Toronto: SCPI "Turkey dinner" protest, Dec. 18th
The information here is thanks to the The Mississauga Coalition for Peace and Justice.Website: www.justpeace.ca/ www.mcpj.org. Please visit their websites for more details about this and other important peace-related activities!
Across Canada on Dec. 18 actions are being organized to demand federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Human Resources Minister Diane Finley continue federal funding of programs to reduce homelessness. A cornerstone of this program is SCPI -- Supporting Community Partnership Initiatives -- affectionately known as "Skippy".
Please, if you can, join the peaceful, spirited "turkey dinner" protest outside the SUN building at 150 King Street West in downtown Toronto at 12 noon on Monday, Dec. 18.
SCPI supports 2,900 unique projects across our country. SCPI won a UN-Habitat award for best practices in addressing the crisis of homelessness. SCPI projects are designed by local agencies and groups who know best the needs of homeless people or people at risk of homelessness.
The Harper government has not extended SCPI funding beyond March 2007. This means many SCPI projects are closing their doors now.
Street Health in downtown Toronto, for example, won't be able to continue an ID project which helps homeless people replace lost identification. Without ID no one can get a job, housing, health care, and benefits they may be entitled to. Without ID no one can get out off the streets. Who is going to replace this vital project?
On Dec. 8, 2006, CAW Council adopted a recommendation from the CAW President to support the campaign to save and expand federal funding to address homelessness and create affordable housing.
Your participation in the protest on Dec. 18 would be much appreciated.
Solidarity,
Steve Watson,
National Representative -- CAW Education
posted by Annamarie at
9:24 PM
1 comment(s):
Please post here any news your hear about events to take place in B.C.: Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westmister, Coquitlam etc.
Yeah, pretty sad when our Federal government cares so little for the least fortunate. Also, how little it cares that many many homeowners and workers in "The Best Place on Earth" Olympic getaway are living two pay-cheques away from homelessness.
I watched Finlay in the House telling Canada that the new government was using the money to help the homeless, yet day by day I am seeing many more people, many more aged people, homeless.
Also, I hear from some volunteer ladies who have toiled forever in church, legion and community centre basements that they might have to move or find another venue because of the cuts to the Volunteer programs because they can't even pay to keep the lights on, the stoves lit or the phones working because of the cuts Finley and Oda have made. The lights, heat and communcications are key because that is how they get the food donations, call for help, hear about donations, and actually cook and serve the food to the people who need it.
Churches can only do so much, and frankly, many churches are in no position to feed 1,00 people per day on tithes. Not all volunteers have religious affiliations. There are few organizations "on the ground" which cater to a religion per se. Many volunteers go to work wherever they can serve. Everybody needs light, heat, communications and a place to help people.
The cuts to the Volunteer program have hurt many people in their hearts because, for the first time in ages, these volunteers are not only fighting poverty, hunger and malaise, they now have to fight the new government.
Finlay and Oda may talk about helping "women on the ground" but from what is happening in the community, they look more like they are taking women, children, the elderly and the poor to the ground, and then taking the ground out from under them.
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11:42 PM
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