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HUNGER: A Serious Medical Issue For OW and ODSP Recipients
Submitted by ocap on Wed, 03/09/2005 - 02:30.
A PUBLIC CALL FOR DECENT INCOME
FOR OW AND ODSP RECIPIENTS
We, the undersigned, recognize that current Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program benefit rates are too low for recipients to adequately feed themselves after attending to other basic necessities such as rent and transportation costs. We are deeply concerned about the Provincial government’s failure to raise benefits rates to a level that would allow recipients to adequately attend to their basic needs.
**Click here to download an infosheet for medical professionals about the special diet campaign and what you can do to help.**
In light of the poverty inflicted on OW and ODSP recipients due to sorely inadequate benefits rates, we are calling on people of conscience within the medical community to sign on to a public call for the Special Diet Allowance to be released in full to everyone on welfare and ODSP. Please join us in calling for this desperately needed measure!
A PUBLIC CALL FOR DECENT INCOME
FOR OW AND ODSP RECIPIENTS
We, the undersigned, recognize that current Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program benefit rates are too low for recipients to adequately feed themselves after attending to other basic necessities such as rent and transportation costs. We are deeply concerned about the Provincial government’s failure to raise benefits rates to a level that would allow recipients to adequately attend to their basic needs.
Benefit recipients are forced to live far below the poverty line. According to the Daily Bread food bank, 175 000 people in the Greater Toronto Area alone are forced to rely on food programs every month, within this group 33% say their children go hungry at least once a week because they simply cannot feed them properly even with the support of food banks.
As a result of inadequate OW and ODSP rates, we feel that medical professionals should not be required to individually examine OW and ODSP recipients to see if they need the “Special Diet Supplement”. Everyone on OW or ODSP should be entitled to the full $250 monthly supplement. Given the hardship faced by people on OW and ODSP, we urge you to release the full special diet supplement immediately to all Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients on a permanent, ongoing basis.
Signed:
- Dennis Raphael, PhD, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, School of Health Policy and Management, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, York University
- Dr. Stephen W. Hwang, MD, MPH, Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
- Adeline Falk-Rafael, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, York University
- Betty Burcher, RN, M.Sc., Lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
- Regent Park Community Health Centre
- Kathy Hardill, RNEC
- Anne Egger, RNEC
- Cathie Simpson, RNEC
- Patty Wong, R.D., Community Dietician
- Vashti Mascoll, Primary Care Nurse
- Dr. Alan Li, MD, Primary Care Physician
- Miriam Garfinkle, MD
- Peggy Lathwell, MD
- Teresa Hughes, RN
- Christina Stonehouse, RNEC
- Roy Male, MD
- Cynthia Burke, RN
- Eleanor Tyrell, RN
- Tara Kiran, MD
- Mary L. Heiberg, MD
- Melissa Abrams, RN
- Queen West Community Health Centre
- Mary Lemke, Director of Homeless and Harm Reduction Services
- Debbie Honickman, MD
- Anthony Linton, RN, NP
- Rosemary Henderson, RNEC
- Heather Brendan, RN, NP
- Peter Sakuls, MD
- Sandy Lai, RN, NP, Perinatal
- Malkit Johal, MD
- Kapri Rabin, Director of Health Services
- Central Toronto Community Health Centres
- Michelle Joseph, Executive Director
- Kensington Midwives
- Aimée Carbonneau, Registered Midwife
- Kanmani Guruswami, Registered Midwife
- Andrea Lennox, Registered Midwife
- Pamela MacInnis, Registered Midwife
- Dena Zimbel, Registered Midwife
- Mary Hunking, Registered Midwife
- Cynthia Rebong, Midwifery Student
- Laura Cowan, Executive Director, StreetHealth
- Barb Craig, RN
- Sarah Innis, RN
- Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre
- Axelle Janczur – Executive Director
- Sonja Nerad – Community Programs Manager
- Liz Polatynski RN – Health Services Manager
- Dr. Meb Rashid – Family Practice Physician
- Dr. Susan Hoffman – Family Practice Physician
- Dr. Tyler Curtis – Family Practice Physician
- Colleen Elm – RNEC- Nurse Practitioner
- Kim Chow – RNEC- Nurse Practitioner
- Okhi Lee – RN – Community Health Nurse
- Son Doan – RN – Community Health Nurse
- Carla Moses – RPN- Registered Practical Nurse
- Catriona Mills – Nursing Student U of T.
