Struggles shouldn’t be easily dismissed

It’s a popular refrain we hear in our city: “Why can’t people just get a job?”

After becoming the executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan, I’ve seen the flip side of this misconception. I’ve seen women step out of prison doors with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They have no home, no food, no identification, no transportation and no family waiting for them.

They are faced with running the gauntlet to get help from social services — a single woman gets about $450 for rent.

What can you rent for this amount of money? Women bunk in with people they barely know, just to have a roof over their heads. The shelters are full.

People they end up staying with are caught up in the same web of street survival, violence and addiction.

Another line I’ve heard is: “If someone breaks the law, they deserve to be in prison.” The truth is, women are usually in prison for petty crimes like theft as they try to feed their addiction or feed their family if their children haven’t been taken from them due to the lack of housing stability, lack of food and their involvement with the law.

Once their kids have been taken away, these women are the walking wounded, masking their feelings of heartbreak and powerlessness with substance abuse.

There are no simple answers. I urge people to look deeper into the stark realities to help those struggling against the crushing tide of poverty and addiction.

Sandra Stack, Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon