Poverty Awareness in York Region

The recent spike in heating costs has sparked a dominoes affect for those stricken with disabilties and in particular those who are extra reliant on heat and hydro.

Dan Philion, featured in a CBC piece produced by an award winning documentary Producer and Hosted by Amanda Margison Sat Jan 25 on the affects of the rising costs of heat, is a barometer to that effect. in fact Dan is like a barometer on wheels, as he can reel off to you the various upcoming weather reports in seconds. Weatherman Dan. Ha

Dan incognito in happier times

Stricken with Muscular Dystrophy, Dan is affected more than "normal" people in reaction to cold and needs to keep a warm atmosphere to lessen his everyday pain, being that he's unable to take pain meds due to also having a heart condition.

He relies on not only having heat for which he uses natural gas, at a higher temp than most, but also hydro, to keep his powered chair and various lifts working for which he relies to get in and out of bed and shower and up and down his basement stairs and even his door. In the recent winter ice storms I can tell you he was more than a little concerned and there seemed no emergency plan in place for if power was lost. He'd have had to fend for himself,
especially since his care service providers refuse to supply someone to put him into bed at night.

Dan troops on though, and hopes to guest DJ in between band sets at an upcoming event which if the dances take off could lead to an ongoing part time job opportunity for him - doing something he likes too.

YRT transit costs are the highest in country

Until then, his ever dwindling left over money after paying his bills, will have to suffice for a proud guy who once walked and worked hard and who didn't ask for this life. Awhile back they actually took over his gas bill payments because he was in arrears as the costs escalated. Now they take it right off the top before he sees anything and after paying his bills he's left with about $150 - all for food, transportation, meds not covered etc. He puts on a brave front but I know he feels more pain and anguish than he lets on, and his diminishing physical health adds a dimension of insecurity an independent guy who raised two kids, mostly as single dad - and from a wheel chair - maybe we could all learn a little from him.

Please watch the CBC piece and support more than a 1% raise for ODSP recipients. If he can work he will. he doesn't need being forced and it took the Region 7 years to provide him transportation at night to even do so - precious time lost to use his ever receding physical limitations.

I just got back from a stop in at Dan's - you might remember Dan Philion who is confined to a wheelchair by muscular dystrophy and whose simple request over Christmas to have someone put him to bed at night, as he cannot do it unassisted, has been ignored by the government appointed "caregivers" who claim they "don't have anyone available" to do this at night time. That confused me since most people go to bed at night, and if they are the community care access centre in charge of putting our disabled to bed, then you'd think they'd do that. Apparently not?

After personally assisting Mr Philion myself for the past month to bed, because his service providers apparently cannot and he has no immediate family able to,  I got fed up with the various excuses they've been feeding him. For one, if they don't have someone for that time I suggest they get someone, as obviously there is a need, and if it's happening to Dan - where people's dignity is being controlled by some company claiming they don't have the staff and "get what we give" you types of attitudes - then you can bet it's being done to others - and especially the most vulnerable who may not have anyone speaking up for them like Dan does.

YR's $4 transit rates highest in Canada

But I can tell you right now I will not let up on this issue - this I promise you! As I watch the way our seniors and vulnerable disabled are treated and expected to have a certain level of suspended rights and dignity because of their conditions is just wrong. PACC hosted both the Square Table on Poverty which included MPP Frank Klees and MP Belinda Stronach (although she usually sent a pair of stand ins) and Newmarket York Regional Councilor John Taylor among some including the now Mayor of East Gwillumbury, and as well hosted and prepared a social audit report outlining these issues which the region endorsed, but has since ignored. Questions of dignity and treatment of clients was a number one reported issue but little has changed to address it still. All I hear is fluff about how wonderful the same charities and care givers are doing, whilst people like Dan cry out to no one listening or face waiting lists too long to wait for. People need to go to bed every night.

He's spoken up before, as a participant in both the social audit, while in proces of having his child taken at birth based on his disability, and as well as part of that "Square Table on Poverty" so many years ago now it seems. His issue then was that he couldn't work because he deejayed and they had no transit service to get him there and back. That was 7 or 8 years ago - in 2014 they just finally began offering service to disabled after 10 pm after more PACC noise.

