Pillars of Support: Community groups across Canada

Published in the Catalyst, Vol. 32, No. 3 - Summer/Fall 2009

People living in poverty struggle with many immediate needs: food, clothing, housing, furniture, laundry, skills, and employment.  Across the country, community organizations are actively providing basic resources, skills training and services to help meet these needs.

Local organizations have seen many people succeed with the support programs they offer. The Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax offers a training program in flooring installation for low-income people. One man, on social assistance for 18 years, joined the program and found employment a few months later.

In Ottawa, a man who had struggled with mental illness for 20 years got his first part-time job at age 37 thanks to the Community Laundry Co-operative (CLC). He completed the CLC’s training programs and worked in their Community Economic Development Program, allowing CLC to provide a reference to his new employer.

Meeting local needs

Such groups are often formed in response to the needs of individuals and families in their local communities.  Canada’s first food bank opened in 1981 in response to inadequate social assistance levels.  Over 20 years later, there are over 600 food banks across Canada serving over 700,000 Canadians in an average month.  Parker Street in Halifax serves 250 families a week, and they’ve seen demand increase since the recession started.

Soup kitchens and shelters also serve daily meals to the hungry.  The Mustard Seed, a Christian ministry in Alberta that provides shelter services, served over 488,000 meals last year. 

CLC was formed by two Ottawa United Churches and a community health centre following cuts to social services and welfare in Ontario in 1998.  “It was clear people didn’t have enough money to do laundry,” says Coordinator Marianela Santamaria.  CLC provides self-service laundry to members (membership is $1 per year) for $1 per load, with supplies provided. 

Coast Mental Health (CMH), a Vancouver co-operative, provides supportive and affordable housing to people living with mental illness.  Heather Edgar of CMH describes seeing “people flourish” and their health and wellbeing improve when they move into supportive housing.

Many of these organizations have grown in response to additional needs of their clients, adding skills training, employment opportunities, mental health and addictions help, medical services and recreational programs. 

Challenging times

But these community organizations also face significant challenges, particularly during this economic downturn.  Insufficient donations and a lack of funding often strain resources, forcing many organizations to limit their services.  Mel Boutilier, Executive Director of Parker Street, says that many Halifax churches have had to turn people away because they no longer have resources to help.

Many organizations are operating with a deficit this year.  But even in good economic times, fundraising remains a constant concern.  “Fundraising takes a lot of hard work, every year,” reports Santamaria.  “Every year we have to raise the same amount of money, and no one wants to make multi-year commitments.”

Expanding local work can also be a challenge, especially when communities are resistant to having programs located in their immediate neighbourhood. The Calgary Mustard Seed modified their proposal for an affordable housing tower after facing complaints from downtown businesses and city aldermen.  The Mustard Seed was able to gain support for their modified proposal after conducting a public education campaign and developing a Good Neighbour Agreement.

Lack of affordable housing, the economic downturn, cuts to government programs and services, an aging population living on fixed incomes, and rising price increases have also led to increased demand for community services that strains the capacity of many organizations.

A Role for Governments

While local groups can help to meet the immediate needs of those suffering from hunger and poverty, they can’t change all of the conditions and structures that create poverty.  Affordable housing, a living wage, secure employment and income security programs can ensure that everyone can meet basic needs. Government policies are essential to ensure that all Canadians have access to these building blocks of a life with dignity.

As well, strengthening partnerships between different social and institutional spheres – such as between government and civil society – can create a stronger and more socially secure Canada. Civil society organizations can be more flexible in responding to community needs and providing services, and governments can support them with funding and resources.  CMH and the Mustard Seed have both relied on government grants to carry out parts of their work.

Such support will ensure that community organizations have more success stories.  Courtney Fliss reports that 55 guests can transition from the Mustard Seed’s Calgary shelter into affordable housing each month with support from the organization’s programs.  That number may seem small compared to 4000 homeless people living in Calgary, but they are 55 people provided with dignity and greater hope for the future. Success stories like these make all the effort worthwhile. 

Chandra Pasma is CPJ’s public justice policy analyst and Mariel Angus was CPJ’s 08/09 policy intern.