By Kendall Worth
Since November 30, 2021, I’ve been using my blog, For What Matters Journalism, to shine a light where mainstream media so often refuses to look — the real, first-hand experiences of people living in poverty right here in Halifax.
Read the latest post here:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.
This work matters because it’s not theory, it’s not detached commentary — it’s first voice journalism. It comes directly from the large community of people who, through no fault of their own, rely on food banks, soup kitchens, and other survival services. These are stories from the front lines of poverty in our city.
But my blog doesn’t just report on the problems — I advocate for solutions. Real ones. The kind of changes we need so our communities can thrive:
A stronger mental health system in Nova Scotia
Fixing the Department of Community Services — including Employment Support, Income Assistance, and DSP programs
A social prescribing organization in Nova Scotia to connect people with non-medical support
Real solutions to the housing crisis
Broader action on social issues that hit low-income people hardest
The problem: shrinking reach, silenced voices
Here’s the truth — Facebook regularly removes and/or hides my posts. Every time they do, my readership drops. I’ve gone from nearly 200 readers per post when I started, to around 100 today. That’s not just a statistic — it means fewer people hearing the voices of those who are usually ignored.
As well as FB, I’m already sharing my work on Twitter/X, Bluesky, and through an email distribution list of over 200 contacts — including city councillors, all 55 MLAs in the province, and poverty advocates across the country. But it’s not enough.
We need more eyes on these stories. We need to break past the social media choke points. We need other media outlets — like the Halifax Examiner, The Coast, and others — to amplify this work.
This is a call to action
If you believe in independent, first-voice journalism…
If you believe that the stories of low-income people in Halifax matter…
If you believe that solutions start with listening to those most affected…
Help spread the word. Share the blog. Link it. Talk about it. Push it into spaces where the right people will see it.
Because when our voices aren’t heard, nothing changes.
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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.
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