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UpdateQuarterly

NOVEMBER 2017

The DoorBy Amber Cannon

The door is closed and locked,

leaving me feel lonely and cold,

I feel suffering, like the dictionary

kind,

To experience pain, grief, and loss,

All things that I have felt of my

life, my love, myself,

I grieved when I could no longer,

Be a mother to my son,

A loss of painful sorrow,

Crying desperately while living in

my car.

The agony and despair of a life I

never dreamed,

Why had God forsaken me, and

ripped me of my self-esteem?

My mom, my hero has always told

me, that God does not make junk,

But I had always thought,

something was wrong with Him

when he made me.

What choice did I have now, but to

end my expectations and desires,

to take the knife and pills, and make

it worth everyone’s worthwhile?

I gave up on everything and

everyone,

The education system, police,

government, Alberta health and

myself.

So now the door is opened and I

walk cautiously in,

Because the door of hope means

an expectation that one desires,

to me that means I’ll stop

worrying, about being homeless

on the street,

I’ll be able to afford, the healthy

food I have to eat.

I can have optimism for the

future, of a better life for my son;

And put my hope in a person,

place, or thing;

Like a child late at night, wishing

upon a star;

Or on my knees, at my bed,

praying to a higher God.

I found some hope in teachers,

who saw I had potential,

In friends that sent me silly jokes,

and babies with belly laughs,

All that make me smile.

In bubble baths and pillows,

A key that opens to my home

The phone calls, texts, and hugs

from my son,

To baby cuddles and smells.

My mentor’s poems and

encouraging words,

To God’s unbelievable love.

To people who live far away,

And send me virtual hope box

smiles.continued on page 2

Sidney’s Story

Sidney dropped out of school in grade five. At the time, he was a bright and

inquisitive child, but his inattentive family led to him being disengaged from his

classroom, and eventually finding his way into a gang.

Almost 20 years in a gang led to nothing but crime,

violence, and addiction for Sidney. But then, in 2007,

he had a son, Sidney Jr. and Sidney knew things had

to change. But before he could find a way out, Sidney

was shot twice, rendering him a paraplegic.

Though traumatic, Sidney considers this to be the best

thing that could have happened to him. His injury got

him into witness protection, led to getting sober, and

receiving full custody of his son, now 10 years old.

While Sidney gives his son all the attention and care

he can, he’s found it difficult to provide. That’s why

Sidney came to Momentum to learn how to manage

his money. He then found out about starting a

Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) for himself,

and a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for

Sidney Jr. The government grants in these accounts

have made a significant impact on both of their lives.

However, Sidney’s lack of education and criminal

record are holding him back from finding work. This

means he can’t afford to save in his son’s RESP or the

cost of removing his criminal record.

Sidney and many Calgarians in a similar situation can

now access Momentum’s new microloan program

called Job Boost. It’s a low interest loan that helps

people overcome barriers to getting a better job.

Someday Sidney would like to work with youth who

are involved in gangs and encourage them take a

different path. Working as a social worker would

also mean he could continue to save for Sidney Jr.’s

education and help give him the life Sidney never had.

Together, we can continue to make a difference

in the lives of Sidney and Sidney Jr. as well as

thousands of others every year who face barriers to

education and employment.

For more information about

Momentum’s Job Boost program,

visit

momentum.org/job-boost.

So here you sit, on International

Day to Eradicate Poverty,

but how many of you think of

poverty, as money in your hands?

I’m sure that many of you do.

But poverty reduction is far more

than what it seems,

So let’s take poverty right out of

it, and put in suffering.

Open the door for others, and do

not close or lock them tight,

This is what my heroes, my

parents have done,

There superpower, is

unconditional love.

***

The Door was shared at this year’s

Spoken Word event in Calgary on

October 17th, International Day to

Eradicate Poverty. Amber Cannon

is a member of Poverty Talks!, a 12

member steering committee with

current or recent lived experience

of poverty who advocate

for social and public policy

change, while also engaging

and educating Calgarians about

poverty-related issues.

The Door, continued from page 2

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

Reconciliation Journey: Walking a Path Together

On October 12, Calgarians were invited to join Reconciliation Journey – Walking a

Path Together, a full-day conference hosted by the Indigenous Advisory Committee.

This event was a continuation of a half-day conference held in May 2017, where

organizations and individuals met to discuss Reconciliation work that is happening in

Calgary, as it relates to the 94 Calls to Action.

