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| Photo Credit Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2010 STOP! LTB has a challenge for you. This month's theme is "Poverty & Homelessness". Some of us have (or may still be) in a situation that we would term "poor" or possibly "homeless", like one of our LTB alumni. For others, this may be a totally new experience. What is the Challenge you ask? A. First, do the math. How much do you spend in a month? Day? "Do the Math" will help you determine how much you think one needs to live frugally, but in dignity and in reasonable health in Ontario. |
"Do the Math" will take approximately 6 minutes to complete.
You will see your results at the end,
and will be able to compare it to
approximately 5,000 others who have completed this thus far.
Take the Do The Math Survey HERE:
B. Take the Challenge
Starting RIGHT NOW (ie, no prep time)...
for the NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Stop Spending $$$
- record all of your expenditures (this should be a short list)
- do not eat out at restaurants or buy coffee or snacks
- live from the groceries you have at home without a single trip to the store
- you may go to the Dew Drop In, Shelter House, Grace Place or other shelters for food (and replace what you ate in the next 30 days through donations)
- do not purchase clothing, cleaning supplies, services (ie haircuts) or gas (cut back on your trips or ride share/take the bus)
- all gifts you give this week should be recycled/re-gifted (no new purchases)
- talk about this challenge with your children, friends and family,
- and encourage others to Do the Math
- record your thoughts and comments (see example below)
***
Excerpts from the Mihavic Family who "did the challenge" in Toronto, April 2010
Today's breakfast was the last breakfast that we had in the exercise. We had practically no food left, except for a bit of oatmeal (enough for one person), and coffee for Rosalee and me. We thought of making flatbread again but felt that enough was enough
(especially since the peanut butter ran out), and that we were close enough to lunch time, when we were breaking the diet.
The feeling in the home was frankly one of jubilation. We made it to the end abiding by the rules of the exercise.
We were hungry throughout the week but persisted. My daughters were proud that they made it, and we were proud of them for their determination and ability to stick with it.
... for many this exercise is their life and they cannot get off the treadmill.
There is a lot of thinking going on in my household on food, our family, who eats and doesn?t in our world, and social injustice.
Our family will never look at the folk going into the drop-in for a meal the same again.
This was a powerful exercise for us as a family, and frankly I am grateful that my daughters were a part of the challenge. It was a great learning experience for them, sensitizing them to the wider world and its inequalities. I for one want my children to be sensitized to pain of others in Toronto and not just its blessings.
There are a whole host of insights and thoughts I have around doing this on a broader scale. There is nothing like the experience of hunger, of walking in other?s shoes, even for a short time, to clarify and discipline the mind around what is important in our city. I want to work with others to broaden the experience for other families. I do believe that when middle class families like ours take up the challenge, that it will help to build the political and social momentum necessary to better our governments? and society's response.
Lastly, we are grateful to The Stop for opening our eyes, and more importantly for being there. Community organizations that work for and with the poor in our community, that advocate on their behalf are heroes in this story. How they do it every day and not burn out or get mega-angry at governments and the pace of societal change is remarkable.
More stories here:
READY?
We will chat about the experience at our next LLD...
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