Elizabeth Ley, RSW, Community Navigator at SAGE (Senior’s Association of Greater Edmonton) joins us to talk about Social Isolation and seniors.
Join us in the Program Room at the temporary location of the Stanley Milner Library at Enterprise Square, March 23, noon.
10212 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton AB T5J 5A3
RSVP at Facebook or Eventbrite!
Bring your lunch. Feed your mind.
CBC News Posted: Feb 09, 2017 4:39 PM MT Last Updated: Feb 09, 2017 4:39 PM MT
New child tax benefits from the provincial and federal governments are cited as a "game changers" for ending child poverty in a new report released Thursday by the Edmonton Social Planning Council.
A Profile of Poverty in Edmonton suggests the Alberta Child Benefit and the Canada Child Benefit will have a direct impact on families.
"Non-taxable child benefits are the most effective way to reduce poverty because they put money directly into the pockets of low-income families," the report states.
The report says that in 2014, 17.8 per cent of children in Edmonton — 34,220 kids ages 0 to 17 — lived in low-income families.
A family with two children making $30,000 a year will receive an additional $4,300 a year from the Canada Child Benefit and the Alberta Child Benefit.
The Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit also helps, the report says. The credit is given to low-income working families. The maximum benefit for a working family with two children is $1,457 a year.
The benefits mean the living wage calculated by the Edmonton Social Planning Council is lower for lone- and two-parent families in 2016 compared to the previous year.
By: Metro Staff Published on Thu Feb 09 2017
Three years after the creation of the first task force and three months after getting a multi-million dollar investment from city council EndPovertyEdmonton held its first event to release new information on poverty in the city Thursday.
The new anti-poverty organization has set itself the ambitious goal of lifting 10,000 Edmontonians out of poverty in the next five years, and co-chair Bishop Jane Alexander said the data shows a coordinated approach will be needed.
“All these people saying this is our bit, we can do this and make a difference,” Alexander said, looking around the event that drew representatives from two levels of government and organizations from around the city. “Now it’s more than just a hope, it’s a certainty that we are moving on this.”
Still, the numbers, compiled by the Edmonton Social Planning Council, paint a picture of poverty as a persistent issue in the city that hasn’t been helped by a changing economic climate.
By Madeleine Cummings
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 9:40:41 MST AM
A new documentary aims to start discussions about social housing in Edmonton.
McCauley, an inner-city neighbourhood northeast of downtown, has a disproportionately high percentage of social housing. More than half of housing in the area is below market-rate.
Paula Kirman, the editor of Boyle McCauley News, spent a year interviewing 25 people for McCauley: A Caring Community — Conversations on Social Housing. Her goal was to dispel myths about social housing and determine what makes a caring community.
“It was really necessary to have a video that could be taken around the community groups to foster discussions about social housing and why it needs to be a city-wide responsibility,” she said.
Interviewees in the film speak highly of McCauley’s inclusivity and the benefits of having social housing nearby.
At the same time, community leaders in McCauley argue that other neighbourhoods could stand to follow McCauley’s lead.
“Arguably, when 60 per cent of housing in a neighbourhood is non-market housing, we’ve kind of achieved a threshold which is too much,” said Phil O’Hara, a longtime resident and president of the McCauley Community League, in the film.
“I feel a lot of pressure to make sure that we do what we can as a city to relieve the burden McCauley has faced over the years for being the host community for a lot of social issues in Edmonton,” said city councillor Scott McKeen, who was also interviewed in the film.
According to a report released by the Edmonton Community Foundation and Edmonton Social Planning Council, 41 per cent of renters in Edmonton live in unaffordable housing, paying more than 30 per cent of their household income on housing costs in 2016.
From the Ground Up: Building a Love that Lasts.
Meet Shayla Drewicki, a psychologist trained in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, known for his model for healthy relationships called “The Sound Relationship House.” Says Shayla, “I find this metaphor really resonates with people as it emphasizes the importance of establishing a foundation of friendship in a relationship so that couples are motivated to communicate and manage conflict. I really like Gottman’s work because it’s concrete and based on decades of research with thousands of couples.”
EndPovertyEdmonton co-chairs, Rt. Rev. Jane Alexander and Dr. Jeffrey Bisanz, invite you to join them, the Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative and the Edmonton Social Planning Council for the community release of two key publications:
This is also an opportunity to celebrate the kick-off of EndPovertyEdmonton’s official transition into the community.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Anglican Diocese/All Saints’ Cathedral of Edmonton
10035 103 St NW
As a community leader and partner working to build a great city, please join us for this opportunity to learn more about poverty in Edmonton and the steps you and your community can take to eliminate it. Please note that parking is limited, so plan to arrive early, car pool or take transit to the event. There is a paid parking lot directly south of the Cathedral and Bay/Enterprise LRT Station is just north of it.