"BC's Hardest Working" - We need your voice!

The BCCPD is a member of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition. In collaboration with BC ACORN, the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition has coordinated the “BC’s Hardest Working” initiative to show what the gap between rich and poor actually looks like.

“BC’s Hardest Working”

(Project coordinated by BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and BC ACORN)

If you are living on no or low income, we invite you to come forward and tell your story as part of the “BC’s Hardest Working” project. This list will be published online through our website at bcpovertyreduction.ca at the same time as the “14th Annual Rich 100” to emphasize the fact that BC has the highest inequality rate in Canada.

Your participation is significant because together all these stories will provide a rich account of inequality in BC and what’s really happening to people and their families. They will make a compelling argument about the personal and social costs of inequality, and convince people of the need for the government to do something about it. And that will make a difference, not only to you, but to so many people around the province.

So, we would like to talk to you individually or in a group and use that conversation to tell your story online. If you’re comfortable, it would be great to have a photograph of you or of something that you feel represents your story. We will support you in telling your story through digital media, and help connect your story to the bigger picture of what’s happening in this province through the government’s lack of action.

We want to provide a representation of both the depth and breadth of poverty in BC so we would like to feature those on welfare, the “working poor” and those with no income at all. We would also like a diverse selection of people from around the province including people with disabilities, Aboriginal and First Nations people, single mothers, poor seniors, and recent immigrants and refugees.

Please email Trish at trish@bcpovertyreduction.ca for more information or to get involved.

This project is being coordinated by the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition in collaboration with BC ACORN as part of our campaign to raise public awareness about poverty in BC and convince the government to commit to a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition includes community and non-profit groups, neighbourhood houses, faith groups, health organizations, and First Nations and Aboriginal groups. For more information, go to bcpovertyreduction.ca.

"The Welfarization of Poverty"

On Mar. 22, 2012, John Stapleton spoke at a workshop entitled “People with disabilities living in poverty: why are the numbers going up?” In his address, “The Welfarization of Poverty,” John examines the often confusing patchwork of programs that make up the social safety net in Canada for people with disabilities.

The workshop was sponsored by:
– The Allan Simpson Memorial Fund
– The Manitoba League of Persons with a Disability
– The Council of Canadians with Disabilities
– The Disabilities Issues office, Government of Manitoba
– The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

View a video of the presentation at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-rcT7c4d_M&feature=em-share_video_user

TaxiSavers: COSCO & BCCPD Applaud TransLink & the Community

The Council of Senior Citizens Organizations (COSCO) and the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) applauds the TransLink Board for reversing its plan to eliminate the TaxiSaver Program. We would also like to congratulate the organizations and individuals who worked hard to show TransLink why Taxisavers are so important to the dignity and independence of seniors and people with disabilities.
  
By truly listening to the voices of people who use TaxiSavers and acting on what it heard the Board has demonstrated that it values community consultation. We are encouraged that going forward TransLink will continue to engage in true community consultation when it develops plans that impact people with disabilities and seniors.