Here's how you can get involved:
Make Poverty Public. BC has the highest poverty rate in Canada, but is now the only province without a poverty reduction plan. Now is the time to let representatives from all parties know that you want your representative to make a commitment to a poverty reduction plan — a detailed and accountable strategy with concrete and legislated targets and timelines to dramatically reduce poverty, inequality and homelessness. Just as we pool our resources to provide public health care and education to all, we must work together to provide public poverty reduction. We need to Make Poverty Public.
Raise the Rates, Leave Our Bus Pass Alone. Join the ongoing campaign for the rights of people with disabilities in British Columbia. Read the latest report released by the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods: Sharing Our Realities: Life on Disability Assistance in British Columbia.
Email the Premier and ask her to support the Poverty Reduction Act! BC has had one of the highest poverty rates in Canada, and late in 2014 we have become the only province left without a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.
It's time BC's leaders take bold steps towards a comprehensive plan with designated targets and timelines, which can help us ensure that we make this province a great place to live for everyone. Once you've sent your email to the Premier, please ask your friends and family to do the same!
Poverty Myth Busters. Whether you’re at a party, having dinner with your parents, or listening the news, whenever there’s a discussion about poverty, you will no doubt hear things like “the situation in BC isn’t that bad”, how “the poor are lazy” and they “just need to get a job”. But these are myths that put the blame on the less fortunate for their situation. This is why the Poverty Free Action Team has launched this campaign. It’s time to bust these poverty myths and get to the root of the problem!
Join the Action Team. The Poverty Free Action Team (PFAT) offers a chance to hear presentations from members of the Poverty Reduction Coalition, engage in discussions and workshops about how to take action, and access resources so YOU can help make change happen!
Poverty is a LGBTQ issue. Queer and trans people face a high level of poverty and marginalization, yet these communities have previously not been included in initiatives trying to address poverty. So we created a video (with an accompanying fact sheet) as a start of addressing and making the issue visible. Check it out and help us use it to educate and advocate with these communities.
The cost of poverty. Watch this quick video that explains the cost of poverty in BC, and what we can do to build more fair communities in our province.
At your school. BC is one of the most generous provinces in Canada in terms of how much we give to charity. Yet, we've had one of the highest poverty rates for the last 15 years! It is clearly time for a different approach. That's why we invite you to take part in a “charity intervention” to help shift people's thinking to include justice. You can use our Share the Weight: An upstream alternative (or supplement) to your Food Bank Drive lesson plan to engage with classmates, students, or co-workers in a letter-writing campaign that is fun and has weight to it.
Support the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and our member groups in tackling the root causes of poverty and changing people's lives. With your help, we can end poverty in BC. Your contribution will be used to fund the activities of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, Raise the Rates, the Single Mothers' Alliance, and Canada Without Poverty. Learn more at www.givingchange.ca.
We have over 50 Coalition Members and almost 400 supporting organizations. Check out some of the latest campaigns from our coalition members.
Thought of something else? Great! You can use our Action toolkit to help you with materials, videos, ideas, and links that will no doubt make your action more powerful.
