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The time has come for us to take a closer look at the way we address poverty in our society. There is no question we have a responsibility to provide a safety net for those who fall on hard times or those who for no fault of their own, find it difficult to care for themselves. The welfare system has come under strong debate due to the cheats and the cornice recipients, those who choose welfare as their permanent source of income. We need to see beyond that and remind ourselves the sole purpose for the welfare system in Canada is to provide assistance or emergency funding to those in need.
It is the belief of this foundation that not all welfare recipients fall under this category. There are hard working people who for whatever reason finds themselves requiring assistance. The records show a large percentage of the population as never being exposed to alternative ways of acquiring wealth/income. For example, the value of saving, the wonders of compound interest, the satisfaction of being an entrepreneur, or the art of budgeting. The only options they thought they had were to get a job or acquire government assistance.
Childhope Foundation Canada agrees and supports the debate that calls for counseling programs teaching the fundamentals of aspiring financial stability. A program that gives individuals the opportunity to look at the options stated above. This program should be available not only to people on assistance but to anyone who sees such counseling as a way of breaking the cycle of poverty.
The provincial government has expressed the need for such a program. Childhope Foundation Canada is willing to administer the program if the government is committed to its implementation. If we take a serious look at this anti-poverty program, there is no doubt we will see a win-win situation.
In the coming months, Childhope Foundation Canada will be approaching the provincial government with a request for funding in order to implement such a program. We will keep you posted on our progress. |