Guest speakers included Eugene Brave Rock (from the

movie Wonder Woman) and Michelle Thrush (from the

television series, Blackstone). There was also a panel

discussion with Cam Stewart (Alberta Human Rights

Commission), Michelle Scott (St. Mary’s University), Tim

Fox (Calgary Foundation), Meghan Aebig (Civil Engineer

Urban Systems), and Evangelina Anderson (Indigenous

Youth Artist). The event was emceed by Hal Eagletail

from Tsuu T’ina Nation, who brought his wisdom and

sense of humour that entertained the crowd.

“The conference plays important part when

approaching poverty reduction for Indigenous people

in Calgary,” said Lee Stevens a Community Facilitation &

Engagement Specialist at Vibrant Communities Calgary.

“The conference was designed to help Calgarians

understand the 94 calls to action and get connected to

the reconciliation work taking place in the city.”

Stevens went on to say: “Over the past few months

at various gatherings I have heard that Calgary

is in its ‘infancy’ when it comes to understanding

the importance of truth and reconciliation, and

addressing the calls to action. I agree with this

narrative; however, this is not a negative in and of

itself, but it demonstrates where we are at. The

Journey to Reconciliation conference was about

reaching those community members who had

minimal knowledge of truth and reconciliation, and

also for people who had a desire to address the Calls

to Action but didn’t know where to start.”

Because poverty is a symptom of colonization and

the residential school system, it is imperative that we

use Truth and Reconciliation1 as a framework.

Several attendees noted Michelle Thrush’s description

of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-

Indigenous using the imagery of a pendulum swing.

“For a while the pendulum has swung in one direction

and we need it to swing in the other until eventually,

the pendulum will stop in the middle and we will find

our natural balance,” said Thrush.

This symbolism reflects the social inequalities that

exist for Indigenous people in Canada and how to

make it right, so we get to a place where Indigenous

people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Read more about the conference in an article written

by NewscoopYYC, newscoopyyc.coop/reconciliation-

journey-walking-a-path-together/.

1http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=905

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

Empowering Kids with Aboriginal Teachings at Camp Koko’sinooniks

When a group of local indigenous children showed up recently at the Aboriginal

Learning Centre in Calgary’s Dover neighbourhood, it had more than math in mind.

Camp Koko’sinooniks (translation: All Our Children),

blessed and named by Elder Randy Bottle in a

traditional naming ceremony at Nose Hill Park this past

May, ran for five weeks this summer at Canada’s first

community hub school, the Aboriginal Learning Centre

(ALC). The effort is part of the Truth and Reconciliation

movement that is sweeping Canada, to seek to assert

what’s seen as long-ignored cultural education.

The free summer program was a collective effort

between the Calgary Board of Education, The City

of Calgary, Elders and Knowledge Keepers and

Consultants with indigenous portfolios who have

helped to collectively design the camp. “The program

demonstrates the commitment of The City to extending

the circle of participation and inclusion,” says Team

Lead of Community Social Development, Timothy Wild.

“There are 30 spaces for children over the five week

camp, so we can truly move the needle,” says Social

Programs Coordinator, Nick Gonsalvez. “To prepare

for this program, City of Calgary staff went through

two days of Indigenous Awareness training with our

lead consultant, Tim Fox. This really helped to expand

our knowledge and understanding of Indigenous

culture, history and ways of knowing.”

As part of the camp curriculum, children listened to

Elders who share traditional stories, deepened their

understanding of diverse culture and participated in

powwow dancing, traditional drumming and singing.

They also had the opportunity to learn how to set

up a traditional tipi and create various crafts around

traditional Indigenous teachings.

Some students are also successfully educating their

parents as a result of the program. In one testimonial,

a parent commented that her camper “taught her

about all of the animals and tipi teachings they

learned at the program.”

City of Calgary Aboriginal Community Social Worker,

Bev Renaud, explains that “given the importance of

indigenous culture and creating a sense of belonging

and well-being, this program supports children and

youth’s sense of pride in who they are as Indigenous

youth and their potential as our future leaders.

Connecting with families and incorporating their

knowledge was an important component to creating

a successful program that the youth and families

enjoyed and wholeheartedly supported”.

CIty of Calgary Community Social Worker, Jody

Forbes, said that her team spoke with the (ALC)

school staff and realized that food insecurity and

income is an issue for many of these families. As a

result, Sodexo Canada at Bow Valley College stepped

up to provide free lunches to campers. “Our team

wanted to remove the barriers and ensure there is

accessible programming for everyone.”

The program will continue to be delivered by The City

of Calgary this fall, as a Calgary AfterSchool program.

The aim is to increase positive youth engagement

and to develop an understanding of the diverse

First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, cultures,

contributions and ways of knowing.

