Building Community
By Kendall Worth
In some of my BLOG posts, I talk about the lived experience of those in the community facing poverty. This includes people surviving on the Standard Household Rate of $950.00 per month. Remember, before 2022, the Income Assistance Rates were even lower.
Once rent and bills are paid, there is not a lot of money left for socializing.
However, if you read other BLOG posts, you will find that the barriers Income Assistance Recipients in Nova Scotia face, which prevent them from socializing, are not only financial. Fear and stigma play a role in keeping people isolated.
Good relationships with neighbours can create a sense of belonging. But for many people living in poverty, getting to know neighbours is easier said than done. Mental health conditions and anxiety, compounded by low income, can prevent these relationships from growing.
Over the past few months, I have been talking to people in my community who tell me that it is sad for them to learn that Income Assistance Recipients in Nova Scotia do not have much of a social life. They believe that a strong social circle is good for mental health and well-being.
Something else that often gets brought up in these conversations is that not having friends in their apartment buildings causes people sadness. I have spoken to psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and counsellors who work with people on income assistance. They understand the benefits of relationships between neighbours.
Unlike other social opportunities, neighbours often have key things in common, such as their income level and their circumstances. Being able to relate to each other is very important.
In this BLOG post, I point out how someone can organize a block party to get to know their neighbours. Fitness Centres and Common Rooms in apartment buildings make socializing easier, but you do not need to live in a condo-style apartment - paying $1,800 to $3,000 per month - to make friends with your neighbours. Sitting outside apartment buildings during the night summer months can be a great way to get to know each other.
In this BLOG post, I shared a conversation with someone I called Bob. Somebody asked Bob if there was anyone in his apartment building he could spend Thanksgiving with. We must remember that not everyone living in poverty has the privilege of living in an apartment building where they can get to know their neighbours well enough to spend Thanksgiving with them.
Shortly after that BLOG post, I had a conversation with three different welfare recipients. One person pointed out that she is friends with someone inside her apartment building because she already knew them before she moved in. Another told me she has friends in her building because she chats with her neighbours outside. The third person is a single mom who is friends with her neighbour because their kids play together.
These three all agreed that it is hard to go knocking on doors to make friends. However, they told me that it is possible to be friends with your neighbours, depending on how your building is structured.
One of these three individuals has a resource centre in her apartment, which includes a food-bank that many residents use. The neighbours get to know each other while standing in line at the food-bank.
I guess the lesson here is that every situation is different. But what is the solution? Living in a community of people wrapped around you can have a lot of benefits. This is why the 'Mitigating Social Isolation Project' was created.
So, let's create community!
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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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