LOCAL POVERTY
‘Thrive’ authors push for city support
The goal of co-ordinating poverty reduction in Medicine Hat is back on the table and could see more movement soon, a city committee heard.
Authors of the “Thrive” report appeared before the public services committee on Monday to ask for general support and discuss the next steps in the plan to align the goals and financing of local charities and social assistance agencies.
“This is a starting point, a baseline for going forward,” said Community Housing Society manager Jaime Rogers, who was involved in the writing of the report.
She asked that the committee “support the initiative, and that doesn’t mean getting out the cheque book.”
The original report was the result of funding given by the Community Housing Society, an Alberta Family and Community Support Service grant (administered by the city), as well as the Medicine Hat Food Bank.
The long title of the report is Medicine Hat and Region Strategy to End Poverty and Increase Well-being, and it suggests getting agencies, churches and other welfare service providers to co-ordinate would make better use of money given by government and the private sector.
Creating a body to provide that co-ordination, track goals and outcomes, would lead to a raft of benefits over a 10 year period in poverty reduction and community resiliency.
“There are grants that seem to go down the rabbit hole, but there is no increased capacity in the community,” said Coun. Les Pearson, the committee’s vicechair.
“They do good work, but coordination would be nice.”
Rogers was invited to give a presentation on the plan before full meeting of council at a later date.
The recent report expands on work done in 2013, after which time the city’s work to provide housing opportunities as a means to reducing homelessness has garnered national acclaim.
Committee member, Coun. Celina Symmonds, who is also a manager of the food bank, said she is a “huge supporter” of the new report.
“When you look back at the (original) plan we’ve seen the he success of the Housing First strategy,” said Symmonds. This is very exciting.”
An update, launched in February, seemed to gather support from agencies and donors who were invited to presentations.
The first-year budget, estimated to cost $384,000, would be paid for out of existing grant awards as well as new requests to provincial and federal programs, as well as some local and regional agencies.
Hiring an executive director to help co-ordinate agency activities is the first step.
As well, the endeavour would also bring together a “council of champions” to both advocate for the goals as well as maintain support from a variety of groups.
Rogers announced the first two members as Medicine Hat College president Denise Hennings and Chris Hellman, a past president of the local Chamber of Commerce who is involved in a variety of philanthropic causes.
Other candidates are currently being “vetted,” said Rogers.
Pearson said that across the country there is an increasing trend of tackling poverty by having “people who have money and influence coming together and giving them a stake in ending poverty.”