Posts
This in the Daily News today Charities willing to feed the needy together .
Its both interesting and amusing that with my two previuous posts, by the way my letter to the editor made it into both papers, we are now at where were at. Bottom line for me is to ensure that those in need get at least one, two if you include the bag lunch the 7-10 Club provides, decent free meal per day. The amusing, though sometimes challenging, thing is being both an Advocate for Social Change (aka Activist) and in this case the Chair person of the Nanaimo 7-10 Club Society www.nanaimo710club.com .
What the above story doesn't say is that the S/A will ultimately drop their lunch and that the 7-10 will enhance its program as well as operate on weekends. This of course will be with the support, funding & food, of the S/A as well as working to bring other partners from the community on board. This will not happen in the next month or so, details need to be worked out. Will keep one and all posted as they emerge.
Showing posts with label Salvation Army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salvation Army. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Starvation Army Reprise 2
Sent the following letter to the editor in yesterday and have attached a couple more stories from Friday and Saturday.
It is true that if one sifts through the various things Rob Anderson has said a kernel truth emerges. My take is they want to download the service and I have no doubt that it will happen in some form or another. What the Sally wants Sally gets. What we need to do is ensure that if another organization picks it up the Salvation Army provide the ongoing funding for it. If this were not to happen then programs like the 7-10 Clubs, http://www.nanaimo710club.com/, FREE Breakfast and Bag Lunch will not only have to compete for funding with the S/A but the new service as well. Bottom line for me is that if a new service evolves it be FREE to the community.
All this being said it is not as simple as just downloading the program. There are limited zonings in which "Social Service Resource Centres' (city of Nanaimo http://www.nanaimo.ca/ definition) are able to locate and even then it would have to be of an appropriate size and have an industrial kitchen installed.
Here is a term I have used in the past and I leave it to you the reader to determine if the shoe fits the S/A; Poverty PIMP is a term used most often to convey a person or organization profiting excessively by acting as an agent for the poor and disadvantaged and benefiting from their misfortune.
To the Editor:
Recent stories about the Salvation Army discontinuing their meal programs contain far too much inconsistent and contradictory information. Fortunately as stories come out we are, if one sifts through this information, getting a more accurate picture.
Despite union staff we now know the Salvation Army does use volunteers and rather than 250 – 300 meals number actually dropped 50% since they implemented a charge for those meals. We have also been informed by Divisional Headquarters the only way the meal program would be cancelled is if there was no longer need or another organization were to take it on.
They readily admit that the meal programs are not the cause of the purported $250,000 shortfall; they are simply the easiest to cut. What we don’t know is where the shortfall stems from, only that it is.
The community by their very donations has mandated the Salvation Army to provide this service. Recognizing whatever the true costs, $500,000 or $400,000, would they be willing to provide this funding to another group to provide this service?
With the information available I pose these two hypotheses; the Salvation Army simply no longer wishes to provide a meal program, and, the $250,000 shortfall may just be in monies raised in Nanaimo and being sent to Divisional Headquarters.
After contributing to the Salvation Army for over 120 years the Citizens of Nanaimo deserve the truth but the reality is until we have full and honest disclosure we may never know.
--------------
Published: Friday, May 28, 2010
Enduring charity struggles with funding crunch 1
Funding Crunch 2
Funding Crunch 3
Published: Saturday, May 29, 2010
Salvation Army not alone in struggles : 7-10 Club chairman says they can't fill void if lunch program is cancelled
It is true that if one sifts through the various things Rob Anderson has said a kernel truth emerges. My take is they want to download the service and I have no doubt that it will happen in some form or another. What the Sally wants Sally gets. What we need to do is ensure that if another organization picks it up the Salvation Army provide the ongoing funding for it. If this were not to happen then programs like the 7-10 Clubs, http://www.nanaimo710club.com/, FREE Breakfast and Bag Lunch will not only have to compete for funding with the S/A but the new service as well. Bottom line for me is that if a new service evolves it be FREE to the community.
All this being said it is not as simple as just downloading the program. There are limited zonings in which "Social Service Resource Centres' (city of Nanaimo http://www.nanaimo.ca/ definition) are able to locate and even then it would have to be of an appropriate size and have an industrial kitchen installed.
Here is a term I have used in the past and I leave it to you the reader to determine if the shoe fits the S/A; Poverty PIMP is a term used most often to convey a person or organization profiting excessively by acting as an agent for the poor and disadvantaged and benefiting from their misfortune.
To the Editor:
Recent stories about the Salvation Army discontinuing their meal programs contain far too much inconsistent and contradictory information. Fortunately as stories come out we are, if one sifts through this information, getting a more accurate picture.
Despite union staff we now know the Salvation Army does use volunteers and rather than 250 – 300 meals number actually dropped 50% since they implemented a charge for those meals. We have also been informed by Divisional Headquarters the only way the meal program would be cancelled is if there was no longer need or another organization were to take it on.
