OCAP's Fight For Food Suppliments For People On Assistance Has Been Such A Success We Need Help To Handle It

OCAP and Ontario Common Front (OCF) organizations in other cities are demanding that the McGuinty Government ‘Raise the Rates’ for those on Social assistance by 40% in order to restore the spending power the Tories took from them.

As part of this, we have been organizing to win food supplements for people on welfare and disability. The system is supposed to provide up to $250 per person on assistance as a dietary supplement if a medical professional deems it necessary. Anyone forced to live on the pittance provided by McGuinty’s welfare system lacks the means to fend off nutritional deficiency and should qualify for the supplement.

We have set up a series of special clinics where over 200 people have been able to obtain the medical opinions needed to enable them and their families to access the supplement. As a result of OCAP’s clinics, the government will be forced to pay out over $600 000 more to poor people in this province over the next year. Countless more have been supported in getting the supplement through their doctor. This is just the beginning, we are continuing to hold clinics and fight the government for an across the board $250/month increase for everyone on welfare or ODSP disability.

On May 12, we will march on the Ministry of Community and Social Services in order to demand that the dietary supplement be given to everyone on assistance as a matter of course without their having to hunt down medical people ready to state the obvious – that they are too poor to eat properly.

Our tactic of going after the special diet allowance has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. We are freeing up funds to meet peoples’ needs on a large scale and the thing is snowballing. The architects of the welfare system never imagined this obscure provision would be accessed in an organized fashion.

We are winning a de facto increase in the rates under their noses and this is going to become a major political issue for the Liberal Regime at Queen’s Park.

As more and more people find out about the supplement, our office is being flooded with calls. Our clinics are operating beyond capacity. There is, however, one problem. We lack the resources to handle the huge opportunity to challenge poverty and hunger that we have opened up. We list below some of the key areas where we need support.

HELP FROM MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

Nurse practitioners, doctors, dieticians and midwives can recommend People for the supplement. Frankly, the medical profession is a bit on the conservative side and many family doctors are not enthusiastic about helping poor people obtain more income. The limited numbers of medical professionals who are serious about helping are being inundated. We urgently need to find others who are ready to help. The problem is bad enough in Toronto but, in other parts of Ontario, the lack of doctors people can access is a fundamental barrier. If you have contacts and possibilities we can explore, please let us know right away. We also have a sign on letter for medical people to put Their names to that calls on the Liberals to give the supplement to everyone.

More signers are needed for this. If you are a medical practitioner please sign on. If you are a union member or part of an anti-poverty related organization or agency approach them to add their organizational name to the sign-on letter. People can sign on by going to: ocap.ca/rtr/diet/letter

PUT OUT THE WORD TO PEOPLE ON ASSISTANCE

This website has lots of information on the campaign and on how to access the supplement. If you are placed to spread this information to those who can benefit from it, please do so. If you can assist OCAP or an OCF organization elsewhere in Ontario with the setting up of a clinic or community information session, please let us know.

SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TO RAISE THE RATES

Go to your union local or community organization and try to get a resolution passed supporting the extending of the dietary supplement to everyone on assistance. Build a contingent to come out and march with us to the Minister’s office on May 12.

Some snide detractors have suggested that our campaign to win supplements is ‘exploiting a loophole in the legislation’. We don’t deny this for a moment but we don’t simply want to get a small minority through the loophole. We want to open it up for everyone and win a major increase for hundreds of thousands who are denied the basic necessities. We have a real chance to win this fight but we can only do this if people like you come forward and give us your support and solidarity.

Thanks,
OCAP