Sunday, February 12, 2017

Day Two: Free breakfast & busted microwaves

Saturday morning began with a visit to Jubilee Church for Sam and I to enjoy a free pancake breakfast prepared by volunteers from the Kenora NDP. The meal gave me an opportunity to chat with some community members I haven't seen in a while and also helped me to meet a few new people. When I'm in a familiar environment I find it quite easy to strike up a conversation with a new person; however, I'm discovering that I don't have that same confidence when I'm in a new environment. Fortunately, I was at a table with a chatty bunch (Sam being one of them 😀!) who were pretty eager to share. The challenge is pushing me to explore new places in my community and as I'm doing so, I'm meeting people and hearing pieces of their stories.

On our way out of Jubilee we chatted with volunteers (wo)manning a booth promoting various resources and projects. We signed a petition for Fight for 15 & Fairness - check out their website! This movement is pushing for:

  • Decent hours for decent incomes.
  • Paid sick days for workers.
  • Respectful workplaces and rules that protect all workers.
  • An increase in minimum wage to $15.

They were also handing out mini shampoo bottles. I snagged one and cannot wait to have my first shower of the challenge. It's such a luxury to be able to shower whenever you would like and to have a variety of shampoos, and body/body washes available to use.

My challenge card for Saturday: Your microwave broke. 

If I think about dealing with this issue in my non-challenge life, it isn't really a huge ordeal. I have a stove and kettle available that I can use in place of the microwave - might take more time, but I'm still able to do all the meal prep I need. Also, I have the food skills and knowledge needed to prep my meals by an alternate means. My landlords are very responsive and I would feel comfortable letting them know right away that one of their appliances was on the fritz (my apartment is furnished); they would 100% work through the problem with me.

Now, how would this issue look to someone living on Ontario Works? Perhaps my kitchen would be less equipped, which could mean that I wouldn't have a kettle to boil water and stovetop preparation would be my only option. This is okay as long as I have the pots and pans needed for heating up and cooking food.

So, I would likely want to look into getting my microwave fixed or getting a replacement. Since it's the weekend, I will wait until Monday to contact Minto Child and Family Resource Centre, Women's Place Kenora, and the Salvation Army to see if they have any leads on a free or cheap microwave. While I'm at the meal program on Sunday I can also ask at Jubilee Church if they have any suggestions. On Monday, I will also call an OW case worker and see if there is any money available through discretionary benefits to help me repair or replace my microwave.

Reflections:
  • Technology and the ease of connection - I want to know which meal program the YPNers would like to check out tomorrow? Send a quick text. I'm unsure when Women's Place has a community kitchen? I check out their Facebook page. Having a smartphone and computer available to me in my home and on the go makes connecting with people and community programs quite easy. The library has computers that community members can use for free, so there would be a way to access the internet even without my personal devices. But I'm more aware right now than ever before how reliant I am on technology as a tool for connecting myself with others and my community.
  • Blogging is a really uncomfortable thing for me. Each of my posts take a really long time and I'm struggling with putting my feelings and emotions into words. I do a lot of report writing for work, but that is very, very different from blogging about personal experience! 
  • This challenge is not a joke and neither is poverty. If you come across any content in my blog that makes you smile or laugh please know that I've added that piece as a way to (hopefully) make my blog an enjoyable read, increase the likelihood that it will be shared more widely on social media, and hook people in so they will check out my next blog. 
P.S. Check out my next blog post... coming to you later today!!

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