By Kendall Worth
You may find it hard to believe that I am talking about Christmas in October; however, for people in Nova Scotia living in poverty (many who already spent Thanksgiving alone), the holiday season can be lonely.
As I illustrated in this BLOG post, with poverty increasing in Nova Scotia and across Canada, even more people will be homeless this Christmas.
People I have been having conversations with are saying that their major Christmas wish for 2023 is that conversations start about social isolation experienced by people living in poverty. They want a solution to this problem. Christmas, and the month of December in general, is when social isolation hits the hardest. COVID restrictions have ended, but we worry that the social isolation felt in this community will be the same.
In 2023, there will be many people again celebrating Christmas by themselves. This is no fun. When you live on $950.00 a month, and once rent and bills are paid, there is no money left for Christmas presents let alone groceries and other daily expenses.
For Christmas 2023, this is our wishlist:
- That mental health support is available over the holidays to help people deal with their social isolation.
- For those of us who are lucky to have family, to be able to spend time with them.
- For many of us who are not lucky enough to have family, that a solution be created so that people aren't left alone.
- For ways to include the homeless population in celebrating Christmas.
I want to take a moment to go back to this BLOG post where I talked about what the best dream is these days for someone living in poverty. What if someone living in poverty - or someone who cares about the poor - won the lottery, especially when the jackpot is several million? Some people I advocate for feel that this is what it will take to find a solution to our isolation, especially in 2023 when inflation is high and controls what people can afford.
This year it is suspected that many will feel the pinch of rising food prices. For example, the cost of Turkeys are double and even triple the amounts they used to be. Getting a million dollar donation from somewhere would do a lot to help with the cause. Otherwise, Christmas will not be so merry for the people I advocate for who can't keep up with inflation and who suffer from social isolation.
Last year, there were a lot of concerns about how people living in poverty would celebrate Christmas 2022. However, in this BLOG post I shared some good news. People on income assistance received an extra, one-time $250.00 at Christmas, which was a great help financially. Still, many felt that the extra money still didn't solve their social isolation. However, income assistance recipients are hoping to receive an extra $250.00 again this year.
However, one of the reasons discussions about Christmas 2023 need to start early is because many of us remember what it was like to celebrate Christmas growing up. Of course, those can be great and fun memories, but in some cases, those Christmas memories come back to haunt us, especially those of us who did not get to spend time with family or friends.
The other reason why discussions on celebrating Christmas need to begin early is because Christmas is a time of year when things like your source of income and how much money you have should not matter.
We just got through the Thanksgiving holiday, and living in poverty or being homeless is nothing to be thankful for.
What is the solution? Hum!
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Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance. He speaks up to help those facing similar obstacles, including homelessness, in the province of Nova Scotia and beyond.
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