One idea that sprang from the Square Table was that they were also going to help start up a non-profit business that Dan was instrumental in seeing a need for, which was the trend toward people throwing out returnable bottles and a service that would pick them up. At the time, during the Square Table on Poverty which included someone from every level of government, MPP Frank Klees had a restauranteur that was interested to have the service he'd said and Stronach's person insisted they wanted to help make it so and would arrange a meeting there. Well it never happened that's all we know. I don't care who walked across what floor politically; all I know is nothing got done from ther on in so we folded the group. For years Dan asked me about that business that never was and the meeting that never happened. I guess a guy can dream. Meantime we complained about transit so he could DJ at least on occasion.

Virtually the same crew still runs the ships he's complained to, and PACC's efforts have been ignored or stifled, so he's been feeling helpless, even depressed. Imagine losing all control of things around you, and none would be so if not for your disability. You'd even have privacy for the most basic of needs like going to the bathroom.

HE STILL GET'S NO ASSISTANCE TO BED TODAY.  DEC - Jan 19 2014

THAT'S OKAY I'M KEEPING A TAB AND WILL BE BILLING THE COMPANY LATER FOR MY 'TEMP' SERVICES AND THEN DONATING THE MONEY TO DAN SO HE CAN MAYBE BUY SOME GROCERIES.

Dan relies on charity organizations just to get out his door. Well, guess what? They've shown up once all this desperate winter and he's now, in addition to that dilemma, had to deal with getting to bed, but today was a last straw for me - for this service provider company to now tell him they can't have anyone come and get him out of bed until 12:30 pm Sunday, when offering a to bed service time at 7pm, is outrageous and cruel. They don't give him a choice either, he is simply informed they don't have anyone today and that the end of it. Not today!

I referred Dan's dilemma once again to MPP Klees' office and as yet have heard nothing back. MP Lois Brown told Dan exactly what I told him she would whixch was that "it wasn't her department but she'd make some calls". Regional Councilotr John Taylor - the one with the most influence on the issue at hand and it's state - has thus far informed Dan about the new later service available for transit now and will get back to him regarding the CCAC / Caregivers issue and getting to bed. I hope he figures it out soon because I'm sure Dan is not the only one being forced into these vulnerable and inhumane conditions. This is Canada for Gosh sakes have we forgotten everything we stand for in our rush towards the " Canadian Dream?" And what pray tell is that dream anyway? To make excuses for everything wrong we do? Or to make results? I don't know anymore.

I plan to take action to raise a petition to have this company removed as care givers of our disabled. It is disgraceful, and when clients or patients tell these companies they are not being treated with respect - by repeat offenders - we also expect action not reward with new contracts because they are the cheapest. Shop around. You want to be in the human care BUSINESS you better be into it for the right reasons or get out!

Too much charity...not enough care.

Stay tuned!

Room with a View

Happy New Year! I had a great time ringing in the New Year among friends, except Dan, who didn't come because, being in a wheelchair all day, all the holiday season, took a toll making him incapable physically of enduring the long night. Too bad. Before his partner of five years left him, she would assist him with this as well as getting into and out of bed at night and in the morning. Since then it's been a struggle for him having to rely on the possibility of getting a neighbour to assist him each and every night - something that should be done in dignity for those with disabilities and in this predicament - by a care provider.

Everyone deserves hope for the new year

About 3 am, New Year's night, after I got home, I had to go help Dan into bed as no one showed up to assist, who'd said they would. Of course, when it's a volunteer. you really have no recourse but to hope you can get someone else to help - and that your phone  / power works. Heck, he can't even be guaranteed his driveway will be cleared unless there is at least 4 inches of ice / snow and even then it's volunteer, so they may or may not show or by when you need out.

The system supplied someone to help him into bed for the first couple of weeks after his spouse left, but then told him they didn't offer the service past 7- 8pm. He explained he cannot go to bed then in his condition, especially when they cannot gurantee someone to assist him out of bed before 11am the next day.

" We don't have anyone at that time" he was told. That sense of helplessness beginning to take hold.

WELL GET SOMEONE THEN!

The system would rather he go into a home instead at exorbitant cost. He would rather they just supply someone between normal bed time hours of 11pm and 1 am to assist him into bed, which by the way, is already fixed with a pulley-like mechanism that allows him to be Velcroed in and raised / lowered with minimal effort. A child could do it. He then needs a couple of things plugged in. More rocket science. Yet they can't get anyone to do it? Replace them. P.A.C.C. will be happy to take over the service for them.

