By Kendall Worth!
First, I want to bring up that it was Julie, who I interviewed for the July 29, 2023 post, who suggested I should a write some words of encouragement. What Julie was thinking when she suggested this was a response to this blog post. https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2023/06/canada-day-in-halifax.html Then she quoted from it. “We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the vibrant cultural offerings our city has to offer, and we want to make sure that no one misses out due to financial constraints or a lack of company.”
That same issue is also in this post. https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2023/06/june-12th-event-by-mitigating-social.html which she also referenced when giving me idea for this post, during our interview.
One thing that Julie brought up while doing my that interview is the fact, that, in her opinion,it is really sad that people on Income Assistance have fear and anxiety that makes it difficult for them to attend all the free activities that take place here in the city.
So, Julie suggested I do a BLOG post for people who have no choice, but have to go to the Canada Day Events or the upcoming Natal Day and Busker Fest, alone, because they do not have a group of friends to attend with, instead of describing how the people you advocate for complain about this.
Julie said they way she sees it, some of my posts on social prescribing,
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20prescription and https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20prescribing suggest that people on Income Assistance are complaining about this very thing. Julie then brought up that she personally knows people (who are not all Income Assistance recipients) who just do not socialize much with others. Then she said to me “do not get me wrong, Kendall, I do support the concept behind projects like the Mitigating Social Isolation Project, and do think it is needed. “ Then Julie brought up another point. People, she knows personally, just do not socialize much, and do go to these free summer events alone.
And, by the way readers, I write this current post with the Natal Day, Emancipation Day, and Busker Fest Events coming up. For more on these free events coming up see:
https://www.buskers.ca/2023-festival.html
August 1 - Emancipation Day Events https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/4-ways-to-mark-emancipation-day-in-halifax-in-2023-31233074
Anyway, Julie had some advice for welfare recipients and how they could feel comfortable going to something like Canada Day or Buskers or Natal Day by-themselves. In-addition to including Julie’s advice, I spoke to the professional community (like psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counsellors) and asked them if they had any advice on how welfare recipients, who want to go and can feel comfortable going to the free summer events alone. The following statements are the actual advice provided, by Julie, professionals, and some of my own words of encouragement I want to provide:
While travelling along the waterfront in these large crowds, keep an open mind always, and even though you will not likely run into people you know, if you keep your eyes peeled you may come across people you know.
If the people you run into are from your past, (maybe people you have not seen in years) the best way to avoid the possibility of getting stigmatized for being on welfare or having mental heath issues – is not to explain your circumstances. It is none of their business to know details like you work part time and certainly none of their business that you see professionals like psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counsellors to treat your mental health issues.
The fact that money to pay your rent and bills comes from a program like Employment Support and Income Assistance is again something that is none of their business.
Some non-professionals like the idea of body cameras as talked about in this BLOG post https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-benefit-of-different-type-for-income.html and benefits of body Cameras further illustrated in this BLOG post https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-around-mixed-feelings.html . The cameras may be a geat idea but how can Income Assistance recipients access them?
And the final piece of advice I was given is for those Income Assistance recipients who feel out of place because they do not have money to purchase an alcoholic beverage like a beer, on a restaurant patio, at a festival, or at the beer garden. They should keep in mind that #1 - there are many other people in society on that same day who are not drinking alcohol for all kinds of reasons - reasons not just financial. #2 – Those exact people you see drinking, on a day at the waterfront have a lot more to them than just drinking alcohol. Think of it this way: do you think that everyday after they get off work they head to the bar? Their lives are not always about hiding in a bar drinking, after getting off work, either.
As I write this post, we are almost at the half point of the summer. I have been told by sources that there were free events at the Jazz Festival – although most free events were during the day. There is a lot of sadness behind people living in poverty not taking in the vibrant cultural events that this city has to offer. Even though this article https://nsadvocate.org/2018/12/31/kendall-worth-no-more-social-anxiety-on-new-years-resolutions-and-poverty/ was posted in the Nova Scotia Advocate, and uses New Years as an example, it still relates to the subject of this post because social anxiety is the reason why many welfare recipients are not going to take the words of encouragement I offer in this current post.
If any of you who already missed out on the free Summer-time Fun so far this Summer, think? Wouldn't it be nice to have some fun before Summer is over?
Think about this!
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