The Options Committee of Making Kenora Home is proposing the sixth poverty challenge, A Walk in Other’s Shoes. This year, we have asked our local business community to take the challenge.

Participants have been asked to attempt to stay within a social assistance benefits’ budget. A single person on Ontario Works would receive $305 per month, $10.00 per day, or $50.00 for the five-day period. A couple would receive $468 per month, allowing a daily budget of $15.60 or $78.00 for five days.

The budget includes all food and drink, entertainment, some personal supplies and transportation costs. Each participant will be given a daily challenge card, which will reveal an additional challenge to be completed before the end of each day.

The participants will experience some of the hurdles that people living on social assistance face. It is hoped that the event will raise awareness and break barriers for people living in poverty. The challenge takes place February 16th until February 21st, 2016.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Day 2 begins

Day 2 begins as we have finished lunch. I agree with Craig that we are spending a lot more time thinking about what we will eat and whether we can make it through on what we have. We are also spending a little more time cooking. Marion is making bread and I made flatbread and pancakes twice. The decision to purchase flour was brilliant as it cost about the same as a loaf of bread.
Marion had a meeting this morning and stopped at the store and we `splurged 'on chicken bullion cubes to make soup and butter to make some of the stuff we are eating a little more palatable. She also looked after our daily challenge, to buy chocolate for a craving that would not go away. I cannot do chocolate anymore because I am diabetic. Marion aced it. She bought a small bag of rosebuds in bulk for $0.35, so our total grocery bill today was $8.97 and that puts us at $66.22 so far. The total includes $0.79 for the garlic that we had here and did not buy more to replace, $1.50 for the half container of blueberries that would have spoiled otherwise and $4.99 for hand cream that we have here.
We also figure that we will be using about $8.00 worth of on hand supplies such as soap etc. We just could not have bought all the personal stuff that we need or use on the allowance of $78.00. So we have $4 left. Going to be tight. Hope we don`t get any expensive challenges.
Marion realised this morning while she was applying her face cream, that she couldn't' afford the stuff that she uses, so she will get by this week using hand cream, thus the addition of $4.99 for hand cream.
Like the others, it is very nice to have a warm cozy home to live in and also heartening to know that we will graduate from poverty in four more days.
Now back to check on the huge pot of pinto beans that is cooking on the stove; cannot afford to have it ruined; that is our major source of protein for the rest of the week.
We had pancakes and an egg each for lunch. We now have 8 eggs left. Breakfast is oatmeal with milk. We will have some stuff left over at the end of the five days, such as oatmeal and cooking oil.
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