Make Wages, ODSP, and Assistance Rates an election issue

If C.C.A.C. wants to continue to be the chosen government sourced provider of care to our most vulnerable of our disabled and elderly, then they better be prepared to do it while offering them the best care possible,  including all care providers being able to speak English or the language of the attendee - and including dignity - and dignity includes feeling in control of going to bed at a time you are used to and a time that allows your body to physically handle it - being the intricate nature of your ever worsening muscular dystrophy.

He's has to call the ambulance guys a few times, more indignity, to put him to bed when he had no other choice. One guy told him,

" You need to go in a home".

"You go live in a F@@#$ home!" Dan yelled, just me in the room; wishing it upon the insensitive attendant.

Dan assisting community clean up best he can

The March of Dimes has a program that would assist in this case, however they have a five year waiting list. Should this guy have to disrupt his life, friends, home & supports he has because they would rather have him in a home? Or does it make more sense to provide a service to put him to bed? The answer is obvious. Meantime he's worrying about who will help tonight....and tomorrow night...and tomorrow night...and....

Frankly he's had it with our system and life in general. The little income he does get from ODSP - reduced further now as a single person with subsidized housing - leaves him little and relying on kindness sometimes for a good meal. It's outrageous. Anyway don't count a hunger strike out as at this point Desperate Dan is a nomer that fits the bill.

Politicians..over to you!

Tom Pearson

Ever since P.A.C.C. hosted, and then, following the results of the social audit, Behind The Masks, I have fought the idea of the region spending our needed and limited housing, shelter and social services funds on a new women's shelter with transitional housing and "programs". I had argued we already have the more of our shelter beds available to women than men, even though men make up 90% of York Region's "street homeless" and therefore most in need. I further argued as proof the Era Banner reported stats showing women's shelter use down in York Region after the opening of the "family shelter", which should have (and did) take some of the load off the battered women's shelters, and that single men had no transitional housing or centre as women do already. I argued all available resources needed go to permanent affordable housing to help everyone as the women would need affordable homes to move into after the 6 weeks stay anyway- the same max the men get.

At any rate, I take it all back. Yea, I now feel Y.R. needs to take care of Toronto's homeless women overflow, since currently they are apparently being shipped to Sudbury. That's right Sudbury from Toronto was the closest available shelter as relayed to me by a woman who called me from the YWCA there. I guess braggart Rob Ford has been saving his billion dollars by shuffling costs out of town on the backs of vulnerable women?

She mentioned that Toronto's Council self imposed bylaw stipulates all city run shelters, when they run at 90% capacity, must open up more beds - which they apparently have at the ready but don't use unless ordered to by the city. However, as mentioned in the city's council committee meeting, this has not happened over the past year - even though the women's shelters were running at 94% capacity and the men's 95 and 97% and so the now single women, and others I'll deduce, are being been shipped out.

Pretty soon though, thanks to the Region of York's  " Inn From The Cold" single women's shelter side which sits mostly empty as is, Y.R. will inherit Toronto's overflow, as I'm sure the policy is "the closest available single women's emergency shelter". After all, many have community supports I'm sure in close-by Toronto too where they became homeless, needed for their medical and mental health issues like doctors, counsellors, and meds / programs. But, as I understand it, Belinda's Place, our proposed new single women over age 27 shelter (we have "youth" shelters here for single women under 27 who can then stay up to a year) plans to have support programs, so I guess that means the drug rehab / addictions program services and the like. Great, maybe they can find the supports here that are lacking in Toronto.

This person, we'll call her Poetry On TV, also told me about a 'Dream Team' of Paralegals and the like who are making a difference in representing vulnerable tenants by using human rights code violation complaints, highlighting precedence, and pushing draft legislation protections. Cool stuff. Selfishly it seems almost refreshing to hear about others fighting the same issues, and so similarly vocal, yet so far away.

Here is an excerpt from Poetry On TV


Her eldest daughter, at 12 years-old, know this of life, but as a child, still, is powerless to effect the required dynamics to occur to bring about the reconciliation: For the adults to have, ostensibly, put the responsibility of her siblings in her lap is the mark of shame-based behaviour, the unconsciousness of our civilization.....

Beds await you Toronto!

Excerpt from the Dream Team in action, moving on Toronto City Council for enacting illegal bylaws restricting distance between group homes.  Any municipality restricting in this way should now take note.





http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyProfile.do?function=doPrepare&meetingId=6920&utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=#Meeting-2013.PG27

Amazing how interrelated things so seemingly unrelated can be.

PACC Man Out...Until next time.


