Social Action and Outreach Committee (SAOC)

Throughout the year, SAOC will be bringing to the congregation’s attention a variety of environmental issues. World Water Day, on March 22, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater. It is a day to celebrate water and inspire action to tackle the global water crisis. Save Our Glaciers is the focus of the 2025 Campaign. For more information, click here.

Saving Items from the Landfill and Donating to Local Charities
SAOC would like to remind you that if you are spring cleaning or downsizing, please consider donating to local organizations. Click here for a list of places that accept donations.

Community Houses Supported by RPUC
SAOC supports four Community Houses in our area through personal care collections and financial donations. Click here for a list of the Community Houses.

Heron Emergency Food Centre needs your support. Since the beginning of January, they have been receiving 30% less food from the Ottawa Food Bank than last year while providing three days a month of emergency food to 20% more people than we did last January. This situation is unsustainable forcing them to decrease the amount of food they give.
In order to ensure, in these uncertain times, that HEFC will be able to continue to serve all who come to them, they have made the difficult decision to reduce the selection of food they are providing such as instant coffee, tea, jam and powdered milk. They will be reassessing the situation on a monthly basis.
Now, more than ever, HEFC is appealing to local churches to assist them to provide the necessities to the most vulnerable members of our community. Food donations, left in the boxes provided at the church, are greatly appreciated.  Since there is very limited storage space at HEFC, they also appreciate monetary donations. Secure monetary donations can be made at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/8179.

January 31, 2025: Social Action and Outreach Committee’s (SAOC) final poverty issue is Economic Barriers. Basic Income Ottawa is working to bring to the attention of all levels of government the importance of a basic income for all. It is a regular, unconditional cash transfer from government to individuals to enable everyone to meet their basic needs, participate in society and live with dignity. Basic income is a strategic investment to improve well-being. For information on how Basic Income Ottawa is working towards eliminating economic barriers, click here.

Basic Income Ottawa – https://ottawabasicincome.ca/

Ottawa Basic Income Guarantee focuses on advocacy in Ottawa. They are members of the Ontario Basic Income Network (OBIN), and partners with Basic Income Canada Youth Network (BIYCN), Basic Income Canada Network (BICN) and Coalition Canada.

The myths circulate: “People are lazy and won’t work if they have a Basic Income.” “It is too expensive and we can’t afford it.” However, evidence has shown the myths to be false. When people have the economic freedom to make choices and plan for their future, involvement in work and in the community increases. The lack of income security creates mental stress on individuals and families, resulting in a significant burden on our health, justice, welfare and related social services systems. A basic income is a periodic, unconditional cash payment provided by government to individuals. It ensures recipients can meet their basic needs and live with dignity.

January 24, 2025: The Social Action and Outreach Committee (SAOC) continues to bring attention to the issue of poverty in Ottawa. This week we focus on the Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) who build affordable housing to help reduce housing insecurity in Ottawa. Rideau Park, along with many other Ottawa churches, is a member of the MHI.

Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) – https://www.multifaithhousing.ca/

Multifaith Housing Initiative exists to build affordable housing that helps fix Ottawa’s housing crisis and gets at-risk people into secure, safe homes. MHI is a not-for-profit charitable organization in Ottawa, established in 2002.

MHI is a coalition of faith groups who work with local businesses, civil society, the City of Ottawa and federal/provincial governments to build and house our communities for the future. This new way of working has created homes for more than 400 people, with more on the way. It has opened up new ways to gather the commitment, skills and resources that build homes and strengthen communities. To have a safe, secure, affordable home is life changing. A roof over your head means more than shelter. It means better health, more stability. A chance to work, study and live to build a future for yourself, for others and for the greater community.

Gloucester Housing Corporation amalgamated with MHI in the fall of 2024. The amalgamation increased MHI’s tenant count to over 1,000 people, over nine different housing communities.

January 10, 2025: The Social Action and Outreach Committee continues to bring attention to the issue of poverty in Ottawa. This week we focus on the Heron Emergency Food Centre (HEFC), who provides an emergency supply of food to food insecure households in our community. HEFC is assisted by the generosity of local churches (including Rideau Park) and residents.

Heron Emergency Food Centre (HEFC) – https://www.hefc.ca/

HEFC is a food bank, covering a specific geographic area in southeast Ottawa. Through our contract with Ottawa Food Bank (OFB), we are required to only serve people in our catchment area.