They readily admit that the meal programs are not the cause of the purported $250,000 shortfall; they are simply the easiest to cut. What we don’t know is where the shortfall stems from, only that it is.
The community by their very donations has mandated the Salvation Army to provide this service. Recognizing whatever the true costs, $500,000 or $400,000, would they be willing to provide this funding to another group to provide this service?
With the information available I pose these two hypotheses; the Salvation Army simply no longer wishes to provide a meal program, and, the $250,000 shortfall may just be in monies raised in Nanaimo and being sent to Divisional Headquarters.
After contributing to the Salvation Army for over 120 years the Citizens of Nanaimo deserve the truth but the reality is until we have full and honest disclosure we may never know.
--------------
Published: Friday, May 28, 2010
Enduring charity struggles with funding crunch 1
Funding Crunch 2
Funding Crunch 3
Published: Saturday, May 29, 2010
Salvation Army not alone in struggles : 7-10 Club chairman says they can't fill void if lunch program is cancelled
Friday, May 28, 2010
Starvation Army Reprise
The Salvation Army is at it again. An organization/church with assets and money, Billions of dollars, equal to or if not more than the Catholic Church is once again crying poverty.
The following stories have been put out this week by the Nanaimo Bulletin and Daily News. Following these are some comments I made at the request of the editor of the bulletin who saw my comment "There is more to this than is being said, some investigative journalism is in order," to the Daily News story and wanted elaboration. These comments/elaboration were also sent to the Daily News.
There is a lot of info here but I encourage reading it all. Then I also engourag writing the BC Divisional Office to express your disgust.
Major Brian Venables - Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia Division
Address:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5
Phone: (604)296-3821Fax: (604)291-0345 Cell: (778)227-7291
E-mail: ...
Sally Ann meal programs in jeopardy I have put the full text to this link in because my experience has shhown that after a period of time links to past Bulletin stories do not work
By Rachel Stern - Nanaimo News BulletinPublished: May 23, 2010 2:00 PM
The Salvation Army is seeking help from the community to continue its meal programs.
The organization is losing $250,000 a year and is exploring options to cut costs or get more funding. “We cannot continue to lose money,” said Rob Anderson, Salvation Army director of Nanaimo community ministries. The Salvation Army wants to create a volunteer task force to examine the meal program, how it is delivered and how to save money.
The organization recently put a call out to members of the Nanaimo Working Group on Homelessness, of which the Salvation Army is a member, for help. While the church also operates a shelter and thrift stores, the lunch and dinner programs are the only areas to find savings, Anderson said. “It’s gotten to the point where we can’t go it alone anymore,” he said.
The problems the religious organization is facing is increasing in demand – 200 to 250 people were sitting down for the lunch program on average last fall – and increasing overhead costs.
The kitchen employees are unionized, so the Salvation Army can’t bring in volunteers to cut costs. “It ties our hands on what we can do,” said Anderson.
The Salvation Army’s operating budget for the year is $3.8 million. It receives about $700,000 in provincial and federal funding, while remaining $3 million must be fundraised. The New Hope Centre takes about $1.1 million to operate and the meal program costs about $500,000 a year. On average it serves about 6,500 to 7,000 meals each month – about 3,000 of those meals are given out for free.
Gord Fuller, a member of the working group and chairman of the 7-10 Club Society, said a clear accounting of the programs is needed. “We would like to get the breakdown on exactly why it’s not working,” said Fuller, about the Salvation Army’s meal programs. “They have the money in place, so why can’t they?”
Fuller said the 7-10 Club spends about $110,000 a year on its breakfast and lunch programs, serving an average of 125 bagged lunches a day. It also pays its kitchen staff to prepare the food. Unlike the Salvation Army, it doesn’t charge for any meals. The Society is also looking to partner with community organizations to get volunteer help on weekends to offer service seven days a week. Fuller said he might be interested in joining the task force to help the Salvation Army, if it clearly presents where the money is going.
Anderson said the meal program will not be cancelled, but the organization needs to be proactive. Cancelling the meal programs would hit the community hard, Fuller said.
“In the event that it does close, it will be devastating,” he said. “Who will pick this up?”
Anderson asks any community group willing to help or be on the task force to contact the Salvation Army at 250-754-2621.
Daily News
Budget crunch may end free meals
Even the headline is wrong in this story, lunch at the Sally cost $1.00 and Dinner $2.00.
Opinion: Salvation Army now needs our support
Seems to me they already get it to the tune of millions of dollars and food donations from the community.
Points to Ponder
Lets start with the easy ones first. Volunteers not aloud because of union? I would want to see the contract with the union and where it states such. They have and still do use volunteers. I am sure if both the Daily News and the Bulletin were to check their archives they would find stories re this and if someone were to go to the S/A they would see volunteers.
