Submitted To Niagara At Large by Gracia Janes, St. Catharines & District Council of Women.
Join us on Thursday September 12th at 8 p.m. at the St. Catharines Centennial Library, 54 Church Street, in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario for a free public forum on the problem of child poverty in Niagara, Ontario.
A portrait of child poverty somewhere in a Canada that can well afford to address this terrible problem
Child Poverty ! Why are so many children living in poverty? What are the consequences? How does it feel to be a child living in poverty? What are the benefits of eliminating child poverty? Why not ACT NOW.
These are some of the very difficult and pressing questions that will be tackled by lead speaker Anita Khanna,of the child -poverty elimination group Campaign 2000, and response panelists Mary Beth Anger, a Welland community activist, Chonie Anger, teen speaker for the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, and Marc Todd of Niagara Community Services .
The bottom line for all our speakers is that too many children are going hungry and their parents are struggling to properly feed, clothe and shelter them, much less to give them a decent quality of life and a healthy future.
As Chonie Anger told the audience the launching of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network this past Spring, “ How very difficult it was for my mom when my (Chonie’s) feet grew from size 5 in July to size 11 by December. This meant new shoes at home, at school and new boots twice also. My mom and my other family members were in a panic trying to keep up! These are the regular problems a low income family have and have a difficult time keeping up when there is no room for this cost in a tight monthly budget.”
The forum, which is sponsored by the 19 Affiliated Groups and 25 Individual members of the St. Catharines and District Council of Women, presents an opportunity for the community to come together to help move the discussion around child ( and hence family ) poverty elimination forward, and help all our children thrive equally.
Gracia Janes is a long-time advocate for social justice issues in Niagara, Ontario and a member of the St. Catharines & District Council of Women.
(Niagara At Large invites all those out there who care or dare to share their real first and last name to share their views on this post in the space below.)
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