Poverty
...ut-offs. There are six people who are at higher risks of becoming homeless due to discrimination, unequal opportunities, and lack of recognition for the work they do. These people are families, women, children, seniors, natives, and the disabled. Families - where the financial supporter is young, (under 20) they have a higher risk of becoming poor because they are not yet financially stable and they don’t have all the money to support their family. This can lead them on welfare and maybe even on the streets. Women - Most women are at high risk because most young women are single parents and cannot handle all the responsibilities and costs they have to pay. Children - One in every five children are living in poverty today. This is because their parents got pregnant either accidentally or too young and the children cannot be cared for. Seniors - Seniors are at high risks usually when they are over sixty-five because their partner had died. They can’t afford anything because their partner was the provider. Natives- Natives face discrimination all of the time so no one wants to hire them. Therefore they cant afford to live anywhere so they become homeless. People with disabilities - these people have lower incomes than everyone else. Therefore, they can’t afford to work or afford a decent place to live. What are the alternatives and consequences? There are consequences which result from the lack of attention towards the poor. Some of them include: malnutrition or deaths. low living standards. high risk of criminal punishment. There are also alternatives to these various consequences some of them include: the Canadian government can give financial aid directly to the programs and institutions within the country instead of the government itself. Workfare For the people in Canada who are on welfare, there is something that the government calls workfare to help them pay for all of their expenses. Workfare forces people who are on welfare to work. It does not allow them to get the money and just sit at home without having to at least work part time. Not only are they forced to work, but they are forced, by law, to compete for and even take others jobs, and in most cases it is for much less pay and no benefits. People who are on workfare, may not be covered by employment standards, therefore employers can put them in unsafe working conditions without fear of being penalized by authorities. There is also a disadvantage of workfare. It is a violation of the basic human right to freely choose work. There are two myths workfare is based on. 1- People on welfare are so lazy that they have to be forced to work. 2- Plenty of jobs are out there waiting to be taken. (as long as economy continues to grow, everyone will benefit.) What does the Church say about Poverty in Canada? The Roman Catholic Church teaches us that we should help everyone and give to those who are less fortunate than we are. In the eyes of God, we are all brothers and sisters and we should be there for each other whenever they are in need. Jesus shows compassion and love towards the poor and less fortunate and we are called to follow in His footsteps and do the same. There are two Basic Christian Social Principles that the church teaches us to help us deal with poverty in Canada. 1- Requirements for a Decent Life - This teaches us that each person in the world has a right to a satisfactory income and to services to live a decent life. This is a natural right that comes directly from a persons dignity, not from someone’s work or other contribution to society. This principle is based on what people are and not about what they do. 2- Economic Equality - This principle says that in our society people have a right to as much economic equality as the next person. No society and no economy can function without some degree of inequality. How can we help? (Actions to be taken) Not many people realize this, but there actually are a lot of ways that we can help people in poverty. The first way is individually. People who are more fortunate, tend to make fun of the poor with their harsh words and ignoring them on the streets. Poor people are usually ashamed pitied humiliated and embarrassed about their circumstances. If we stop insulting them...