250 - 300 people accessing meal program. When they started charging for dinner their numbers dropped to 70. From what I here they are no more than that for dinner. Lunch numbers, prior to the $1.00 charge, were around 125, this told to me by Rob Anderson. Since the charge the numbers have dropped significantly. During the penny campiagn the numbers counted were around the 70 range. This could be easily determined by having someone count the people going in.
Budget of meal programs. Reported to Bulletin $500,000, reported to Daily News $400,000. Why is the budget so high? How much does charging for meals bring in? They get the lions share of donations from the community in both money and food, much of the latter going to the meal programs. How much of a savings to the overall cost is this? When they talk budget are the estimated cost of food donations factored into the overall cost.
Union wages; When I spoke to Rob Anderson and asked him what the staff were being paid the largest wage was a little over $12.00hr. The 7-10 Club pays its cook $15.00hr and it is not union. They do not have that many staff at the S/A meal program so what is the total in wages.
Did they really lay off staff?
"The Salvation Army’s operating budget for the year is $3.8 million" "The New Hope Centre takes about $1.1 million to operate and the meal program costs about $500,000 " from Bulletin.
Cost of New Hope and Meal Program 1.6 million. Where does the other 2.2 million come in? Where does the $250,000 shortfall fit into all this?
Nowhere do they mention the Meal programs as being a losing proposition just that it would be the easiest to cut. How much was raised by the Kettle Campaign, Monies to go directly to community programs? How much is raised in their Thrift Stores and where does this money go? How much money is raised throughout the year fundraising in Nanaimo? Perhaps the biggest question is How much of what is raised in Nanaimo actually stays in Nanaimo?
It receives about $700,000 in provincial and federal funding. On top of this they are housing federal parolee's in the transitional Housing, Housing that should have gone to local or homeless individuals. We know they charge far more for the parollees than they would get from someone on income assistance. How much?
How can they afford to open a 3rd store if they are running a $250,000 deficit? Are they really running a deficit?
From the Daily News
"While unpleasant, Anderson said the meal program is the most logical program to cut because other community groups can step in to provide a similar service.”It's the one program that takes very little capital to replace.” It’s the one program that takes very little capital to replace. There's more of a chance that a meal program can come from other organizations rather than the capital expense of a facility like the New Hope Centre,"
This is already a service funded by the community. The Salvation Army is mandated by the Community and the communities donations to the program to provide the service. It would not be easy for another group to take on. The 7-10 Club, offering a FREE breakfast and bag lucnh, struggles every year to raise enough to keep its program going and runs on less than a quarter of the funding the S/A receives. It would most certainly take a lot of capitol to replace, that statement is simply ludicrous.
As for the Capital expense of the New Hope, it cost the Sally nothing as over 3.5 million in federal and provincial monies went towards the new building as well as renovating the kitchen and office spaces in the old. Now the costs are Hydro etc and my guess is that because the Sally is a religious organization, they say they are a non-profit when it suits them to do so, they don't even pay taxes. Since opening, the New Hope have cancelled the drop in, devoted most of the transitional units to parolees at the expense of Nanaimo's Homeless and now they talk about shutting down the meal program or even the facility as a whole.
"We've been told by the Salvation Army's district headquarters that unless we can balance our budget, we may have no choice in where the cuts will be made." Was this same statement made to Rachel? Pretty heavy statement and one you would think he would mention.
It really pisses me off when I see the misinformation being put out by the S/A. The 7-10 Club struggles to operate a free meal program and serves just as many people as the S/A for less than a quarter of their budget. For them to state that it would be easy for another group to take this on just aggravates me to the nth degree.
I personally believe that they ultimately want to shut the meal program down and bring in programs where they actually make money. A full audit of all their programs costs etc. will be the only way to find out the real costs.
-----------
A letter to press from another fine activist Wallace Malay:
Dear Editor, Not only is Rob Anderson giving false and misleading info in your article, but you as well. They are not free meals at the Sally Ann. So I know that you are all leading busy lives, and well news just is not what it use to be (unbiased). Get your facts right. The Gospel according to Rob Anderson ( Salvation Army) is at best untrue in many aspects. That this breaking news comes after many in the community are gathering to work on food security and in supporting that the 7-10 location to be opened on Saturday and Sunday's to provide for those who cannot afford to pay for their meals. Also the amount of people that the S.A. says it serves is false.They receive money for their Emergency Shelter, money for clients in the Transitional Housing. Kettle Campaign money, money from not one Thrift Store, but from three as they just opened another. Individual and corporate sponsor of meals. Food donations from many businesses and individuals,etc.Now if the media in our fair city would like to organize an open public forum to address the need to feed our hungry. That Mr. Anderson be present as well as John Horn, then let us just see what is truth and what is fiction. I doubt you will print this, no matter. The word is out and will gather in momentum.
Wallace Malay
Nanaimo, B.C.