Not So Fun Facts -

There are 57 shelters in Toronto for a population of roughly 3 million people and about 3,800 beds. Nine of the shelters are City operated. The city also funds 172 beds that are kept for emergencies.

York Region has roughly 1 million people and 8 shelters with two additional winter shelters. Women are welcome at 8 of the 11 with one for women only to come, as well as new transitional housing for women only.

York Region has 26 full time shelter beds for men - not shelters but beds. Good Night.

Community Volunteer Award Winner Dan

A buddy called last night. We're going through some similar things, like we both lost our cats recently, our kids are all moved out, and he's going through a break up. The types of things everyone goes through I guess except I can get up in the morning and dress myself - he can't. I lost my cat because it got out, he lost his because he's unable to reach its box alone. He needs help getting into bed too, and dressed, and then he's good to go. Right now he's getting 6 weeks of "emergency" assistance from an organization hired by the government agent C.C.A.C. to do this at night, however they tell him after that he's going to have to move into a care facility or .....

Buddy tells me they've told him C.C.A.C. normally only offers this service at 7pm max for evening bedtime and after 10am for morning assist. They tell him they don't have anyone after 7pm on staff to do it. I asked why don't they hire someone for that time then? He didn't know.

We give awards for free community work but when he needs help?

Prior to this we'd been discussing ways to make money over Xmas as the amount he receives from ODSP now ($800 & change) barely covers his bills - he already has social housing - and leaves him $140 for food, transportation and toiletries for the month. He's thinking of dropping his phone now - like he needs more isolation. He doesn't smoke for those thinking to tell him to quit smoking, and he rarely drinks as he has a heart condition as well. But he likes his independence and the freedom and dignity that goes with it, but, apparently, that's something he/we can't afford to give him.

Our York Region programs don't cover this even though the funds have been downloaded to them for distribution of these very types of services from both Toronto and provincial levels recently.

John Taylor is the Regional Councillor

He's been a community volunteer and friend for ten years now, although he's never been to my house, not that I wouldn't have him but his electronic chair needs a ramp and wider halls, so he always has to host or dine out, which, of course, he can no longer afford to do.

I've watched his kids grow up, and he mine. He was a single dad too at times and we shared a kinship. He was more of a taskmaster with his kids, me too soft. What he couldn't do easily, he nearly always accomplished anyway, alone, and even better with a spouse to do the physical things when he couldn't quite. At one time he walked, and worked hard from a young age, until one day he literally fell over on the job - his disease finally succumbing his legs to the will of the it.

But when you are alone - like he is now - you are really at the mercy of the system, and you can only imagine the feelings he's having now at Xmas, his young kids now young adults still educating and working towards a life in Ottawa and not able to move here as a possible solution...struggling for income for food let alone presents.

Why is it they can't just give us enough to buy food?, he'd asked before he became a single disabled single man.I'm sure that pressure and the removal of their daughter before birth helped end the relationship.

He raised two kids but a third taken a birth because disabled

Now he's asking why they can't just send someone at bedtime to assist him into bed so he doesn't have to lie there from 6 or 7 pm until after 10 am the next day?




Why indeed? Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who is appalled by this type of treatment. This is a typical example of how our safety net system fails the rights and needs of the disabled in York Region, Ontario, Canada.

Meantime we're going to make the Xmas wreaths, not knowing whether he'll be here to help sell them or be somewhere..Who knows where? At the mercy of our merciless safety net system.

Interesting where inspiration on on the fight against poverty comes from at times. Certainly New York City was the last place I'd have thought of, however with the recent voting in of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who unlike Toronto's Rob Ford, ran his winning campaign on closing the gap between the millionaires and everyone else after 24 years of straight Democrat rule (like the Conservatives in Canada), I'm inspired. He not only won, but decisively, with 73% of the vote.

Why is this so inspirational you ask? Because it seems all trends, political or otherwise, always seem to gain traction south of the border before it does here, so if it's becoming trendy or sexy to actually fight the poverty gap, it's bound to happen here next.

Healthy eating in dignity does not mean special food depots

That means all the politicians locally such as York Region Councilors - who recently smugly announced a  budget surplus "because of the cancelling of the Start up anti-homelessness fund"transferred down from the previously distributed from provincial government, M.P.Pfrank.kleesco@pc.ola.org.'s, M.P.'s and the like, who typically leave these issues out of the discussions or announced "plans' during election campaigns, will now have to adjust and embrace the groups working on solutions should they hope to have a chance of winning. This " movement" could indeed fester a political atmosphere just ripe enough to do something concrete about it, and make no mistake it starts with giving people enough money to cover the basics.

