Grocery rebate in federal budget a drop in the bucket for Winnipeggers on tight budgets
Bear Clan food bank stretching supplies due to increased demand in the North End
The new federal budget promises grocery rebate cheques to low-income Canadians, but some Winnipeggers say the one-time payments won't come close to meeting their needs.
The payments will provide up to $234 to single people with low incomes, while a couple with two children could get up to $467. The money might help with short-term expenses, but some Manitobans on fixed incomes said the government needs to do more to help them get out of poverty.
"Welfare is only giving me $508, [and it's] $500 for the rent," said Richard Jowett, who recently lost his job of 24 years. "That leaves me with $8 [for the month].
"That's why the food bank is helping me," said Jowett, who goes to the Bear Clan food pantry daily for a box lunch. "I never did it before, you know."
Jowett couldn't get federal employment insurance benefits because the company he worked for didn't file the necessary paperwork. He fell behind on rent and ended up homeless for five months before a local group helped him land a cheap apartment.
Jowett lives in Winnipeg North, one of the poorest federal ridings in Canada, where more people are turning to the Bear Clan's food bank on Selkirk Avenue to get by.
Audrey Copley also found herself at the food pantry, for the first time in years. She's on disability insurance and says the monthly payments aren't keeping up with the cost of living.
"I like to go to the stores and buy food and stuff, but some prices are high," Copley said as she picked up a free meal.
"When you pay off your bills, and stuff like cable and phone, you still have a little bit of money, but not much."
A lot of people in the neighbourhood work for minimum wage.
Maurice Lahey, who has been picking up temporary jobs whenever he can, says he's surviving "by the skin of [his] teeth."
"I don't feel like a person should have to work long hours for low pay just to maintain their basic necessities," said Lahey, who called going to the Bear Clan for lunch "a tough choice."
"There's obviously not a lot of work being done to combat those things. Not enough work, anyway."
With soaring food costs and high demand, the Bear Clan is struggling to help keep people fed.
Operations manager Roberta Delorme says produce and meat have been in short supply, but "we make it stretch."
"We have to divide packages of things like grapes or tomatoes," Delorme said. "It's a heartbreaking situation, but that's all we can do."
However, higher grocery bills aren't the only problem, she says. Rents are spiking as well, leaving families in need of more help.
"Single moms are struggling, too," said Delorme, a single mother herself. "They've got to choose: Either they're going to pay the hydro bill or they're going to eat this month."
Delorme says the government needs to dig deeper and find longer-term solutions.
"You can't have it where the wage is low and the housing so high," she said. "I'm not sure what needs to be put in place, but something does, to help the people."
As far as those grocery rebates go, food bank user Marty Pepin says he'll welcome the extra cash.
"When you have so little, any tiny amount really helps," said Pepin, who's on Manitoba's employment and income assistance program and looking for a job. "It's hard to find employment, so I try to take advantage of whatever I can."
However, Dallas Wood, a Bear Clan employee who handles intake questionnaires for food pantry clients, says the rebate program is just a drop in the bucket.
"It should not be just a one-time [payment]," Wood said. "It should be something every day for them until they can get on their feet.
"I was one of the people that used to stand in this group, before I started working here.
"Being on the other side is totally different," Wood said. "There are lots of resources, but not resources for houses for them to live in. That's why there's so many homeless people today is because there's not enough money given out."
Other affordability measures promised in the new federal budget include increased dental care coverage for lower income Canadians, tax savings for first-time home buyers and a 40 per cent increase to the Canada student grants program.
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