The following stories have been put out this week by the Nanaimo Bulletin and Daily News. Following these are some comments I made at the request of the editor of the bulletin who saw my comment "There is more to this than is being said, some investigative journalism is in order," to the Daily News story and wanted elaboration. These comments/elaboration were also sent to the Daily News.
There is a lot of info here but I encourage reading it all. Then I also engourag writing the BC Divisional Office to express your disgust.
Major Brian Venables - Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia Division
Address:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5
Phone: (604)296-3821Fax: (604)291-0345 Cell: (778)227-7291
E-mail: ...
Sally Ann meal programs in jeopardy I have put the full text to this link in because my experience has shhown that after a period of time links to past Bulletin stories do not work
By Rachel Stern - Nanaimo News BulletinPublished: May 23, 2010 2:00 PM
The Salvation Army is seeking help from the community to continue its meal programs.
The organization is losing $250,000 a year and is exploring options to cut costs or get more funding. “We cannot continue to lose money,” said Rob Anderson, Salvation Army director of Nanaimo community ministries. The Salvation Army wants to create a volunteer task force to examine the meal program, how it is delivered and how to save money.
The organization recently put a call out to members of the Nanaimo Working Group on Homelessness, of which the Salvation Army is a member, for help. While the church also operates a shelter and thrift stores, the lunch and dinner programs are the only areas to find savings, Anderson said. “It’s gotten to the point where we can’t go it alone anymore,” he said.
The problems the religious organization is facing is increasing in demand – 200 to 250 people were sitting down for the lunch program on average last fall – and increasing overhead costs.
The kitchen employees are unionized, so the Salvation Army can’t bring in volunteers to cut costs. “It ties our hands on what we can do,” said Anderson.
The Salvation Army’s operating budget for the year is $3.8 million. It receives about $700,000 in provincial and federal funding, while remaining $3 million must be fundraised. The New Hope Centre takes about $1.1 million to operate and the meal program costs about $500,000 a year. On average it serves about 6,500 to 7,000 meals each month – about 3,000 of those meals are given out for free.
Gord Fuller, a member of the working group and chairman of the 7-10 Club Society, said a clear accounting of the programs is needed. “We would like to get the breakdown on exactly why it’s not working,” said Fuller, about the Salvation Army’s meal programs. “They have the money in place, so why can’t they?”
Fuller said the 7-10 Club spends about $110,000 a year on its breakfast and lunch programs, serving an average of 125 bagged lunches a day. It also pays its kitchen staff to prepare the food. Unlike the Salvation Army, it doesn’t charge for any meals. The Society is also looking to partner with community organizations to get volunteer help on weekends to offer service seven days a week. Fuller said he might be interested in joining the task force to help the Salvation Army, if it clearly presents where the money is going.
Anderson said the meal program will not be cancelled, but the organization needs to be proactive. Cancelling the meal programs would hit the community hard, Fuller said.
“In the event that it does close, it will be devastating,” he said. “Who will pick this up?”
Anderson asks any community group willing to help or be on the task force to contact the Salvation Army at 250-754-2621.
Daily News
Budget crunch may end free meals
Even the headline is wrong in this story, lunch at the Sally cost $1.00 and Dinner $2.00.
Opinion: Salvation Army now needs our support
Seems to me they already get it to the tune of millions of dollars and food donations from the community.
Points to Ponder
Lets start with the easy ones first. Volunteers not aloud because of union? I would want to see the contract with the union and where it states such. They have and still do use volunteers. I am sure if both the Daily News and the Bulletin were to check their archives they would find stories re this and if someone were to go to the S/A they would see volunteers.
250 - 300 people accessing meal program. When they started charging for dinner their numbers dropped to 70. From what I here they are no more than that for dinner. Lunch numbers, prior to the $1.00 charge, were around 125, this told to me by Rob Anderson. Since the charge the numbers have dropped significantly. During the penny campiagn the numbers counted were around the 70 range. This could be easily determined by having someone count the people going in.
Budget of meal programs. Reported to Bulletin $500,000, reported to Daily News $400,000. Why is the budget so high? How much does charging for meals bring in? They get the lions share of donations from the community in both money and food, much of the latter going to the meal programs. How much of a savings to the overall cost is this? When they talk budget are the estimated cost of food donations factored into the overall cost.
Union wages; When I spoke to Rob Anderson and asked him what the staff were being paid the largest wage was a little over $12.00hr. The 7-10 Club pays its cook $15.00hr and it is not union. They do not have that many staff at the S/A meal program so what is the total in wages.
Did they really lay off staff?
"The Salvation Army’s operating budget for the year is $3.8 million" "The New Hope Centre takes about $1.1 million to operate and the meal program costs about $500,000 " from Bulletin.
Cost of New Hope and Meal Program 1.6 million. Where does the other 2.2 million come in? Where does the $250,000 shortfall fit into all this?