When a guy who already has subsidized housing and is bound to a wheelchair with limited use of his hands and limbs says to me,

Food by Deli House Catering. Nothing fresh at food banks.

 "Why do they do this Tom? Why don't they give us enough money to buy food? They have enough money right? They could lift everyone in Canada out of poverty if they wanted to couldn't they?"

Yes they could. Tell them here.

" I'm not kissing anyone's ass just to eat" he continued regarding food banks, 

"Some people can't eat canned food either, what are they supposed to do? These people don't care"

Indeed.

Tom Out.

Oct 17 is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and as such, is marked by events around the world to draw attention to, and find solutions to, end poverty.

To me it's a day where you find out who the pretenders are in York Region. The ones who claim to want to help those in poverty, yet don't show up Oct 17 to add their supportive voice to the mix. Some of those are "do-gooders" who can't understand why food banks and free dinners aren't good enough. The dignity part goes over their heads. Some are in in for the money, not the principle, and without poverty, perhaps they don't have a job....and so you have to ask is their motive really about ending it? Fortunately, corporate business charities and nonprofits are made up of people, some of whom do care, and they come even if their agency isn't officially there.

Y.R.'s winter shelters are not open in October

Hopefully the Mayor of Newmarket, Tony Van Bynen, shows up this year. As much as Regional Councillor John Taylor is an eloquent speaker, we like to hope the Mayor also cares enough to come. M.P.'s and M.P.P.'s are also welcome to come listen in and maybe engage, and we're hoping our invitation to Newmarket-Aurora M.P.P. Frank Klees makes good, as a letter asking for support for specific legislation changes to protect vulnerable residents is in the works and to be presented. I've never seen M.P. Julia Munroe attend any year, while all the rest have. She doesn't have to care I guess. Besides, P.M. Harper just pledged to help women and children in foreign countries and that should be enough to keep people happy.Yea, right.

P.A.C.C. hosted a social audit a few years back that looked at poverty from a critical viewpoint. It was the 1st in York Region's history, and critiqued the services and system through the eyes of those experiencing it while issues were raised and discussed / critiqued amongst groups made of politicians and social / agency workers and community leaders. 

Inn From Cold woman's beds sit mostly empty in winter

The audit digested information gathered from sample persons from all sectors of York Region, inclusive across racial lines and sexes, all included in the final report, which was Co-Written by myself Yvonne Kelly and made a number of recommendations. The report was endorsed in principle after a presentation to council and its sat relatively unused since - although the Region did forward it to the Ontario government as representative insight from York Region.

This is unfortunate because such a report and the gleaned info would cost 10's of thousands of dollars normally and since government got it at a bargain, FREE, they could at least use it.

Sits empty, yet building a new shelter

The problem is, it criticizes the status quo and how things are currently run, something that has not been acknowledged nor altered. Men still feel treated poorly at shelters and continue to be low-balled in both access to programs and shelters, whilst the Region ignored the report they endorsed and steamed forward toward building a questionably needed women's shelter - as the Region has 6 already in various forms!

During the campaign to gain interest to build this shelter, the now defunct and paid by the region " Homelessness Alliance of Y.R."  supposedly did a "survey" and found women were homeless, but hidden as couch surfers, and therefore could only give "guesstimate" numbers on that but trust them they exist. These are the "facts" they then used to justify building another women's shelter - while men have but 26 full time beds available to them in a Region of 1.2 million people. Backed by a throng of Belinda Stronach worshipers, including our only newspaper's Editor who chaired the presentation to council and sits on the board, it might as well have been rubber-stamped from the outset especially with all our ties to the Stronach dynasty here. Facts be damned.

We have documented concrete proof  men are living and dying on the streets. 
Now, that's a fact.

At any rate decide for yourself on Oct 17 when the World Premiere of the documentary  "Behind The Masks" shows. This documentary style video contains live testimonials from those within the safety-net system here in rich York Region, Ontario, Canada.


The movie will premiere during the Oct 17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty event held at Stellar Hall, 1220 Stellar Dr Newmarket 2nd floor above Stellar Bowl. 

From one of our Y.R. "food distribution programs"

Doors open 7 pm with fresh hot & cold food and refreshments provided. Includes Open Stage and features Headliner entertainment by TPE with reggae rooted The Yappers.
Cover - pay what you will.

Sign up for the event on Facebook here.

Tom out!