might think. Take that family that is living in the Travellers Inn in another thread. The male can and is willing to go out and work. But with handouts, he doesn't need to, at least not yet. Eliminate hardship for the able-bodied, and you create dependancy in many cases.

#65 martini

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 10:34 AM

If you ELIMINATED the food bank today, I think you wouldn't find too many people dying of hunger.

You are right, it was a temporary measure. But now people rely on it. In the past the severly disadvantaged relied on church groups and other charities to get by. Now many able-bodied people use the bank weekly, because it's easy. I could go there today, or whenever a single guy is allowed to pick up. All I would need to put aside is my pride, and I'd be handed a bag of groceries with no questions asked.

VHF, do you know who uses the food bank and how many?
The majority are children.
B.C. has the highest child poverty rate in the country.
Approx. 30% of our school age children live below the poverty line. I'm sure it's higher as I was quoted that stat a couple of years ago.

I agree that food banks were never intended to be relied on, but many families(single parents) have no choice.

I see you have proved me right in the fact that TI article has done a disservice.

#66 martini

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 10:41 AM

Here's the stats:
http://www.mustardseed.ca/index.html
We are currently assisting 7,200 people each month of which 1,650 are children under twelve. A year ago the total number hovered just around 5,000. The increase is devastating for everyone involved.

I stand corrected for using the term 'majority', but parents don't stop feeding kids at 12.

I wonder how many seniors are reliant.

#67 Caramia

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 10:46 AM

When I was young I had a serious neck injury that crippled me, rendering me unable to do simple tasks like get down stairs by myself, or pick up a pot full of water. Working was out of the question and I was in high school and underage, so welfare wasn't available, even if I hadn't been too proud to take it. I remember going to the Mustard Seed and getting a full bag of groceries, and being so damn grateful that I wept. The kindness of the staff and volunteers has remained with me to this day. Food security is a funny thing, it seems almost ridiculous when you have plenty, but when you don't have food and someone gives you some, it is the biggest, best, and most important gift ever.
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
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#68 Bob Fugger

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 11:03 AM

When I was young I had a serious neck injury that crippled me, rendering me unable to do simple tasks like get down stairs by myself, or pick up a pot full of water. Working was out of the question and I was in high school and underage, so welfare wasn't available, even if I hadn't been too proud to take it. I remember going to the Mustard Seed and getting a full bag of groceries, and being so damn grateful that I wept. The kindness of the staff and volunteers has remained with me to this day. Food security is a funny thing, it seems almost ridiculous when you have plenty, but when you don't have food and someone gives you some, it is the biggest, best, and most important gift ever.


Cara, I don't really know you or where you came from, and therefore this is by no means a judgement. If I am out of line for asking, then don't answer: being underage and in high school, was living at your parents' home out of the question? It sounds like you were living independently at the time of your injury.

#69 martini

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 11:58 AM

I'm just saying that the NEED isn't as great as you might think. Take that family that is living in the Travellers Inn in another thread. The male can and is willing to go out and work. But with handouts, he doesn't need to, at least not yet. Eliminate hardship for the able-bodied, and you create dependancy in many cases.

I think I'm getting your point, but I guess there no way of weeding out the 'want' clients from the 'need' ones.
I don't doubt there's a percentage of recipients who really could manage if they got off their duff.
I guess my biggest concern is the truly needy who are unseen and unknown to the general public.
I think people have an image of who uses the food banks. That's what bothered me about the article. Are people going to be understanding and sympathetic?
Would the article have had more impact if it were about one or more mothers who fled an abusive relationship and are in transition?

#70 Caramia

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 08:35 PM

Cara, I don't really know you or where you came from, and therefore this is by no means a judgement. If I am out of line for asking, then don't answer: being underage and in high school, was living at your parents' home out of the question? It sounds like you were living independently at the time of your injury.


It was Bob, without getting into too much detail, although my parents are wonderful people and gave me a great childhood, during my teens there were problems in the extended family that they weren't prepared to deal with at that time. Also, I don't think I was the most credible kid, and it was my word against an adult's. Sadly, for me, the streets were a better, safer environment than home. To complicate my situation, in my early teens I fractured my neck, so I was basically crippled until I was in my mid 20s. Because of that and my general immaturity, I wasn't able to hold down a job that supported me until after I graduated high school. So I finished my education often living nowhere and everywhere. That explains some of my sense of entitlement about downtown. Sometimes I think it is my living room.

Weird piece of randomness: I graduated high school in part thanks to the generosity of A.S.K. - The Association for Street Kids (Now the Youth Empowerment Society which is why I am so shameless about promoting their fundraisers - hope to see you at Souper Bowls of Hope tomorrow!) A youth councilor at ASK heard that I was failing science due to the lack of a scientific calculator, and bought me one! (They were expensive back in the 80s) The councilor's name? Dean Fortin.
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#71 Holden West

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 10:36 AM

The CBC and Regina media have picked up on this non-story and sadly are ignorant of the key aspect that Dean will send the cash to hire a kid to do the shoveling.

http://www.newstalk9.../20091022/24227

http://www.cbc.ca/ca...mayors-bet.html
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#72 Mike K.

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 11:48 AM

Neither CFAX, Times Colonist, CBC or Newstalk980 revealed the source of the information and where the debate began.

This issue was raised by the public on VV, yet the public's comments are not a part of the traditional media's reports. That's a shame.

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#73 G-Man

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Posted 22 January 2010 - 09:46 AM

Did the Mayor go to the Conference in Regina? And did he shovel any snow?

 



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