Saturday, 23 November 2024
Your welfare transformation isn’t helping me! Tim Blades speaks truth to power at meeting with Community Services

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I end my presentation with one request, Ms Knight; Hear what I am saying, look at these examples, and tell me that I am better off.”

Last Friday several members of the Benefit Reform Action Group (BRAG) met with managers at Community Services, at the department’s invitation. Tim Blades was sick and couldn’t make it, but fellow BRAG member Jodi Brown read his letter on his behalf. The letter is addressed to Joy Knight, who is the department’s director of Employment Support Services. Tim tells it as it is.

Poverty activist Tim Blades at Law Amendments: It seems our voice doesn’t matter

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This morning Tim Blades, anti-poverty advocate, member of BRAG and CASAR, and NS Advocate author, spoke truth to power about the Community Services’ Employment Support and Income Assistance program, better known as welfare or income assistance. Tim did so at Law Amendments, while the Financial Measures Act (this year’s budget) was under the microscope. And oh boy, did he ever tell them a thing or two!

When ends never meet – Tim Blades at the My Week on Welfare screening for Nova Scotia MLAs

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On Wednesday evening several MLAs from all three parties attended a screening of My Week on Welfare at the auditorium of the Nova Scotia Art Gallery in downtown Halifax. My Week on Welfare is a wonderful documentary, produced by Jackie Torrens, that offers glimpses into the lives of income assistance recipients, families and individuals both, trying to make ends meet on a scandalously low food and shelter budget. The screening was organized by BRAG and CASAR members. What follows is what poverty advocate and Nova Scotia Advocate contributor Tim Blades told the MLAs. 

Tim Blades: Poverty hurts, but advocacy helps

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Frequent contributor Tim Blades on living in poverty, his struggle with illness and mental health issues, and the urgent need to be compassionate and open with one another. “Now I want to delete that last paragraph. My heart is racing just from typing that last paragraph. While I want to be safe and delete that last paragraph, If I let go of that secret, it’s just one less thing for me to hold onto.”

It’s 2018

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Poverty activist and Income Assistance recipient Tim Blades on poverty in Nova Scotia. “I speak from experience that when you speak up, you can open eyes to what is going on and embolden others to speak up as well.  To have such poverty in Nova Scotia is unconscionable. It’s time for a change. It’s 2018.”

How on earth is this happening? Tim Blades on the sorry state of welfare in Nova Scotia

Last night’s screening of Jackie Torrens’ terrific My Week on Welfare was a great success. Lots of people, and more importantly, lots of new faces. It is wonderful to witness people on welfare realize that yes, things are terrible, but there are others like them who aren’t going to take it anymore. We have lots of pictures, and the talk by regular contributor Tim Blades on being on welfare in general, and the extra struggles faced by single mothers who receive child support.

Tim Blades on Halifax Humanities: So much more than an education

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Frequent Nova Scotia Advocate contributor Tim Blades on his experience with the wonderful Halifax Humanities program, and how it offers so much more than an educational experience alone. “Halifax Humanities takes people who might be socially isolated, and brings them together. Halifax Humanities, with its policy of accessibility and inclusion makes it all possible.”