Nowhere do they mention the Meal programs as being a losing proposition just that it would be the easiest to cut. How much was raised by the Kettle Campaign, Monies to go directly to community programs? How much is raised in their Thrift Stores and where does this money go? How much money is raised throughout the year fundraising in Nanaimo? Perhaps the biggest question is How much of what is raised in Nanaimo actually stays in Nanaimo?
It receives about $700,000 in provincial and federal funding. On top of this they are housing federal parolee's in the transitional Housing, Housing that should have gone to local or homeless individuals. We know they charge far more for the parollees than they would get from someone on income assistance. How much?
How can they afford to open a 3rd store if they are running a $250,000 deficit? Are they really running a deficit?
From the Daily News
"While unpleasant, Anderson said the meal program is the most logical program to cut because other community groups can step in to provide a similar service.”It's the one program that takes very little capital to replace.” It’s the one program that takes very little capital to replace. There's more of a chance that a meal program can come from other organizations rather than the capital expense of a facility like the New Hope Centre,"
This is already a service funded by the community. The Salvation Army is mandated by the Community and the communities donations to the program to provide the service. It would not be easy for another group to take on. The 7-10 Club, offering a FREE breakfast and bag lucnh, struggles every year to raise enough to keep its program going and runs on less than a quarter of the funding the S/A receives. It would most certainly take a lot of capitol to replace, that statement is simply ludicrous.
As for the Capital expense of the New Hope, it cost the Sally nothing as over 3.5 million in federal and provincial monies went towards the new building as well as renovating the kitchen and office spaces in the old. Now the costs are Hydro etc and my guess is that because the Sally is a religious organization, they say they are a non-profit when it suits them to do so, they don't even pay taxes. Since opening, the New Hope have cancelled the drop in, devoted most of the transitional units to parolees at the expense of Nanaimo's Homeless and now they talk about shutting down the meal program or even the facility as a whole.
"We've been told by the Salvation Army's district headquarters that unless we can balance our budget, we may have no choice in where the cuts will be made." Was this same statement made to Rachel? Pretty heavy statement and one you would think he would mention.
It really pisses me off when I see the misinformation being put out by the S/A. The 7-10 Club struggles to operate a free meal program and serves just as many people as the S/A for less than a quarter of their budget. For them to state that it would be easy for another group to take this on just aggravates me to the nth degree.
I personally believe that they ultimately want to shut the meal program down and bring in programs where they actually make money. A full audit of all their programs costs etc. will be the only way to find out the real costs.
-----------
A letter to press from another fine activist Wallace Malay:
Dear Editor, Not only is Rob Anderson giving false and misleading info in your article, but you as well. They are not free meals at the Sally Ann. So I know that you are all leading busy lives, and well news just is not what it use to be (unbiased). Get your facts right. The Gospel according to Rob Anderson ( Salvation Army) is at best untrue in many aspects. That this breaking news comes after many in the community are gathering to work on food security and in supporting that the 7-10 location to be opened on Saturday and Sunday's to provide for those who cannot afford to pay for their meals. Also the amount of people that the S.A. says it serves is false.They receive money for their Emergency Shelter, money for clients in the Transitional Housing. Kettle Campaign money, money from not one Thrift Store, but from three as they just opened another. Individual and corporate sponsor of meals. Food donations from many businesses and individuals,etc.Now if the media in our fair city would like to organize an open public forum to address the need to feed our hungry. That Mr. Anderson be present as well as John Horn, then let us just see what is truth and what is fiction. I doubt you will print this, no matter. The word is out and will gather in momentum.
Wallace Malay
Nanaimo, B.C.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Musing about S A etc
Originally was going to do some musing here but ended up writing the letter to the editor below. Following it are some links to stories related to the S/A and the RedZone, which for those of you who don't know is a defined area of the downtown in Nanaimo where those convicted of drug offenses in the area are not allowed to frequent.
What strikes me most about the stories of late regarding the Salvation Army charging a buck for their lunch are the asinine opinions some people have about those living in poverty. What also strikes me is that there are a growing number of people who understand poverty isn’t simply about addiction or laziness but about the utter lack of anything resembling a Social Safety Net. Sure, government provides funds to the poor but they are totally inadequate in providing the necessities that would allow a person(s) to move forward.
Poverty PIMP is a term used most often to convey a person or organization profiting excessively by acting as an agent for the poor and disadvantaged and benefiting from their misfortune. They don’t really want to see the problem eliminated, as it is not in their interest, and usually provide just enough of a service to keep the person(s) coming back for more. While the term is often associated with certain social services it is my belief that it could just as easily apply to government as well.
While providing services that allow for whatever government is in power to benefit unduly from the publicity of being seen as working on the problems of poverty and homelessness they don’t come close to providing enough to eliminate the problem. Research continually shows that adequately housed and fed individuals or families would save governments billions and yet we still see huge numbers of homeless and in BC the highest child poverty rates 7 years running in Canada.
