Comments on: How Many Faces of Poverty? http://www.percolating.org/2008/11/10/how-many-faces-of-poverty/ "To become lively or active. To spread slowly or gradually." Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:56:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Aurea Frings http://www.percolating.org/2008/11/10/how-many-faces-of-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Aurea Frings Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:19:37 +0000 http://www.percolating.org/?p=23#comment-34 Only want to say your article is astounding. The clearness in your post is simply striking and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with future post. Thanks a million and please keep up the delightful work Only want to say your article is astounding. The clearness in your post is simply striking and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with future post. Thanks a million and please keep up the delightful work

]]> By: Lynda Strut http://www.percolating.org/2008/11/10/how-many-faces-of-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Lynda Strut Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:56:19 +0000 http://www.percolating.org/?p=23#comment-28 After an episode of bi-polar disorder in 2003, I got treatment, stay in a group home, an apartment, and qualified for AchieveBC scholarship for Office Fundamentals course that landed me a job. About 30 years ago, I was on welfare for a year after I walked away from an abusive marriage, losing 30 pounds in a week, hospitalized and gradually rehabilitated. Because assistance was for so short a time, I don't recall disrespect, just the usual struggle to overcome job gaps, lose of partner and sense of direction and stigma of mental illness. Now I can support my consumer peers and keep sane--I know my purpose, live a balanced life with spiritual and other mentors. I am blessed! Hard-won life lessons are not easily forgotten. After an episode of bi-polar disorder in 2003, I got treatment, stay in a group home, an apartment, and qualified for AchieveBC scholarship for Office Fundamentals course that landed me a job. About 30 years ago, I was on welfare for a year after I walked away from an abusive marriage, losing 30 pounds in a week, hospitalized and gradually rehabilitated. Because assistance was for so short a time, I don’t recall disrespect, just the usual struggle to overcome job gaps, lose of partner and sense of direction and stigma of mental illness. Now I can support my consumer peers and keep sane–I know my purpose, live a balanced life with spiritual and other mentors. I am blessed! Hard-won life lessons are not easily forgotten.

]]> By: Diane http://www.percolating.org/2008/11/10/how-many-faces-of-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Diane Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:56:52 +0000 http://www.percolating.org/?p=23#comment-4 I, too, recall being on income assistance while I was a lone parent raising my two little kids. I used to cringe at the grocery store when I cashed my cheque (they let you do things like that in those days). I always felt, perhaps wrongly, that the clerk and everyone in line was judging me. It felt awful. Now I have no problem relating that I was on IA when the kids were young, because I figure if we keep it a secret, the stigma will never be gone. And how civil would that be?...db I, too, recall being on income assistance while I was a lone parent raising my two little kids. I used to cringe at the grocery store when I cashed my cheque (they let you do things like that in those days). I always felt, perhaps wrongly, that the clerk and everyone in line was judging me. It felt awful.

Now I have no problem relating that I was on IA when the kids were young, because I figure if we keep it a secret, the stigma will never be gone. And how civil would that be?…db

]]> By: Alice http://www.percolating.org/2008/11/10/how-many-faces-of-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Alice Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:28:04 +0000 http://www.percolating.org/?p=23#comment-3 Hi Penny: Thank you for the above story and rundown of your conference you attended. Recently I was dealing with a very distraught mom and for the life of me I couldnt figure out what was wrong at first. Then finally she was able to explain what had just happened to her. Some of her closest and dearest friends have begun to shun her because she has had to go on the system. I to was once on the system, and it did bring back for me some horrible things that I wont say I had forgotten but I had definitely put away or at least I thought I had. I was so devastated for this poor mom as her kids were looking at her and they were so sad because mom was sad. It is heart wrenching when we see, hear and watch others treat our most vulnerable. Now I know why I do what I do even though there is no money in it. Thank you very much for the reminder and that I can do more and will do more, for those who need us advocates and need the extra support. Alice Hi Penny:

Thank you for the above story and rundown of your conference you attended. Recently I was dealing with a very distraught mom and for the life of me I couldnt figure out what was wrong at first. Then finally she was able to explain what had just happened to her. Some of her closest and dearest friends have begun to shun her because she has had to go on the system. I to was once on the system, and it did bring back for me some horrible things that I wont say I had forgotten but I had definitely put away or at least I thought I had.
I was so devastated for this poor mom as her kids were looking at her and they were so sad because mom was sad. It is heart wrenching when we see, hear and watch others treat our most vulnerable. Now I know why I do what I do even though there is no money in it.
Thank you very much for the reminder and that I can do more and will do more, for those who need us advocates and need the extra support.
Alice

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