Last week, we were invited to join other leaders from the city in the Poverty Insights Workshop hosted by The Scott Mission. Over the course of the day, we heard about the different aspects of poverty from experts in the field of Refugees Arrivals (Anne Woolger, Matthew House Toronto), Human Trafficking (Malcolm Wilson, Durham Police), and Child Poverty (David Rivard, Children's Aid Society of Toronto). During their talks, they were given the opportunity to share their successes, challenges, and their dream on how we can all play a part together. Facilitators from The Scott Mission encouraged the table groups to add points to the discussion and our own dreams to eradicate poverty. Here are a few of our takeaways.
Every little bit counts. Even though we don't see fruit now, God may grow the seeds that we've planted.
Give a warm welcome to newcomers. Newcomers to Canada are much more likely to succeed if they are welcomed well. Frontline workers are hard at work receiving the many new families who have arrived in Canada recently.
Greater advocacy and collaboration amongst Toronto agencies is necessary. Poverty a really big issue that we cannot solve on or own. We need to work together, share insights, and hold our government accountable to their promises. Toronto is the wealthiest city in Canada but has the highest child poverty rate across the country.
We would like to thank The Scott Mission for hosting this insightful workshop. It was a great opportunity to learn, share, inspire, and meet others working with people impacted by poverty. We look forward to coming together again soon.