Gordon W. Fuller
Jan. 28, 2010
VIHA plan threatens meal programs future {This story is sad and typical of VIHA and the Provincial Government. If the program shuts down it can only add to the numbers of people having to access services like the 7-10 Club [link over to the left]}
Jan. 27, 2010
Giving away meal tickets better than giving spare change
Jan. 26, 2010
400 free meal tickets go to city's hungry
Jan. 26, 2010
Red zone is still necessary
Jan. 29, 2010
Red zone has not ended drug trafficking plague
Red zone has not ended drug trafficking plague
Gordon W. Fuller, The Daily News
Published: Friday, January 29, 2010
There is no doubt that the Red Zone accomplished what it set out to do in the downtown, but only to the degree of the low level street user and dealer. One can still enter most of the bars and nightclubs in the area and within minutes secure whatever the drug of choice for the evening will be, the problem is still there but indoors. The Red Zone moved the problem into residential areas.
With a 30% increase in drug dealing and drug-related crime in 2009 one has to wonder if dispersing the dealers and addicts was really such a good idea.
Until the province and feds get off their collective butts and put funding into detox, treatment and supportive housing for recovering addicts we will always have a problem. Unless the incentive is there, what choice is there but to remain addicted? As long as the penalties for drug trafficking are seen as little more than a slap on the wrist what motivation is there for change?
What strikes me most about the stories of late regarding the Salvation Army charging a buck for their lunch are the asinine opinions some people have about those living in poverty. What also strikes me is that there are a growing number of people who understand poverty isn’t simply about addiction or laziness but about the utter lack of anything resembling a Social Safety Net. Sure, government provides funds to the poor but they are totally inadequate in providing the necessities that would allow a person(s) to move forward.
Poverty PIMP is a term used most often to convey a person or organization profiting excessively by acting as an agent for the poor and disadvantaged and benefiting from their misfortune. They don’t really want to see the problem eliminated, as it is not in their interest, and usually provide just enough of a service to keep the person(s) coming back for more. While the term is often associated with certain social services it is my belief that it could just as easily apply to government as well.
While providing services that allow for whatever government is in power to benefit unduly from the publicity of being seen as working on the problems of poverty and homelessness they don’t come close to providing enough to eliminate the problem. Research continually shows that adequately housed and fed individuals or families would save governments billions and yet we still see huge numbers of homeless and in BC the highest child poverty rates 7 years running in Canada.
Gordon W. Fuller
Jan. 28, 2010
VIHA plan threatens meal programs future {This story is sad and typical of VIHA and the Provincial Government. If the program shuts down it can only add to the numbers of people having to access services like the 7-10 Club [link over to the left]}
Jan. 27, 2010
Giving away meal tickets better than giving spare change
Jan. 26, 2010
400 free meal tickets go to city's hungry
Jan. 26, 2010
Red zone is still necessary
Jan. 29, 2010
Red zone has not ended drug trafficking plague
Red zone has not ended drug trafficking plague
Gordon W. Fuller, The Daily News
Published: Friday, January 29, 2010
There is no doubt that the Red Zone accomplished what it set out to do in the downtown, but only to the degree of the low level street user and dealer. One can still enter most of the bars and nightclubs in the area and within minutes secure whatever the drug of choice for the evening will be, the problem is still there but indoors. The Red Zone moved the problem into residential areas.
With a 30% increase in drug dealing and drug-related crime in 2009 one has to wonder if dispersing the dealers and addicts was really such a good idea.
Until the province and feds get off their collective butts and put funding into detox, treatment and supportive housing for recovering addicts we will always have a problem. Unless the incentive is there, what choice is there but to remain addicted? As long as the penalties for drug trafficking are seen as little more than a slap on the wrist what motivation is there for change?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Starvation Army Part Two
And so they charge again Free lunch ends . On January 20th, coincidently the day people receive income assistance, the Salvation Army started to once again charge $1.00 for lunch.
"The $1 charge is being brought back to help offset costs as they deal with growing demand."
What a crock of shit this comment is. The S/A have been, for months, quoting numbers of upwards of 200 plus people accessing the free lunch. Members of the Creative Awareness Collective have been doing counts of their own which turn up numbers half of what the S/A says are going through their doors.
The numbers are in actuality along the same lines as those of the 7-10 Club which sees on average just over 100 people coming and accessing their FREE breakfast and bag lunch program. Rob Anderson of the S/A has stated that their annual budget for the lunch program is $250,000.00. This is more than double the $110,000.00 that the 7-10 Club spent to provide its service.
Whats up with that and what are the true reasons that the Salvation Army is charging for meals? Hopefully, after wading through all the bullshit excuses, the truth will come out. Alas, as with most of what this organization does, secrecy seems to be the way.
"The $1 charge is being brought back to help offset costs as they deal with growing demand."