As partners in Enough for All, Calgary’s poverty

reduction strategy, The CIty has honoured the

guidance of elders who have played an integral role in

developing the plan. Supporting children to connect

to their culture helps strengthen their sense of self,

their families and ultimately their communities.

Efforts to reduce poverty happen every day in many

business units across The City. If you are interested

in how you can join with other Calgarians to fight

poverty visit www.enoughforall.ca and learn more about

community based approaches to poverty reduction.

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

Basic Income, a Growing Movement in Calgary

In January 2017, Basic Income Calgary (BIC) formed to advocate for a guaranteed

basic income that would enable all Calgarians and Albertans to live a modest lifestyle

with dignity, regardless of employment status. BIC, an action group of Basic Income

Canada Network and an Enough for All stakeholder group, is striving to gain broad

support for a principles-based basic income pilot in Alberta.

BIC believes that a basic income pilot in Alberta

should be based on five key principles- be universal,

be adequate, be a complementary part of a broad

social support system, be individual and be a step

forward for those already receiving income supports.

A closer examination of current income and social

support systems demonstrate the need for such a

principles-based approach.

According to an article in the

Homeless Hub, Dr. Nick Falvo, Director

of data and research at the Calgary

Homeless Foundation reports that

our current income support programs

are designed with two contradictory

objectives in mind; to provide some

assistance to those without work

but not too much assistance that it

becomes a disincentive to work. This

flawed notion has led to an income

support system that is complex,

difficult to navigate, strips a person’s

assets and is inadequate compared to

any measure of poverty.

Poverty Costs 2.5, a report published

by Vibrant Communities Calgary and

Action to End Poverty in Alberta,

indicates that neither income support

nor Assured Income for the Severely

Handicapped (AISH) are indexed to

the cost of living. The total annual

income for a single employable

person on income support has

dropped from $11,246 in 1986 to $7,649 in 2012. A

2001 MLA committee review of the Province’s low-

income programs resulted in recommendations

that include “creating a single, consolidated income

support program of reduced complexity,” and “a

more comprehensive, integrated approach with a

broader reach.” BIC’s first two principles closely align

with these recommendations and supports people in

their efforts to live a modest and dignified life.

Poverty is no just about income, but it is always about

income. As Basic Income Canada Network suggests,

basic income “does not diminish the value of other

public services, such as health care, child care, and

supports for people with disabilities” … nor does it

eliminate the need to tackle other

systemic contributors to poverty such

as gender inequality and racism… “it

is a powerful complement to help

those systems get better results.” The

Enough for All Strategy also states

that “when delivered effectively,

a strong formal support system

provides an important safety net that

can prevent people from falling into

poverty when they face challenges.”

An adequate income alone will not

end poverty.

BIC is ramping up its efforts for

2018 and is striving to build a strong

network of Albertans supporting

basic income. To learn more about

BIC’s principles, to receive updates or

attend a quarterly network meeting,

sign up for BIC’s mailing list at

basicincomealberta.ca or email

calgary@basicincomealberta.ca.

Poverty is not just about income,

but it is always about income.

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

Creative Theory presented their 2016 Evaluation

Repor1 to the VCC Board in May 2017. The report

includes 10 recommendations. VCC is pleased to

share the associated Evaluation Response Report2.

Enough for All and the 2016 Evaluation Report

belongs to all Calgarians and the hundreds of

stakeholders advancing their piece of this complex

puzzle. As the backbone organization, it is VCC’s role

to receive the 2016 Evaluation Report on behalf of the

greater community and Enough for All collaboratives.

VCC and Enough for All collaboratives have

already made strong progress on a number of the

recommendations. With the support and participation

of the Implementation Leadership Council, 2018

Implementation Plan was developed in 2017, leading the

work in an exciting direction for the next 12 months.

There will always be a degree of unpredictability in

the emergent work of collective impact and systems

change. However our accountability to stakeholders,

funders, partners and low-income Calgarians remains

the same. We hope that in sharing the successes

and failures VCC maintains the transparency and

accountability requested by the community. We are

excited to share with you our plans for the coming year.

Cathy Williams, VCC Board Chair Franco Savoia, Executive Director

1 http://vibrantcalgary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2018-E4A-Implementation-Plan.pdf

The Enough for All Implementation Plan for 20181

With the support of many stakeholders representing the voice of Lived Experience

of poverty, collaboratives, networks, advisory committees and funders we completed

the drafting of the priorities for the 2018 work of collaboratives aligned with Enough

for All and Vibrant Communities Calgary.

