POVERTY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF
HALDIMAND-NORFOLK UNVEILS NEW LOGO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2017
Simcoe, ON: The Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk (PAPHN) is excited to unveil their new logo. PAPHN is a committee made up of local agencies, organizations and community members, including some with lived experience that exists to find solutions to ending poverty.
In early 2016, PAPHN asked for community members to submit their proposed logos and received many excellent submissions. The successful submission, depicting two sides of a tree - one bare and one full of leaves- was chosen because it captures the essence of moving out of poverty into prosperity in one graphic. The logo was designed by a community member who has experienced poverty firsthand.
PAPHN’s mission is to find solutions to end poverty by raising awareness about and reducing the stigma associated with poverty as well as mobilizing and strengthening our communities to take action. “Poverty is pervasive. It affects everyone from children to seniors, married and single, disabled and able-bodied, employed and unemployed, the educated and the undereducated,” says Roselle Slaght, co-chair of PAPHN. “It also impacts wider society including local business, schools, hospitals and the criminal justice system. We’re working together collaboratively to give a voice to those with lived experience and with the goal to one day be able to realize a poverty-free Haldimand and Norfolk.”
If you would like to know more about the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk, please visit paphn.weebly.com or email Roselle Slaght at roselleslaght@yahoo.ca.
Contact
Roselle Slaght
Co Chair, Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk
roselleslaght@yahoo.ca
HALDIMAND-NORFOLK UNVEILS NEW LOGO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2017
Simcoe, ON: The Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk (PAPHN) is excited to unveil their new logo. PAPHN is a committee made up of local agencies, organizations and community members, including some with lived experience that exists to find solutions to ending poverty.
In early 2016, PAPHN asked for community members to submit their proposed logos and received many excellent submissions. The successful submission, depicting two sides of a tree - one bare and one full of leaves- was chosen because it captures the essence of moving out of poverty into prosperity in one graphic. The logo was designed by a community member who has experienced poverty firsthand.
PAPHN’s mission is to find solutions to end poverty by raising awareness about and reducing the stigma associated with poverty as well as mobilizing and strengthening our communities to take action. “Poverty is pervasive. It affects everyone from children to seniors, married and single, disabled and able-bodied, employed and unemployed, the educated and the undereducated,” says Roselle Slaght, co-chair of PAPHN. “It also impacts wider society including local business, schools, hospitals and the criminal justice system. We’re working together collaboratively to give a voice to those with lived experience and with the goal to one day be able to realize a poverty-free Haldimand and Norfolk.”
If you would like to know more about the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk, please visit paphn.weebly.com or email Roselle Slaght at roselleslaght@yahoo.ca.
Contact
Roselle Slaght
Co Chair, Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk
roselleslaght@yahoo.ca
The Sachem
News
County aims to improve lives by joining forces with Poverty Action Partnership
Fri., May 27, 2016 | By Victoria Gray
Destroying poverty takes an army.
Norfolk council voted to join forces with the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk during last week’s council-in-committee meeting after a deputation by PAPHN co-chairs Roselle Slaght and Gary Beamer.
The pair told councillors about the group’s efforts and how the county could help PAPHN continue to research ways to eradicate poverty locally.
“We have a vision of a caring, compassionate community free from poverty, and we truly believe this can be a reality,” Slaght said.
The group represents individuals in Haldimand and Norfolk, and is associated with 18 member agencies. Group members, some of whom have experienced poverty themselves, meet once a month to determine gaps in services, find solutions for those living in poverty and educate residents in the two counties about what poverty looks like.
“We believe people are experts in their own lived experience and can give insight to those who have not lived it, who cannot understand,” Slaght said.
She told council that despite the region boasting of itself as Ontario’s Garden, it has the highest rate of food insecurity in the province, according to a 2015 study released by Cancer Care Ontario.
The study said 16 per cent of people in the region suffer from food insecurity.
Slaght pointed out that 11.9 per cent of Norfolk residents fit into the low-income earners segment, meaning they earn less than $24,000 annually.
Working one full-time minimum wage job allows for an annual income of just over $23,000. A part-time minimum wage job offers even less.
“Poverty affects everyone,” Slaght said.
“It affects couples, children, single people, educated people, uneducated people and impacts the criminal justice system, the health system, the economy and the government.”
Slaght and Beamer asked council to consider endorsing the group and appointing a councillor to sit on its board.
