On May 21st 2023, I reported on the Bluenose Marathon - an example of a healthy activity that gets people out and socializing. It takes place on the Victoria Day weekend, every year. At this post, I point out that, even though the current registration fee to participate is only $10.00, that is still too much for those on the Standard Household rate of $1005.00 (Which is an improvement from when I reported on the Victoria Day weekend in May 2023) Sill when you subtract $10.00 from that = $995.00 would be what’s left for the Income Assitance recipient to live on. So really next to no improvement.
The reason why I skipped reporting on the Victoria day weekend in May 2024 is because as This BLOG post talks about -- sometimes we all need to take a break from things. I say this as an advocate who has and advocates for a wide range of suggested solutions for people living in poverty. Solutions for people living in poverty. This time last year (May 2024) I was thinking about things like:
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As Reported in this BLOG post knowing that All Together Link was coming to an End.
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Breaking the news to Carrie Ann Bugden, as talked about in this post, that I had to bring her story to a close. I had to do this particularly after learning that my advocacy to help her return to Nova Scotia was getting her no-where.
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And if you regular readers remember this post it was also around this time last year when I first got the news that I was invited to attend The conference on social prescribing, which I attended in Toronto , in September 2024.
There was so much on my mind in May of 2024, I avoided reporting on the Victoria Day weekend.
I have recently interviewed some income assistance recipients who talked to me about that what really depresses them about the Victoria day weekend (and I need to point out that these Income Assistance recipients actually live along the route of the Blue Nose Marathon.) Anyway, while interviewing them they brought up that: "We see that healthy activity - and better off people are able to participate and and we see them run right by our door steps - This healthy activity of simply getting out and socializing with people going right by our Door Steps. Anyway during the interviews they were all talking to me about that the fact that they know and understand that they as Income Assistance Recipients with mental health issues cannot be a part of that big healthy activity. Seeing all these financially-better-off-people socializing with one another causes them to sink into depression. They also worry about the possibility, that even if they could somehow participate in the Bluenose Marathon, would they feel comfortable? How many of those better-off-folks believe in the myths that cause stigma about them?
For other Income Assistance recipients , whether they live on the route or not, it is the second reminder following Easter weekend that Summer is fast approaching.
As I reported in my recent BLOG post, summer can be a socially isolated and challenging time for Income Assistance recipients. As I explained in that post, one group, whose jobs are connected to the schools, find it is the season of 100% Claw-backs. Meaning 100% of employment insurance getting clawed back from Income Assistance. For that portion of Income Assistance recipients, Victoria Day weekend means a reminder for preparing mentally for that claw-back.
I will conclude this post by saying the Bluenose Marathon should be, for people living in poverty, a message of inclusion for everyone. No matter who we are, lets respect each other right to good health.
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