ROAD TO RECOVERY

1. ROAD TO RECOVERY Roadblock: POVERTY

2. Road to Recovery “I did not ask to have a disability but because I do I am forced to live everyday struggling to make ends meet. I’m ill and suffer the punishment of poverty”

3. Road to Recovery “I work very hard to manage my illness but there is only so much you can do when you never have money or the basics to make things truly better”

4. Road to Recovery “I have lost hope that things will ever really get better because I’m left just struggling to get by”

5. Road to Recovery Human Resources Development Canada defines poverty as a measure of limited income andexclusion from essential goods and services, such as: • Meaningful employment and decent earnings • Adequate and affordable housing • Safe neighbourhoods with public amenities • Health and well being • Social networks and basic human rights

6. Road to Recovery The road to recovery has several core elements: A secure base – appropriate housing, sufficient income, a sense of safety and security, adequate access to health care Supportive social networks and relationships Empowerment and inclusion – meaningful activities HOPE

7. Road to Recovery PovertyRecovery Housing Income Safety Inclusion Meaningful Activity Health Care Relationships Poverty and the goals of recovery exist as opposites – achieving recovery while living in poverty is a monumental challenge

8. Road to Recovery The core elements individuals seek to achieve on their road to recovery are the very elements compromised by living in poverty

9. Road to Recovery Ontario Disability Support Program $1098.00 per month Ontario Works $656.00 per month

10. Road to Recovery “Everyday is a challenge, the rent takes from the grocery money, the hydro bill has to be paid and comes out of money for my diabetic supplies, the new shoes I desperately need will need to be bought another time, and I can only dream that maybe I could do something like go to a movie.”

11. Road to Recovery Housing… Roadblocks to Recovery Homelessness Waiting lists for subsidized housing/RGI Available RGI units might require moving outside your home community Only afford substandard housing or spend too much on rent High cost of utilities

12. Road to Recovery “Home is where you end up putting your head down at the end of the day, sometimes I’m able to crash with friends but you need to keep packing up and moving”

13. Road to Recovery “I’ve applied for help with housing but it is a very long wait, I know many who are still waiting years after applying”

14. Road to Recovery “When you finally get an offer of housing you are forced to consider moving away from your supports, and family and friends, while knowing you have no transportation.”

15. Road to Recovery “The cost of always making sure the rent is paid in full is that many other bills have to get put off until I can find some extra money.”

16. Road to Recovery “My hydro bill scares me so much that I seldom turn on the lights, I even read by flashlight to try and save enough to make sure I can pay my bill.”

17. Road to Recovery Daily Living... Roadblocks to Recovery Having enough money to buy groceries Relying on food banks and the soup kitchen Getting enough healthy food everyday Having appropriate clothing for the season Affording over the counter health supplies Getting needed health care Maintaining a budget

18. Road to Recovery “You rely on the sales and count up your change and hope you have enough even for the basics”

19. Road to Recovery “You always seem to be asking yourself ‘do I have enough?’, you need to count every penny”

20. Road to Recovery “Hunger is year round but the soup kitchen is closed all summer, I get hungry in July just as much as I do in November”

21. Road to Recovery “You look inside and worry and wonder ‘can I make it through the week,’ ‘am I able to visit the food bank this month?”

22. Road to Recovery “It is frustrating when you go places and you see things you would like to have but poverty puts them beyond your reach, even many of the basics.”

23. Road to Recovery “Food banks can be a salvation when you’re hungry but you never know what you may get and it is almost never the fruits or vegetables you need to stay healthy”

24. Road to Recovery “It’s a losing battle, you can only afford cheap shoes but they never last, we’ll probably all end up crippled from walking in these shoes.”

25. Road to Recovery “You have to walk to get everywhere. You hope for decent weather or else you get wet or cold, I haven’t been able to afford boots for a long time.”

26. Road to Recovery “I would like to be able to always wear my dentures and maintain my dignity and pride but sometimes I need to decide if I eat or buy my dental supplies”

27. Road to Recovery “You stop smiling at people because you are ashamed of your teeth but the dental care that is covered on disability provides so little help”

28. Road to Recovery “I believe that physio would be best for my recovery from knee surgery but disability will only cover pills for the pain not a long term solution like physio”

29. Road to Recovery “I know in the end it is just like throwing money away but sometimes it is the only way to get through the month if you want to eat or have a medical expense” ‘Pay day’ loan stores

30. Road to Recovery Inclusion…Roadblocks to Recovery Cannot access training to return to work No money to participate in recreation activities No equipment to participate in activities Limited transportation to access work, activities Cannot stay connected - phone, computer

31. Road to Recovery “I would like to be able to improve my situation, take some training, be physically active, add to my skills but at the end of the month there is never money for that.”

32. Road to Recovery “There are many activities I would like a chance to participate in but the bottom line is there is no money to get involved or to get the equipment to participate.”

33. Road to Recovery “Boredom is a big part of living in poverty. You watch a lot of the world just passing you by – even basic cable for the TV is a luxury and one you cannot afford.”

34. Road to Recovery “Everyone seems to take phones, computers and the internet for granted. Without them we are disconnected but on our budget they are just not affordable.”

35. Road to Recovery Poverty is one of the most significant roadblocks individuals face in travelling their road to recovery Poverty represents a difficult series of hurdles individuals must overcome daily to move forward

36. Road to Recovery The daily hurdle of poverty is overwhelming Poverty steals confidence from people Poverty robs people of HOPE End poverty and give HOPE so they will succeed on the Road to Recovery

37. End Poverty…Clear the Road for Recovery

38. Created by the Haldimand-Norfolk Resource Centre (a division of CAMHS) For information contact 1-877-477-3717