They also asked to return to council to give updates as the Poverty Action Partnership continues investigating how to reduce poverty in Haldimand and Norfolk.
The group may seek funding in the future, but did not ask for any monetary assistance during last week’s meeting.
Simcoe councillor Peter Black offered to take on the role of county liaison, joining Haldimand councillor Tony Dalimonte.
“I’d be pleased to sit on the committee and learn more about how to deal with poverty,” Black said.
Slaght said she and the group believe Norfolk County’s involvement will help immensely.
“We believe the support of Norfolk council may tip the scales and help us realize a community that is prosperous and caring.”
News
County aims to improve lives by joining forces with Poverty Action Partnership
Fri., May 27, 2016 | By Victoria Gray
Destroying poverty takes an army.
Norfolk council voted to join forces with the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand-Norfolk during last week’s council-in-committee meeting after a deputation by PAPHN co-chairs Roselle Slaght and Gary Beamer.
The pair told councillors about the group’s efforts and how the county could help PAPHN continue to research ways to eradicate poverty locally.
“We have a vision of a caring, compassionate community free from poverty, and we truly believe this can be a reality,” Slaght said.
The group represents individuals in Haldimand and Norfolk, and is associated with 18 member agencies. Group members, some of whom have experienced poverty themselves, meet once a month to determine gaps in services, find solutions for those living in poverty and educate residents in the two counties about what poverty looks like.
“We believe people are experts in their own lived experience and can give insight to those who have not lived it, who cannot understand,” Slaght said.
She told council that despite the region boasting of itself as Ontario’s Garden, it has the highest rate of food insecurity in the province, according to a 2015 study released by Cancer Care Ontario.
The study said 16 per cent of people in the region suffer from food insecurity.
Slaght pointed out that 11.9 per cent of Norfolk residents fit into the low-income earners segment, meaning they earn less than $24,000 annually.
Working one full-time minimum wage job allows for an annual income of just over $23,000. A part-time minimum wage job offers even less.
“Poverty affects everyone,” Slaght said.
“It affects couples, children, single people, educated people, uneducated people and impacts the criminal justice system, the health system, the economy and the government.”
Slaght and Beamer asked council to consider endorsing the group and appointing a councillor to sit on its board.
They also asked to return to council to give updates as the Poverty Action Partnership continues investigating how to reduce poverty in Haldimand and Norfolk.
The group may seek funding in the future, but did not ask for any monetary assistance during last week’s meeting.
Simcoe councillor Peter Black offered to take on the role of county liaison, joining Haldimand councillor Tony Dalimonte.
“I’d be pleased to sit on the committee and learn more about how to deal with poverty,” Black said.
Slaght said she and the group believe Norfolk County’s involvement will help immensely.
“We believe the support of Norfolk council may tip the scales and help us realize a community that is prosperous and caring.”
Committee researching how to tackle poverty in Haldimand-NorfolkNorfolk News
By Jen Nevans
Members of the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand and Norfolk hope that by researching what poverty looks like in the region, they’ll be able to find solutions that work.
“We want to bring some awareness to the fact that there is poverty in Haldimand and Norfolk counties,” said Roselle Slaght, co-chair of the PAPHN. “We also want to do some things that actually address the need.”
The committee has spent the last eight years building a strong foundation, and now the group is ready to make others aware of PAPHN and poverty issues in the area.
“I think that a lot of people aren’t aware of the fact that some of the social ails that affect large communities also affect the small ones,” said co-chair Gary Beemer. “That’s our biggest problem.”
He said even though homelessness isn’t necessarily seen on the streets in Haldimand and Norfolk, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And food and income insecurities can happen in rural communities as well.
“(Homelessness) tends to be invisible because (people) aren’t living out on the streets like you would see in a more metropolitan area,” Slaght said. “We have people who couch surf. We have people who might live in a tent or at family or friend’s house.”
She said poverty is prevalent in this region, especially with the seasonal employment and the lack of manufacturing jobs.
“We have a lot of people on assistance and we have a lot of people who are working poor,” Slaght said.
As chair of the bi-county health and social services committee, Haldimand councillor Tony Dalimonte is aware of social issues in the region.
“If I look at the people who are on Ontario Works or receiving social assistance, I can tell you that the statistics show there is a fair amount of people,” said Dalimonte, who represents the two counties on the PAPHN committee.
