Columnists
Winter Worry-land
As we head into the winter (and we really are heading into the winter) I can’t help but think of those people who dread the cold weather. Cold, Canadian winters are expensive. Homes need to be heated. Kids will outgrow their winter coats, boots, hats and mittens. The cost of food is astronomical already, but the cost of fresh food rises during the winter months. It would be easy enough for me to joke about wanting to fatten-up for the cold weather’s semi-hibernation season because I can. But, like a lot of all y’all, I am able to reluctantly pay the very high cost of staying warm, the exorbitant price of food staples and anteup the cost of living in my home when the temperature drops and the snow flies. However, many people right here in our community cannot easily do those things. This is a community of working poor. People who have one or two or even three jobs, but can’t afford the roof over their heads or the food in their fridge. I know, some County residents work and earn enough to feel secure. And yes, I’m aware of the resources in the County to help the working poor, but it really shouldn’t be this way, should it? People shouldn’t be afraid of grocery shopping. People shouldn’t have to choose between just filling a belly and eating healthily. People shouldn’t have to dread keeping warm. People shouldn’t wonder how they’ll do all of the things they need to do to live and then worry a bit more about how they’ll actually get to work once the roads are snow- and ice-covered. Yet, here we are. In some sense we, as a community, have come a long way, but we’re a bit short when it comes to dignity, equality, equity and fairness for those who are the working poor.
Yes, here we are. The big banks and grocery corporations have made record profits during the pandemic while holding the line on, or even cutting, staffing, hours and wages. The person who is earning minimum wage bagging, stocking, checking, smiling, helping and schlepping will still have to pay the $4 plus for a loaf of bread. There isn’t a paywhat- you-can-afford loaf of bread section in any of the local grocery stores. The thing about bread is it is a very important staple in the diet of people who are living close to the edge. Those people living close to the edge will then have to pay the same $6 to $9 for a jar of peanut butter as the folks who don’t have food security issues. When the folks who put the statistics together about how much a family should spend on groceries, they’re just talking about food. What about the sanitary products, the cleaners, the soap, the detergent, the toilet paper, the personal care items? And, what about the cost of keeping a roof over your head? While I’m not in need of a home, I have been watching the rental market. It’s nauseatingly scary. At the very least a family of four is looking at around twenty thousand dollars a year for a safe, clean place, and often that amount doesn’t include utilities, telephone, Internet and upkeep. For a lot of people in our beautiful community, winter isn’t a Winter Wonderland. For many people in our community it will be a Winter Worryland.
This year, instead of waiting until the middle of December, I will make an effort to pay it forward. I will look out for opportunities to help, now. I’ll work on being a kinder, more generous, person. I will give to local “helping” services without expecting anything in return. I won’t have my name posted on their social media pages. So, I won’t take a gift for giving. I will donate to charitable organizations that benefits people living right here in this community. I will donate ten per cent of my personal income to those local organizations. I will say “yes” when a friend or family asks for help. I will pick an Angel from the CAS Angel tree and purchase gifts for a child in our community. I will make a financial donation to the local food bank. I will run, walk or hike to raise funds for a local cause. I refuse to shake my finger at business people who are in the housing business and ask them about affordable accommodations. Very clearly, the issue of affordable housing is an issue to be dealt with by local, provincial and federal governments.
“When you give and expect something in return (a token, a T-shirt, a ball cap, an acknowledgement, a meal, etc) it’s a transaction, not a kind gesture.” I will be a giver.
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