What a crock of shit this comment is. The S/A have been, for months, quoting numbers of upwards of 200 plus people accessing the free lunch. Members of the Creative Awareness Collective have been doing counts of their own which turn up numbers half of what the S/A says are going through their doors.
The numbers are in actuality along the same lines as those of the 7-10 Club which sees on average just over 100 people coming and accessing their FREE breakfast and bag lunch program. Rob Anderson of the S/A has stated that their annual budget for the lunch program is $250,000.00. This is more than double the $110,000.00 that the 7-10 Club spent to provide its service.
Whats up with that and what are the true reasons that the Salvation Army is charging for meals? Hopefully, after wading through all the bullshit excuses, the truth will come out. Alas, as with most of what this organization does, secrecy seems to be the way.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Salvation Army drops $1 lunch cost
After a meeting held with the S/A last Thursday at which nothing was resolved another meeting was scheduled for yesterday the 15th. Prior to the meeting yesterday Wallace Malay, of the Creative Awareness Collective, and myself decided to organize a protest to be held in front of the S/A. The Collective and I got the word out to those who were being affected by the $1 charge and turnout of about 20 people with posters rallied across the street. While this was going on Wallace and a couple other members of the collective, as well as the City of Nanaimo, the S/A and others met to discuss the issue. The link that follows is the upshot of what happened at the meeting and while by no means a perfect outcome it is a step in the right direction. Personally I am hoping that people will call the S/A head office in Burnaby;
Major Brian Venables Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia DivisionAddress:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5Phone: (604)296-3821Fax: (604)291-0345Cell: (778)227-7291E-mail: Brian_Venables@can.salvationarmy.org
and let them know that the charge for the meal should be lifted permanently.
While they say no one will go hungry and can access meal tickets through their Family Services program one has to ask how many appointments for tickets can be handled, on top of their regular intakes, each day?
Major Brian Venables Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia DivisionAddress:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5Phone: (604)296-3821Fax: (604)291-0345Cell: (778)227-7291E-mail: Brian_Venables@can.salvationarmy.org
and let them know that the charge for the meal should be lifted permanently.
While they say no one will go hungry and can access meal tickets through their Family Services program one has to ask how many appointments for tickets can be handled, on top of their regular intakes, each day?
Salvation Army suspends unpopular $1 fee for lunch
Small group of protesters says the charge is unfair
Salvation Army suspends unpopular $1 fee for lunch
Dustin Walker, Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
STARVATION ARMY
This is fairly lengthy but I encourage people to read on and comment.
On December 1st the Salvation Army in Nanaimo, under the guize of promoting dignity, implemented a $1.00 charge for its lunch program. I have to ask is that what they believe a persons dignity and self worth is? This is another shameful act on the part of one of the biggest and richest global NGO's on the planet, an organization that posess so much wealth it should never have to panhandle to the public again.
I have been helping protest with a small group of Advocates, Community Awareness Cllective, headed up by Wallace Malay by collecting and distributing pennies to those who cannot afford the new $1.00 charge. After the first day or two the S/A said they would no longer take the pennies unrolled and were turning people away.
I e-mailed the following to a friend who has a number of lists and touched a nerve in the BC Division Head Office.
Good day. Some may and others may not realize that the Salvaation Army has recently started charging $1.00 for lunch when for the past 6 years it has been free. It is also useful to know that about 6 months ago they also started charing $2.00 for their dinners, they to were free for aprox. 6 years. This is an organization that takes in untold thousands and millions in donations and yet they want the poor to fund their programs as well.
Part of the Salvation Armies rational for charging for lunch is that they feel it will increase the persons self worth and dignity by contributing. In reality what it will do is remove one of the very things from the reach of the poorest of the poor that keeps them alive, many will be reduced to panhandling or other means to obtain the cost. In a province that has had the highest child poverty rates six years running, the implementation of the cost for lunch and dinner will only serve to push those in need further into the depths of poverty. Attached is a poster from a group trying to raise pennies for the poor and giving them to people so they can get a lunch. Please express your disappointment at the Starvation Armies policies by calling their offices at the following numbers;
Community Services: 250 754 2621
New Hope Centre: 250 714 1142
Admin: 250 753 8834
PS. Just informed that the Salvation Army has been telling people they will not take the pennies unless they are rolled. This is to put it mildly Bull Shit. Please call the above numbers, e-mail Rob Anderson http://ca.mc327.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob_anderson@sananaimo.org or Martin McCarter http://ca.mc327.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Martin_McCarter@can.salvationarmy.org or mail thier administration offices at 505 Eighth Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 1B5 and speak out.
You can also contact and express your disgust with this new policy:
Major Brian Venables
Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia Division
Address:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5
Phone: (604)296-3821
Fax: (604)291-0345
Cell: (778)227-7291
E-mail: Brian_Venables@can.salvationarmy.org
I will say one thing for him he did gaurantee that people would not have to roll the pennies. So on the protest goes and has served an average of 50 people daily by giving them the funds to access lunch. If you wish to donate drop your pennies off between 10:30 and 1:30 at the Vault Coffee Shop on the corner of Wallace and Albert St. downtown Nanaimo.
