As low-income single mothers, we rarely have enough money to feed ourselves and our children properly. This is because the Family Benefit cheques are completely inadequate and the minimum wage is so low that it is also called the “starvation wage.” Women do not receive monetary recognition for the vast amount of work we do in the home: the work bearing and rearing children; the work of maintaining a home; the work of nurturing other family members. Most women are not averse to playing the caring roles in our society. Indeed, our world leaders could do with an extra helping of such sensitivity and caring. However, I fail to see why we, as women, should receive either no income or very little and/or support for doing this valuable job. I also fail to see why so many do not do their share of domestic and caring roles in our world when this is such a valuable job.
The end result of this global oppression of women is that women and children are the ones who live in poverty most often. This means that we, as women, face hunger and malnutrition in a wealthy, industrialized country. Therefore, it is very important that as we are fighting back against this wall of oppression, we are collectively making the most of our food dollar.
If there are enough of us in an area, you can try to organize a food co-op. That is, a group of us get together and pool our money. You decide as a group what you need and want to buy and you buy it in bulk. You buy it directly from the farmer or food wholesalers. Buying in bulk keeps the food costs down. For example, I recently had paid $1.29 for two pounds of carrots while my friend in the co-op had paid approximately eighty-five cents for ten pounds of carrots. Planning meals together makes you more aware of the nutritional value of the food. You are working with women who are in the same situation as you and you will become good friends as you exchange more survival knowledge.
There are a number of food co-ops in the Halifax area, including Community Kitchens programs in which a group of people buy food in bulk and come together once a week to prepare meals to last several days. There is a community kitchen at the Mi’kmaq Children’s Centre, and many more in Metro. Information on these programs can be obtained through the Metro Food Bank Society, by calling 457-1900.
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In Edmonton in 1981, the first food bank of this ongoing recession/depression opened. By 1993, Canada had 436 registered food banks and thousand of “informal” food banks. Informal food banks are temporary sources of groceries dispersed through a network of family, friends, and/or churches.
The presence of food banks in a wealthy country such as Canada is a blatant sign that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The system is NOT working for everyone, only for a select few.
Many times I have been told that poor people end up going to food banks because we mismanage our money. This is a ridiculous argument. This argument says that in the 1970s when there were no food banks, everyone managed to balance their budget but when the 1980s came along, we all went shopping for frivolous things. This argument directs the blame away from the government which has consistently mismanaged taxpayers’ money and from big business which needs large numbers of poor people to keep workers low-paid and unorganized.
Another argument I hear all the time is that people in Nova Scotia are not going hungry, that if I want to see starvation then I should look to Ethiopia. The massive starvation of people in Ethiopia and other nations is a human tragedy beyond words. But that does not justify the fact that hundreds of thousands of Canadians are going hungry in a wealthy country, simply because we are not paid enough to afford food. Perhaps Canada would be able to give more support to famine-stricken countries if we were able to sort out our own food distribution system.
Hunger has become a national problem. The minimum wage and ‘welfare’ benefits are completely inadequate to meet the basic nutritional requirements for a human being to live in a healthy manner. And our social and political system has come to rely upon food banks to fill the gap where the system is failing. The “public safety net,” which was designed so that people in Canada would not go hungry, is collapsing.
It is not easy to swallow your pride and make the decision to go to a food bank for help. When you go to a food bank, remember the survival rules: dress comfortable, be yourself, hold your head up, look everyone straight in the eye. Be polite, but firm, and maintain your pride. You are not the one who should be ashamed. You are working hard, raising the future workers of this country. A country as rich in natural resources as Canada has no excuse for allowing people to go hungry.
The first place to start looking for a food bank close to you if you are living in the HRM, is by calling Feed Nova Scotia (the Metro Food Bank Society) and asking for a list of phone numbers or addresses of local food banks. Not every food bank is open on the same day. The one closest to you may be closed so they will try to help you sort out when and where to go. Try to stagger your food bank visits across as many banks as possible as the formal ones like Parker Street will only a monthly visit, while informal banks like those in churches and community centres may allow more. Also, if you are pregnant, there is a pregnant nutrition program that will provide you with additional and special food products.
If you are in a rural area, most communities list their food banks in the phonebook. You can ask the local Parent or Women’s Centre and Social Services should have a list of what’s available.
If you do not have such organizations near you, try calling the local churches. If you are a mom in a rural area and you do not have transportation to get to a food bank, ask the food bank organizers if they can get the food to you. Many food bank organizers in rural areas have volunteers to deliver food to those who can’t get to them.
If
you are a mom in an urban area (city or town) you may still need someone
to deliver the food to you, as you might not even have the bus fare to
get yourself and your child(ren) there and back. Call the food bank and
explain your situation.
Always call the food bank before you visit them. And call them before
you run out of food, since most of the food banks are open only a day
or two of the week and with very limited hours.
You may also have trouble getting a church food bank to give food to you as you may not meet their requirements. Some church food banks will only give to members of their own congregation, others will only give food if you can prove your child(ren) have been christened or baptized, others will only give to people who live in a certain area of the town or county, and some give to all. Some will want a referral from your case worker, priest, or minister. This, personally, makes me angry. It says they don’t believe we are really hungry and that they will only believe us if someone who is in “authority” tells them we need the food. That insults our integrity. And what of the people who don’t have a minister, priest, rabbi, or case worker?
When you contact the food bank, they will want to know your name, phone number, and address. Have your Nova Scotia Health Card ready as well, as this is the most common form of ID they ask for. Some will want to know your social insurance number. They will want to know the number of children you have and their ages.
If you are in a town or city, you can also try your local branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Salvation Army. They will also want to know your Nova Scotia Health Card number, and the amount and source of income you are presently receiving.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, maintain your pride. You are not ashamed. You are proud because you are not going to let anyone beat you down. You are a survivor!