Nova Scotia’s Vital Signs prompts discussion about poverty, activism

Six weeks out from the release of Nova Scotia’s Vital Signs, and the report is still top of mind.

In a recent op-ed in The Chronicle-Herald, Sharon Murphy – a retired social worker and vice-president of Canada Without Poverty – referenced the report in conjunction with the Occupy protests taking place across North America.

“Allison Kouzovnikov, executive director of the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, which released the provincewide Vital Signs report last month, says such thinking outside the box encourages a cultural shift in how we take care of problems in our own backyard,” Murphy writes.

“And it helps people see that even small actions matter and that together, we can create positive change.”

A worthwhile read …

University town provides hope of higher education to local children

When Wolfville’s Vital Signs 2009 revealed significant poverty in the community, many were shocked.

“It’s a seemingly affluent university town,” says Allison Kouzovnikov, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, home to the Wolfville Community Fund (WCF) which led the community-based report.

To address the issue, the WCF funded breakfast and afterschool programs, and partnered with the Wolfville Area Inter-Church Council to help residents access the Canada Learning Bond, a federal grant that contributes $500 to an RESP (and $100 each year after) for children living in low-income families.

The Wolfville Community Fund is helping residents access the Canada Learning Bond, a federal RESP program aimed at low-income families.

Parents don’t have to contribute. But they do need to obtain and file the right paperwork, which at nearly $30 per child, can be cost prohibitive.

Helping parents to save for education may be controversial if they are struggling to put food on the table. However, the WCF understood the need for both immediate and longer-term approaches.

“How many children walk past Acadia University never giving it a second thought that a higher education is something that is possible for them too?” asks Dick Groot, Chair of the WCF. “If we want our children to grow up and be good citizens we need to instil in them not only the desire, but the real possibility that a better life can be made through hard work, sacrifice and dedication.”

“The WCF’s work reflects the community foundation philosophy,” says Kouzovnikov. “We help communities build the social and financial capital they need, both today and tomorrow.”