The 2018 Implementation Plan seeks to inspire real

progress toward the goal of cutting the number

of people living in poverty in half by 2023 — so

Calgarians’ basic needs are met, and all have the

opportunity to participate fully in their communities.

The Enough for All implementation plan drafted in

2015 had a four-year scope. The many learnings,

accumulated during the first two years of the

implementation of Enough for All and the

momentous changes in funding and the economy of

our city, compelled Vibrant Communities Calgary to

revise the plan for implementing poverty reduction.

The Enough for All strategy is fortunate to have many

organizations working on addressing the root causes

of poverty. Those organizations gather into networks

and collaboratives to coordinate their work and

strengthen their impact. They exchange information

and discuss their work and plans to further their

reach at the Implementation Council that gathers

representatives from all collaboratives.

The fast-track process to draft the 2018 Plan relied

heavily on the Implementation Council to build

on the learnings from Enough for All Evaluation

Reports of 2015 and 2016 and temper the promise of

newer approaches successful on reducing poverty

Response to the Enough for All 2016 Evaluation Report

As Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) assumed the role of guiding the

implementation of Enough for All, a number of collective impact backbone

organizations advised that there should be external independent evaluators to track

progress. VCC engaged Creative Theory to track progress and annually evaluate the

implementation of Enough for All.

1vibrantcalgary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2016FinalEvaluationReportE4A.pdf 2vibrantcalgary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2016-Enough-for-All-Evaluation-Response-Report.pdf

Enough for All Quarterly Update: November 2017

elsewhere. Through the council, opportunities were

provided to the networks, collaboratives, advisory

groups and several other stakeholders to prioritize

the current and potential areas of work for 2018.

A copy of the 2018 Implementation plan is available

online at vibrantcalgary.com.

We are humbled by the generosity of the members

of the Council and all working groups that led the

identification of the objectives for Enough for All

work in 2018. The priorities (represented by those

objectives) will guide the work of the Implementation

Council members and the activities, projects and

programs supported by VCC.

We are grateful to all participants and to Dr. Lisa

Peterman who led the consultation process and

provided thought leadership.

VCC WILL EMPLOY THESE STRATEGIES:Support aligned activities and continuous communication• By piloting a mutually reinforcing

action planning process• By hosting two pan collaborative

meetings• By facilitating cross-cultural

learning opportunities

Build public will• By raising awareness of poverty and

the root causes of poverty• By carrying out the second phase of the

public awareness campaign and using phase 1 and 2 communication assets

• By developing a plan to accelerate and sustain continued communication about poverty reduction

Mobilize resources• By resourcing existing

collaboratives more appropriately

Advocate for change• By developing an

advocacy plan

Enable sharedmeasurement• By implementing

a data-sharing and measurement pilot project based on the mutually reinforcing action planning process

2018 Implementation Plan

¹Hudson, C.A. (2014). Poverty Costs 2.5: Investing in Albertans. Calgary: Vibrant Communities Calgary and Action to End Poverty in Alberta.

POVERTY IN CALGARYRoughly 1 in 10 Calgarians are living in poverty. That means about 150,000 people are living without enough money for food, shelter and other basic needs. The Calgary Foundation notes that poverty’s yearly toll in Alberta is between $7.1 billion and $9.5 billion¹.

VCC WILL MEET THESE OBJECTIVES IN 2018:1. Advancing reconciliation and

healing2. Increasing nancial

empowerment3. Increasing economic

participation4. Increasing social inclusion5. Improving access to services

that meet basic needs6. Increasing access to supports

and services

ENOUGH FOR ALLCalgary has a community-driven strategy to reduce poverty, Enough for All.Enough for All is committed to the following four goals:1. All Calgary communities are

strong, supportive and inclusive.2. All Aboriginal people are

equal participants in Calgary’s prosperous future.

3. Everyone in Calgary can easily access the right supports, services and resources.

4. Everyone in Calgary has the income and assets to thrive.

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES CALGARY (VCC)Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) guides the implementation of the strategy — with the community remaining its collective ‘owner’. That ownership is currently shared across 20 collaboratives and networks of community members including people with lived experience of poverty, Indigenous leaders and organizations with a focus on reducing poverty.

VCC AIMS TO:• Strengthen VCC’s

strategic and coordinated leadership

• Leverage and strengthen VCC staff skills and capacity

400 – 119 14 Street NW Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 enoughforall.ca

Enough for All needs all of us, from

every sector, working together to

succeed! Are you or your organization

interested in getting involved? Find out more

at enoughforall.ca or reach out by contacting

info@vibrantcalgary.com