Below are links to the Nanaimo Daily News stories and letters to the editor on the subject.
News Stories
Penny protest targets $1 Salvation Army lunch fee
Cost designed to reduce problems with neighbours
Penny protest targets $1 Salvation Army lunch fee (1)
Penny protest.......(2)
Dustin Walker, The Daily News
Published: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Darrell Bellaart: Pennies are welcome
Darrell Bellaart: Pennies are welcome
Darrell Bellaart, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Letters to the editor
Salvation Army should not charge for lunches
Edith Cartwright, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Costs should not come from those most in need
Wallace Malay, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Salvation Army decision not based in Christianity
Madeline Bruce, The Daily News
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Buck is better spent on a meal than on cigarettes
David J. Payne, The Daily News
Published: Friday, December 11, 2009
Salvation Army's reasons don't make sense
Gordon W. Fuller, The Daily News
Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009
All the needy should not be painted the same
Andre Mollon, The Daily News
Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009
On December 1st the Salvation Army in Nanaimo, under the guize of promoting dignity, implemented a $1.00 charge for its lunch program. I have to ask is that what they believe a persons dignity and self worth is? This is another shameful act on the part of one of the biggest and richest global NGO's on the planet, an organization that posess so much wealth it should never have to panhandle to the public again.
I have been helping protest with a small group of Advocates, Community Awareness Cllective, headed up by Wallace Malay by collecting and distributing pennies to those who cannot afford the new $1.00 charge. After the first day or two the S/A said they would no longer take the pennies unrolled and were turning people away.
I e-mailed the following to a friend who has a number of lists and touched a nerve in the BC Division Head Office.
Good day. Some may and others may not realize that the Salvaation Army has recently started charging $1.00 for lunch when for the past 6 years it has been free. It is also useful to know that about 6 months ago they also started charing $2.00 for their dinners, they to were free for aprox. 6 years. This is an organization that takes in untold thousands and millions in donations and yet they want the poor to fund their programs as well.
Part of the Salvation Armies rational for charging for lunch is that they feel it will increase the persons self worth and dignity by contributing. In reality what it will do is remove one of the very things from the reach of the poorest of the poor that keeps them alive, many will be reduced to panhandling or other means to obtain the cost. In a province that has had the highest child poverty rates six years running, the implementation of the cost for lunch and dinner will only serve to push those in need further into the depths of poverty. Attached is a poster from a group trying to raise pennies for the poor and giving them to people so they can get a lunch. Please express your disappointment at the Starvation Armies policies by calling their offices at the following numbers;
Community Services: 250 754 2621
New Hope Centre: 250 714 1142
Admin: 250 753 8834
PS. Just informed that the Salvation Army has been telling people they will not take the pennies unless they are rolled. This is to put it mildly Bull Shit. Please call the above numbers, e-mail Rob Anderson http://ca.mc327.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob_anderson@sananaimo.org or Martin McCarter http://ca.mc327.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Martin_McCarter@can.salvationarmy.org or mail thier administration offices at 505 Eighth Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 1B5 and speak out.
You can also contact and express your disgust with this new policy:
Major Brian Venables
Divisional Secretary for Public Relations and DevelopmentBritish Columbia Division
Address:The Salvation Army 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6N5
Phone: (604)296-3821
Fax: (604)291-0345
Cell: (778)227-7291
E-mail: Brian_Venables@can.salvationarmy.org
I will say one thing for him he did gaurantee that people would not have to roll the pennies. So on the protest goes and has served an average of 50 people daily by giving them the funds to access lunch. If you wish to donate drop your pennies off between 10:30 and 1:30 at the Vault Coffee Shop on the corner of Wallace and Albert St. downtown Nanaimo.
Below are links to the Nanaimo Daily News stories and letters to the editor on the subject.
News Stories
Penny protest targets $1 Salvation Army lunch fee
Cost designed to reduce problems with neighbours
Penny protest targets $1 Salvation Army lunch fee (1)
Penny protest.......(2)
Dustin Walker, The Daily News
Published: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Darrell Bellaart: Pennies are welcome
Darrell Bellaart: Pennies are welcome
Darrell Bellaart, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Letters to the editor
Salvation Army should not charge for lunches
Edith Cartwright, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Costs should not come from those most in need
Wallace Malay, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Salvation Army decision not based in Christianity
Madeline Bruce, The Daily News
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Buck is better spent on a meal than on cigarettes
David J. Payne, The Daily News
Published: Friday, December 11, 2009
Salvation Army's reasons don't make sense
Gordon W. Fuller, The Daily News
Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009
All the needy should not be painted the same
Andre Mollon, The Daily News
Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009
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