By Kendall Worth!
On Saturday February 25th 2023 I had the opportunity to meet with a lovely young couple in their mid 30’s. They receive $1,393 on income assistance which is the entitlement for a couple with one child. They came to Canada shortly after things re-opened and the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. I did not get to meet their son because he was at a friend’s place. A neighbour who regularly reads my blog, referred them to me, to tell their story. One of their complaints is that they are getting tired of having only each other for company.
Well call them Sahara and ED (not their real names) for this story. Along with their son they came to Canada with nothing but the clothes on their back. They never imagined that someday they would be on a system like Income Assistance. Sahara told me that back home she use to do home-care work. Here in Nova Scotia credentials are required, which she does not have.
$1,393 may sound like a jump from $950.00 a single person would receive. Still when you factor in that their rent is $1050.00 a month for their 2 bedroom apartment, (They need a 2 Bedroom because they have their son who is still in high school living with them) $80 on their power bill, and cell phone at $47.99 per month, that leaves only $215.01 to feed and clothe and provide essentials for three people! They told me that it does not leave any money in the budget for social activities!
While reading my blog, they read about social prescribing and fell in love with the idea. They pointed out that while their son has school, sports he is involved in, and lots of friends, they spend way too much time alone – just the two of them. They are only in their 30’s but they feel like they already live like retirees.
I asked them to describe their day to day life…
We go to Church on Sunday, not because we are Christian, but because we need that affordable avenue to get out and socialize with people. Monday’s and Tuesday’s (with the exception of the every 3rd Tuesday) while our son is in school, we are at home watching TV. Every 3rd Tuesday, we stand in line at our food-bank. On Wednesdays, we voluntarily clean the Church we attend on Sunday’s. Thursday is pretty much at home watching TV, and laundry. Friday’s we take a bus ride around the city just to get out of the apartment. We sometimes go for walks when the weather is nice. We visit the Library once a week, and rent DVD’s, so we can have some movies to watch.
Q – So Sahara, did you know about the different credential required to do the type of work you use to do, before you arrived in Canada. If not how did you find out?
A – Kendall, after we got set up to receive Assistance from the Employment Support and Income Assistance program, our Income Assistance Caseworker referred us to an Employment Support Worker. The employment support worker gave me a number to call. I called that number and that is when I found this out. I asked about the Career Seek Program and after learning about all the red tape that was involved in getting accepted, I decided not to bother.
Q – So from speaking to you and getting to know you it sounds like you are interested in getting off of Income Assistance. Have you ever made any attempts to look for work?
A – Put it this way Kendall. We applied for a Zillion Jobs since moving to Halifax. Not one phone call came our way. We looked at going back to school but after we were advised by our caseworker of the Red tape involved with getting accepted into the Career Seek program, we just do not want to go through with it.
They feel that by coming to Nova Scotia they have come to the wrong place in Canada. But they do not want to leave Halifax because they love the way of life here.
They also feel lucky I that they have never had to visit soup kitchens like Souls’ Harbour to get their meals. In addition to the food bank, once a month, sometimes on Sundays they receive gifts of grocery store food cards. Not a weekly thing, but it does help. But, here is the thing, Kendall, socially, we live a life where we keep to ourselves, and it is not because we want to. We have not made any new friends through the church, we talk to a couple of apartment neighbours, but we are getting tried of living life with just the two of us and and occasionally our son as social contacts. s
They suggested to me that maybe if or when a social connections program gets set up that it could be by neighbourhood so that people who are neighbours could get to know each other.
They told me there are times when they have invited the neighbours who live in their building over to their apartment to watch a movie. They are never interested and always say no.
I will end this story by saying that I do hope that someday things will get better for you two.
Then wished them all the Best!
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