HEFC is a separate, not-for-profit charitable organization with its own Board of Directors and budget.  We receive some food in bulk from the OFB, but must also purchase supplemental supplies to ensure that those in need receive sufficient, nutritious food. These purchases are funded by donations.

HEFC provides food to those in need, once per month, with amounts determined by the size of family and the amount of food we have.

Many people are only one pay cheque away from financial disaster; an accident, illness, job loss or other unforeseen event can overwhelm low-income families.   A single person on Ontario Works, receives $733.00 a month in 2024, unchanged since 2022, according to the government website.  A furnished room costs at least $900.00 a month in Ottawa in 2024.

In Ottawa, the monthly cost of feeding a family of four increased $48 in 2024. The Nutritious Food Basket Survey by Ottawa Public Health, shows the monthly cost of healthy eating for a family of four is $1,244 in 2024, up from $1,196 in 2023 and $1,129 in 2022 (the 2022 and 2023 prices are adjusted for inflation).

Families struggling on a permanent disability or old age pension or managing unexpected expenses often find they do not have enough food to last a month.

January 3, 2025: Over the next few weeks, the Social Action and Outreach Committee will be bringing the issues of food insecurity, housing insecurity and economic barriers to the congregations attention.  Ottawa is a wealthy city in a wealthy country, yet there are tens of thousands in our city who are either homeless or live in inadequate housing. Many Ottawa residents cannot meet their daily food needs. Some also miss opportunities and even critical appointments because they cannot afford transportation.

Poverty in Ottawa

Data on the current state of poverty in Ottawa, September 2024   https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/default/files/povertydata2024_EN.pdf 

Food Insecurity
Food insecurity Over one million more people in Canada experienced food insecurity in 2021 and almost three-quarters of them (72.9 percent) were people who lived in families with children. Food insecurity refers to the uncertainty or inability to afford sufficient quantities of food, and barriers to accessing quality food to maintain a healthy diet. It is an indicator of material deprivation and a function of household income. Over one million more people in Canada experienced food insecurity in 2021 and almost three-quarters of them (72.9 percent) were people who lived in families with children.  Relative to other household composition types, a higher percentage of single mothers, particularly those who identify as Indigenous or Black, experience food insecurity. Furthermore, one in four (26 percent) newcomer families in Canada are food insecure.

Between March 2022 and November 2023, the average annual increase in the cost of food purchased from stores in Canada was considerably higher than overall measures of inflation. Despite high inflation, however, people in Canada spent less than anticipated on food in 2023. While the expected annual cost of a healthy food basket for a couple with two children was $16,288.40; the actual amount families spent on food was $15,595 or $693 less. This suggests that in the context of higher shelter costs, interest rates and levels of personal debt, people changed their spending habits by either buying less food and/or opting for cheaper lower quality food.

Housing Insecurity
Pathways to homelessness are complex and highlight the unique challenges faced by different populations. In 2023, a total of 8,656 people used the emergency shelter system in Ottawa. An experience of homelessness, even in the distant past, increases the risk of financial insecurity and interruptions to school and employment later in life.  Since 2021, the number of single people in emergency shelters has increased by 28 percent from 4,051 people in 2021 to 5,188 people in 2023. Of the 1,016 families in emergency shelters, almost two-thirds (63.1 percent) were headed by single mothers. In addition, a total of 2,381 children were in the shelter system in 2023 representing approximately one in four shelter users (27.5 percent).

Economic Barriers
Among Ottawa residents in 2023, almost three-quarters (73 percent) reported having reduced their expenses because of inflation and nearly one-quarter (23 percent) indicated that their household financial situation was poor or very poor.  Economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, wage instability, and high inflation contributed to greater difficulty among low-income households to purchase essential goods and services such as food, shelter, and clothing. In the context of stagnant or low wage growth, inflation acts as an additional tax on low-income households as they must spend a larger share of their disposable income on daily necessities. Higher than expected levels of inflation place additional strain on their capacity to maintain their current standard of living. Between 2021 and 2022, the share of disposable income spent on daily essentials increased by 25 percent among the lowest income households in Canada. Low-income households also expressed high levels of concern about gasoline prices, their ability to meet daily expenses, and afford housing.