Fred and Marion Wright: Day 4

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 16^th until February 21^st, 2016.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Day 4

Good Morning All. Well have the elation of a FREE breakfast yesterday, we are back down to earth with a solid crunch this morning. Our daily challenge is that we have a doctor's appointment in Winnipeg and must assume we don't have a car. Greyhound is $44.70. It costs more than that to drive anyway. We just cannot come up with $45for a trip to Winnipeg, so we must:

Find out if there is any assistance for this.
Post on social media to see if someone is going to Winnipeg and the work on a ride back. I can stay with the kids in Winnipeg if I have to stay over. Lucky for that.
Marion hasn't had her coffee yet, so I won't ask her until later. She is the brains in this outfit.

I have to go to work for Rotary now, so will get back to this later. BIG Challenge!!
Being poor can be depressing. Thank goodness we had some joy yesterday. We must find a way to spread joy after we get to walk out of poverty on the weekend.

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About Us

Occupation: Business Management Consultant (Mostly retired) Brief description of you: I am 67 years old and made my living in the construction business where I worked for almost 50 years. I have been semi-retired since 2002 when I moved to our home on Lake of the Woods.

Through working in construction, I was privileged to attend the University of Calgary where I achieved a BA in Political Science followed by a year in Commerce. Marion and I have five children from prior marriages and they live in Winnipeg, Calgary and Toronto. We enjoy 13 grandchildren.

Average weekly budget for "basic needs" (food, transportation, personal supplies, entertainment etc - not shelter related costs): $800 for the two of us.

Favorite "splurge": Good Wine and Single Malt Whiskey The one item or service you purchase that you can't live without: I do not believe that there is anything that I purchase that I cannot live without.

What do you anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? We usually eat very well and enjoy good wine with our meals. We will have to cut back on more expensive menu items and leave the wine and malt in the cellar for five days.

Why did you decide to take the challenge? We are very interested in what we can do to help deal with poverty in our community and doing the challenge will help us to relate to the challenges that many in our community deal with every day.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Day 4

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