Working Together to End Poverty The Elgin St. Thomas Coalition to End Poverty is gearing up to host a significant event on June 12th at the Memorial Arena in St. Thomas. Dubbed the ‘Community Consultation Day,’ this initiative aims to unite community leaders from various sectors — including government, business, service providers, community volunteers, and individuals with lived experiences of poverty — to foster a collaborative effort in combating poverty over the next five years. Paul Born, a renowned figure in the field of poverty reduction will facilitate the event. Paul is the co-founder of the Tamarack Institute, author of five books, and a member of the Order of Canada. His extensive dedication to eradicating poverty brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. “Just about every municipality in Canada is developing a strategy to reduce poverty,” Paul states. “This is only possible if everyone is working together. Business is a critical partner in reducing poverty. Business creates jobs, invests in community well-being, and brings unique ideas to a poverty reduction plan.” Paul highlights Canada’s progress in poverty reduction, noting, “In Canada, we have reduced poverty from 18% to below 10% in the last decade. This is proof that we can win the war on poverty.” He is optimistic about St. Thomas and Elgin’s potential, adding, “St. Thomas and Elgin boast a great quality of life. You are innovative, caring, and prosperous. As a community, you are well-positioned to reduce poverty.” The day’s agenda includes reflections on the historical and current state of poverty in the St. Thomas/Elgin region, followed by identifying gaps and opportunities for poverty reduction. Multi-sector roundtables will then discuss and brainstorm collaborative strategies to forge a path forward. Several esteemed speakers will contribute their insights, including Mayor Joe Preston, Chamber of Commerce CEO, Paul Jenkins, United Way Elgin Middlesex CEO, Kelly Ziegner, and local lived experience expert Liz Windover. Their diverse perspectives aim to enrich the dialogue and spur actionable solutions. Randie Gregorie, who has worked with the Elgin St. Thomas Coalition to End Poverty, expresses her enthusiasm for the event. “I am grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to work with this caring group dedicated to ending poverty in St. Thomas and Elgin,” she says. “Poverty presents in many different ways in our community, some visible and some hidden. Through this event, we want to understand what poverty truly looks like; how it affects people day-to-day; what we can do differently, and how we can work together as a community to prevent and eliminate it.”
Randie emphasizes the importance of building connections between people and service providers and sees the event as a forum for storytelling and collective goal setting. “A community where everyone can participate, have connections to others and have what they need to thrive will benefit everyone,” she notes. “We all have a role to play in this work and we will get
much further when we work together.” The Elgin St. Thomas Coalition to End Poverty is hopeful that the event will foster significant collaboration and lead to impactful strategies that promote prosperity and equity for all residents. The event is held at the St. Thomas-Elgin Memorial Arena at 80 Wilson Ave. from
9 am to 4 pm. It is free to attend, but you must preregister by going to www.eventbrite.ca or by using the QR code on this page.
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Hometown St. Thomas • June 2024 • Page 39
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