Dalimonte said there’s a record high of people on social assistance right now, which places more demand on social services.
“The timing of this committee couldn’t be better,” Dalimonte said. “We need a good, strong group who can come up with some ideas and work with government to try to make things better for those people.”
Committee members meet about once a month, alternating between Simcoe and Caledonia. Despite being around for eight years, Beemer said there are still a lot of people who don’t know the group exists.
“We have many different things we’ve been trying to do, and we’re at the point now where we can start doing them,” he said.
The Poverty Action Partnership consists of two groups – a research group and a working group. Dalimonte falls into the research group, which compiles information about Haldimand and Norfolk to try to paint a picture of what poverty looks like in the region. The working group helps organizations implement programs to fight poverty.
“This is a very strong committee,” Dalimonte said. “Their goal is to make presentations to both Haldimand and Norfolk councils.”
Slaght said the committee hopes to do some advocacy at the government level in the hopes of impacting policy that affects homelessness and poverty.
“At this point, we’re not sure what the ask will be,” she said about her presentations to Haldimand and Norfolk councils.
“We do want to make council aware of our existence – what our purpose and mandate is.”
But one of the obstacles the group faces in moving forward with programs to address poverty is funding.
“We need funding in order to grow and in order to get out there in the community and make a bigger impact,” Slaght said. “When we look at what our needs are right now, really, it’s funding.”
For more information on the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand and Norfolk, visit paphn.weebly.com
By Jen Nevans
Members of the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand and Norfolk hope that by researching what poverty looks like in the region, they’ll be able to find solutions that work.
“We want to bring some awareness to the fact that there is poverty in Haldimand and Norfolk counties,” said Roselle Slaght, co-chair of the PAPHN. “We also want to do some things that actually address the need.”
The committee has spent the last eight years building a strong foundation, and now the group is ready to make others aware of PAPHN and poverty issues in the area.
“I think that a lot of people aren’t aware of the fact that some of the social ails that affect large communities also affect the small ones,” said co-chair Gary Beemer. “That’s our biggest problem.”
He said even though homelessness isn’t necessarily seen on the streets in Haldimand and Norfolk, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And food and income insecurities can happen in rural communities as well.
“(Homelessness) tends to be invisible because (people) aren’t living out on the streets like you would see in a more metropolitan area,” Slaght said. “We have people who couch surf. We have people who might live in a tent or at family or friend’s house.”
She said poverty is prevalent in this region, especially with the seasonal employment and the lack of manufacturing jobs.
“We have a lot of people on assistance and we have a lot of people who are working poor,” Slaght said.
As chair of the bi-county health and social services committee, Haldimand councillor Tony Dalimonte is aware of social issues in the region.
“If I look at the people who are on Ontario Works or receiving social assistance, I can tell you that the statistics show there is a fair amount of people,” said Dalimonte, who represents the two counties on the PAPHN committee.
Dalimonte said there’s a record high of people on social assistance right now, which places more demand on social services.
“The timing of this committee couldn’t be better,” Dalimonte said. “We need a good, strong group who can come up with some ideas and work with government to try to make things better for those people.”
Committee members meet about once a month, alternating between Simcoe and Caledonia. Despite being around for eight years, Beemer said there are still a lot of people who don’t know the group exists.
“We have many different things we’ve been trying to do, and we’re at the point now where we can start doing them,” he said.
The Poverty Action Partnership consists of two groups – a research group and a working group. Dalimonte falls into the research group, which compiles information about Haldimand and Norfolk to try to paint a picture of what poverty looks like in the region. The working group helps organizations implement programs to fight poverty.
“This is a very strong committee,” Dalimonte said. “Their goal is to make presentations to both Haldimand and Norfolk councils.”
Slaght said the committee hopes to do some advocacy at the government level in the hopes of impacting policy that affects homelessness and poverty.
“At this point, we’re not sure what the ask will be,” she said about her presentations to Haldimand and Norfolk councils.
“We do want to make council aware of our existence – what our purpose and mandate is.”
But one of the obstacles the group faces in moving forward with programs to address poverty is funding.
“We need funding in order to grow and in order to get out there in the community and make a bigger impact,” Slaght said. “When we look at what our needs are right now, really, it’s funding.”
For more information on the Poverty Action Partnership of Haldimand and Norfolk, visit paphn.weebly.com
