Health Unit Urges Action Against Poverty
CITY OF KAWARTHA LAKES – Local residents are being encouraged to ‘rethink poverty’, and learn the truth about a problem that persists in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Staff say shattering myths about poverty is important to better understand the problem, and find solutions for it. They hope the new ‘Rethink Poverty’ website - www.rethinkpoverty.ca, and resources will highlight how living in poverty is not a choice, but a reality for many people in the community. A particularly important page on the site points out studies show it costs more to keep people in poverty than to invest money to reduce poverty.
The Health Unit also hopes to motivate voters in the upcoming Ontario election, to speak up for change and get involved in efforts to reduce poverty.
'We want to help the community understand poverty is a vicious cycle that affects many people’s well-being,' says Elsie Azevedo, a Registered Dietitian with the HKPR District Health Unit. 'It’s easy to tell someone to eat healthy foods, but what if that person cannot afford to buy these items at the grocery store?'Azevedo notes a common persisting myth about poverty,is that poor people do not have it so bad.
'In reality,' Azevedo says, 'Low-income families often go without the basic necessities of life, are sick more often, and live shorter lives.'The Health Unit offers citizens a list of questions to ask politicians where they stand on four key strategies that could help reduce poverty:
- National Poverty Reduction Strategy
- National Affordable Housing Strategy
- National Early Learning and Child Care System
- Publicly-Funded Dental Care
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