Members of the Richmond Poverty Response Committee and the Canadian Federation of University Women Richmond Club helped mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by participating in the annual “Chew on This,” postcard campaign, initiated by the Canadian organization, Dignity for All.
Every year, the group sends postcards to the federal minister responsible for poverty reduction.
This year, the campaign asked federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos to ensure that a rights-based anti-poverty plan would be fully funded in the 2018 budget.
On Oct. 17, the local group talked to Richmondites around the Brighouse Public Library and collected 200 signed postcards in less than two hours.
With more than 80 events in every province and territory, the 2017 “Chew On This!” campaign was the most far-reaching yet. Participants handed out over 20,000 postcards and talked to thousands in their communities across the country.
De Whalen, with the Richmond Poverty Response Committee, is asking residents to email letters to Minister Duclos, “to make sure he hears that we need a poverty reduction strategy now.
“While you’re at it, you can also send an email or letter to B.C. Minister Shane Simpson, asking for B.C. to plan and implement a poverty reduction strategy.”
