Poverty Awareness in York Region

Lack of politicians present prompted this man to speak out

Robin Wardlaw losing candidate for Aurora Newmarket provincial election

Tom Pearson of PACC generates story in media  TV and newsprint of homelessness resulting in unprecedented response.

Oct 17 2011 Fairy Lake Park..she got some hot soup, free entertainment and company!

Hip Hop Group Krhyme Syndicate

Oct 17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is a day you would think the "do-gooders" and agencies representing clients with low income issues etc would want to be a part of?! This inspirational day was started in 1987 in France, in front of 100,000 people from all continents and all social and economical backgrounds who had gathered at the United Nations Troscadero building to give a voice to those without one so often. Oct 17 was recognized by the United Nations in 1992 and has been adopted around the world as THE day to set aside to give serious thought to our strategies on reducing and eliminating poverty around the world and offering a voice to it. It's a shame York Region is not pulling her weight.

For the past 5 years PACC has had to organize an event to ensure it's continued marking of this important day but with few local agencies in attendance this year, and even fewer information booths, one has to wonder. The one "ally" if you will which seemed to really recognize it's important significance, The York Region Alliance to End Homelessness, is now defunct leaving the York Region Food Network, with its loose affiliation to low income issues through food as PACC's only "partner" in actually making changes for the better of the people in income crisis.

Perhaps it's not important to some organizations (or churches) to participate but it is certainly to your "clients", so we suggest you help them out and earn the grant money you're likely receiving by putting in a few hours at the internationally marked event next year when it's moved to more accommodating location at the north side of Fairy Lake in the newly dubbed "Riverwalk Commons". They are people to us, not clients or cases....and perhaps the Mayor will make it out next year...nice to see Deputy Mayor John Taylor again who showed and spoke without being prepped and attending on his own merit it seemed to me, but where were the rest of the politicians as one observer asked me. It actually inspired him to speak on our microphone which he hadn't planned, wondering aloud about the absence of the mayor among others and politicians in general.

Composer Singer Fred Joly

Youthful Signage..See video regarding kids needing buses to school and how the transit strike affect these kids.http://youtu.be/7FlNrLIInlk

Fred plays from heart and sings from experience

New ideas emerged that day..and new groups sprouting..

Of course I had not been given a reason (for the mayors absence) and so I couldn't say why, but as I understand it he himself may have been hosting something the same day - on Oct 17 - which since he had it declared a day with official recognition a few years back at our behest - would indicate that the date never really resonated. Too bad.Making it to the grand opening party for the town's new (still unfinished) River walk Commons in the pouring rain was no problem but I guess to give support (with a friendly hello) for those in need was not important enough this year...Oh well, maybe he can make up for it by fighting for the route YR transit route 53 run at 6:20AM past Mulock Village which they quietly cancelled over the summer be reinstated after the strike is over (why no essential service declaration?) so those folks can get to work on time instead of being replaced, and perhaps have buses that run past 7:30PM, the current time it last goes by Main St from the new "River walk Commons". MP Lois Brown's office had informed me she couldn't attend because she was to be in Ottawa, while Frank Klees' office gave no reason for why he wouldn't be showing up. Turns out he was busy flip-flopping... No other politicians responded except failed NDP candidate Robin Wardlaw who did show up briefly. Area Newmarket councilor Joe Sponga, although not present, did assist with some aspects behind the scenes so we'll cut him some slack this time!

In the end we were crunched for time in terms of marketing along with that $budget issues which we resolved as we went which made for a tough balancing act...special thanks to PACC's Kristine Carbis who took charge of the fresh hot soup and food prep, to Deli House catering for the serving utensils and as well  to the St John's Church (and Jean Lashley) for letting us use their church kitchen as 510 Penrose added a $ charge this year for its use which wasn't there last year...well sorry, the "hub" will have to make money on someone else when the Inn isn't even open yet.. who could it have hurt? Ridiculous. Hey!! I know!! Offer 1/2 hour showers! $2 a pop!
  
Oct 17 is not PACC's event or RESPONSIBILITY..it's everyone's and those who try to do nothing will get called to the carpet right here..that I can assure you..by the way not one shelter was represented at this year's Oct 17 event as no-one responded to our calls for a booth or information to display. I guess PACC didn't generate enough media attention for them via the story of the men living in the forest which PACC orchestrated and which the writer Chris Traber told me they had an unprecedented reaction to. So we know it generated extra revenue for them.

So everyone start figuring out how you're going to get along in the next year and work collaboratively with others because those who don't will eventually find themselves on the outside looking in.

Here's a pictovideo from Oct 17 -
http://youtu.be/k_AkwRZGT24