This morning's paper brings disturbing but not surprising news, people using the local food bank is up 25% this Christmas time. But doesn't stop there, LIFE*SPIN have 508 families registered for gifts, and 288 on a waiting list. Toys for Tots haven't got as many donations as last year and more clients etc etc etc. We live in one of the greatest, richest countries in the world and yet we have a housing crisis not just in Attawapiskat, but in most of our aboriginal communities and we have people who are living under bridges everywhere. Where have we gone wrong? or have we gone wrong? Is it our lust for money, and material things? Is it our desire to live in the moment and not save for a rainy day? Does it matter what the reason is? The real question is what do we do about it?
We can do do the band aid solutions, stock the food bank, sponsor a family, join an "Occupy" type movement but it that doesn't find the cure. We need to take a hard look at how we run our programs, do we need programs, should we raise our minimum standards?
THIS IS NOT AN US VS THEM ISSUE for who is us and who is them? Most of us are just 3 weeks from being another statistic, another % point in this social downward spiral. WE need ideas and solutions. Affordable housing, nutritious food, and clothes on our back should be basic human rights not perks from dwindling jobs. Where do we start? Do we need to start at the grass roots level or immediately through the government? What we don't have is time! If I had the answers to these questions I wouldn't be ranting here, If I had the answers I would be running the province, country or one of the famous NGOs, but I don't have the answers only the questions.
In the meantime I ask you to think about sponsoring a family this season, add a can to the food bank, drop a toy off or help build a house and think about the solutions to the questions.
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