Chew on This! Check-In

Dignity for All: a just recovery means an end to poverty

Last October 17, over 100 local organizers spanning every province and territory participated in Chew On This!, the largest anti-poverty campaign in Canada. Together, we distributed over 15,000 postcards calling on our incoming federal government to take immediate, ambitious action to end poverty in this country.

At that time, we committed to checking in with the incoming federal government 90 days after they took office. Allowing for holidays and a delayed start to Parliament, we set April 30th as our 90-day check-in.

Today, Dignity for All co-leads and local organizers sent a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, Hon. Minister Hussen, and local MPs across the country for our Chew on This! Check-In. Our letter highlights some of the encouraging actions that have been taken to support people during the COVID-19 pandemic; calls for these positive steps to be extended into long-term solutions; and identifies critical gaps that need to be addressed. 

This moment shows us what is possible when government prioritizes people’s health and wellbeing.

Together, we are sending a message that people across this country expect ambitious action and progressive reform. Returning to the status quo is not an acceptable option. We cannot let this crisis be used as an excuse to abandon the millions of people living in poverty in Canada.

Our target during this pandemic is to eliminate all cases of COVID-19 in Canada and to build our resilience to future health crises; in the same way, eradicating poverty and eliminating core housing need should be the goals of the PRS and NHS, acknowledging the impact both crises have on our health and well-being as a society, as well as individuals.

We stand in solidarity with the millions of people experiencing poverty and precarity in Canada and thank all our organizers and members for your continued support, particularly during these exceptionally difficult times. We implore the federal government, including Members of Parliament from all parties, to use this extraordinary moment to reimagine and recommit to what is possible when we put people’s health and wellbeing first. 

Taking Action is as Easy as 1-2-3!

1. Download (.doc) and send a copy of our letter to your local MP.

   If you’re emailing it, please cc Ahmed.Hussen@parl.gc.ca 
   and justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca, as well as dignity@dignityforall.ca
    

2. Spread the word on social media! Be sure to tag your local MP.

   #ChewOnThis check-in: The federal government must respond to crises of #COVID19 with immediate & long-term solutions to #endpoverty in Canada. @DignityForAllCA @CanadianPM @HonAhmedHussen #cdnpoli

   #ChewOnThis check-in: This moment shows us what is possible when government prioritizes people’s health and wellbeing. @DignityForAllCA @CanadianPM @HonAhmedHussen #cdnpoli
    
   #ChewOnThis check-in: We urge @CanadianPM to lay the necessary foundation for a #justrecovery that centers the health and wellbeing of all people. @DignityForAllCA @HonAhmedHussen #cdnpoli

   Join @DignityForAllCA and organizers across the country in our #ChewOnThis check-in, looking at government responses to #endpoverty in light of #COVID19. @CanadianPM @HonAhmedHussen #cdnpoli

   Download landscape or square images with quotes, or our banner image to add to your posts!
    

3. Let us know how it goes!

   Contact Natalie or Leila with your stories, suggestions, and questions!

With thanks and hope,

Natalie Appleyard, Citizens for Public Justice
Leila Edwards & Vanessa Poirier, Canada Without Poverty
Dignity for All Co-Leads