- Jasmine Li – MSW –Social Worker
- Julie Mooney – CSW
- Beverly Brockest – RD- Community Dietician
- Louis Fliss- - Chiropodist
- Carolina Bernstein – MSW – Health Promoter
- Shana Aleida – MSW student - York
- Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre
- Lisa Connolly, RNEC
- Dr. Peter Kuhnert, MD
- Kathy Dean, RN
- Kali Solomon, Community Health Worker
- Sheila Braidek, Executive Director
- Bubli Chakraborty, RN, Health Bus Nurse
- Dr. Trish Windrim, MD, St. Michael’s Family and Community Medicine Department
- Dr. Tomislav Svoboda, MD, CCFP, FRCPC, Medical Director, Seaton House, St. Michael’s Hospital Inner City Health Research Unit
- Cathy Crowe, Street Nurse
- Amanda Sukhdaeo, MD, Albany Medical Clinic
- David Brule, HD, Riverdale Homeopathic Clinic
- Raymond Macaraeg, RNEC, B.Sc., B.Sc.N, Parkdale Community Health Centre
- Dr. Melissa Melnitzer, MD, Family Physician, Parkdale Community Health Centre
- Kelly Beckta, Nurse-Practitioner, Parkdale Community Health Centre
- Megan Saunders,MD,CCFP, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre
- Dr. Fred Freedman, MD, Spadina Health Centre
- Jeri Dunne, RN
- Patricia Larson, RNEC, Street Nurse
- Caroline Royer-Merrett, BSW RSW, Social Worker, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Gary Bloch, MD, St. Michael's Hospital Department of Family and Community
Medicine; Seaton House - Dr. R. Elliott, Peterborough
- Jacynthe Pitre, RSW/MSW, Carlington Community and Health Services, Ottawa
- Andrew Pinto, Medical student, University of Toronto
- William Woolrich, MSW, Regeneration Housing and Support Services
- John Pringle, RN, Queen's University, Kingston
- Laurie Panagiotou, RN(EC), VON Brant Haldimand Norfolk
- Dr. Thomas R. Gleeson, Family Physician, Hamilton
- Ciara Quigley, MD, LAMP Community Health Centre
- Mary-Claire Ferlisi, MD, LAMP Community Health Centre
- Wendy Goodine, NP, Lamp Community Health Centre
- T. Haines, MD, McMaster University, Hamilton
- Mimi Divinsky, MD, Toronto
- Irfan Dhalla, MD, Physician, University of Toronto
- Yves Talbot, MD, University of Toronto Family Medicine International Programs
- Corrie Mae Rosea, RN, Childrens Hospital of Western Ontario, London
- Ahmed Bayoumi, MD, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto
- Geraldine Anderson, Public Health Family Home Visitor, Toronto
- Liane Macdonald, Medical Student, McMaster University
Community and Labour Supporters
- Daily Bread Food Bank
- Canadian Auto Workers
- St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society
- Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers
- Ontario Coalition for Social Justice
- Toronto Disaster Relief Committee
- Peterborough Social Planning Council
- YWCA Peterborough, Victoria and Haliburton
- United Way of Peterborough and District
- PARN - Your Community AIDS Resource Network
- Peterborough Coalition for Social Justice
- Kingston District Labour Council
- Ontario Public Interest Research Group - Kingston
- Ontario Public Interest Research Group - Peterborough
- The Sisters of Providence - Justice & Peace Committee, Kingston
- Barbara Anello, Chair, DisAbled Women's Network Ontario
- Tenant Action Group, Belleville
- Ryandale Shelter for the Homeless, Kingston
- Board of Directors, Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre
Medical Professionals and Experts
