Oct. 24th, 2016
Saturday night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie. We were trying out a new babysitter and were back from supper a bit early. We scanned Netflix, searching for something upbeat and meaningful. We both stopped to consider a documentary about a homeless woman living in Santa Monica, California. That is what we chose to watch.
At first, we see Mimi who has no teeth but is always smiling. She is hunched over, dishevelled and sending kisses to the camera. You can tell she is a character. Vin and I were both reminded of my Grandmother. She was short and spunky like Mimi and, a tad bit flirtatious.
Mimi lives in a laundromat. She was homeless for a long time but, one wet and cold night, she was allowed to stay in the laundromat for shelter and she never left. She slept on a plastic chair at night and helped clients at the laundromat during the day. She even had her own paying clients. She became a celebrity in Santa Monica. Clients looked forward to chatting with Mimi. She liked to go to the bars at night and, since she had her own key to the laundromat, she could party and let herself in at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
The first part of this documentary is all about her being cheeky. We hear from friends and clients who think she's amazing. We learn that the person filming this documentary is a guy who works at a coffee shop across the street. However, as the movie progresses, we realize that nobody really knows much about her. She doesn't share much information about her past. She is a mystery to her coworkers, friends and many admirers.
A few celebrities like Zack Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones Diary) took her out and included her at red carpet events. She had many friends and seemed content. However, the more people talked about her and how much she meant to them, the more you wondered, Why is she still living in a laundromat, sleeping on a plastic chair?
The documentary interviews people who have invited her to stay for a while. You hear about her drinking and her late nights. Some co-workers say Mimi hates homeless people and won't let them into the laundromat, where she once stayed to keep her warm. We witness her getting angry at a client because he moved her basket, it contained her client's order. She definitely has strong opinions.
We then delve into her background, how she ended up on the street and who she left behind. Mimi was married for 29 years. Her husband cheated and she left him. She lost the house and lived in her van until it was taken away from her because she couldn't afford to pay for her licence to be renewed. She ate leftovers thrown into the bin behind local restaurants, she slept in bushes or doorways, she made shoes and blankets out of newspaper. Mimi explains that she had been out of work for years because her husband insisted that she stop working when they got married. She hadn't worked in nearly 30 years and that made it difficult for her to gain employment.
Just when you think you've heard it all, you find out she has two daughters. Your mind is swimming with questions. Where are they? How old would they be? Does Mimi have grandchildren? Do they know she's homeless? How did they get separated? Why didn't they help? It turns out, one of her daughters has passed away. She was looking for her and never found her. The other daughter is found by a friend during the filming of this documentary. They start building a relationship. Mimi meets her grand daughters. Mimi's daughter tells viewers that they were a united family, churchgoers and she didn't know where her mother went. They did look for her. They hoped to be reunited one day. Now, this dream has come true for the one daughter.
Another dream comes true as well. Zack Galifianakis rents an apartment for Mimi just across from the Laundromat. She finally has a bed to sleep in and a home of her own. At the end of the documentary, we see Mimi with Yaniv Rokah, the young man who works at the coffee shop across from the laundromat. He is escorting her to a movie theatre for the premiere of the documentary he has created about her life. Her daughter and granddaughters are there as well. Mimi gets a standing ovation.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Queen Mimi. This documentary has many layers, like Mimi herself. She is slowly revealed-Bride, Mother, Sunday School teacher, divorced woman, homeless lady, laundromat resident and employee, celebrity and, inspiration.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Showing posts with label poverty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poverty. Show all posts
Monday, 24 October 2016
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
The Mommy Monologues Begin
October 4th, 2016
Today is the day. There is a book in me, begging to come out. I have requested funding. I have discussed it with others. I have collected contact information for potential interview leads. The problem with requesting funds is that you are not supposed to start the project until you find out if you have received the funds or not. This is proving to be difficult for me. You see, this book has a mind of its own. It wants to live and will not leave me alone. Therefore, I have decided to just get started, there is so much to do.
The Mommy Monologues is a book about women who have chosen to become mothers whether they actually gave birth to a child or not. Women are strong and, when we support and acknowledge one another, there is nothing we can't do. Unfortunately, when we become mothers, an intense, emotional experience, we divide into cliques. Even within the "mainstream moms" there are four distinct sub-sections: the stay-at-home mom, the working mom, the breastfeeding mom and the bottle feeding mom. They are all moms but somehow there is judgment and division where there could be solidarity and mutual support. That is so sad!
What about mothers who are different in other ways? I call them marginalized moms. They are often excluded from the "mainstream" clique even though they are very much a mom, just like them. The aim of this book is to give every mother a voice so that any woman can pick up this book and find herself represented. Mothers who feel isolated can see that they are not alone. Other mothers reading these stories will gain some understanding of what it's like to be a different kind of mom. There is so much diversity within the one umbrella that is motherhood.
Here is a sample of the types of moms I am looking to interview:
-Women who never left the hospital with their baby (miscarriage, still born, put up for adoption)
-Women whose children have a disability or physical illness
-Women whose children have a mental illness
-Women who themselves have a mental or physical illness
-Women who have adopted their child
-Women who became a step-mom
-Women who got pregnant through in-vitro
-Women who are recovering addicts
-Women who are serving or have served time in jail
-Women who are living or have lived in a shelter
-Military moms who move from one base to the next every few years
-Military moms who have been diagnosed with ptsd or whose partner has been diagnosed with ptsd
-Gay/Lesbian/Transgender/Transexual moms
-Multicultural moms
-Mothers who live at or under the line of poverty
I want to hear these stories and share them. I believe that reading about the diverse experiences of motherhood teaches us that we are all human beings doing our best based on our knowledge and abilities. There is no need for judgement, division and comparison. We can learn from each other and grow even stronger as a community.
If you are one of these moms, I want to hear from you. If you know someone who is, please share this post and my contact information with her. I look forward to learning from you,
Anne Walsh
artnsoul@ripnet.com
www.artnsoul.org
Today is the day. There is a book in me, begging to come out. I have requested funding. I have discussed it with others. I have collected contact information for potential interview leads. The problem with requesting funds is that you are not supposed to start the project until you find out if you have received the funds or not. This is proving to be difficult for me. You see, this book has a mind of its own. It wants to live and will not leave me alone. Therefore, I have decided to just get started, there is so much to do.
The Mommy Monologues is a book about women who have chosen to become mothers whether they actually gave birth to a child or not. Women are strong and, when we support and acknowledge one another, there is nothing we can't do. Unfortunately, when we become mothers, an intense, emotional experience, we divide into cliques. Even within the "mainstream moms" there are four distinct sub-sections: the stay-at-home mom, the working mom, the breastfeeding mom and the bottle feeding mom. They are all moms but somehow there is judgment and division where there could be solidarity and mutual support. That is so sad!
What about mothers who are different in other ways? I call them marginalized moms. They are often excluded from the "mainstream" clique even though they are very much a mom, just like them. The aim of this book is to give every mother a voice so that any woman can pick up this book and find herself represented. Mothers who feel isolated can see that they are not alone. Other mothers reading these stories will gain some understanding of what it's like to be a different kind of mom. There is so much diversity within the one umbrella that is motherhood.
Here is a sample of the types of moms I am looking to interview:
-Women who never left the hospital with their baby (miscarriage, still born, put up for adoption)
-Women whose children have a disability or physical illness
-Women whose children have a mental illness
-Women who themselves have a mental or physical illness
-Women who have adopted their child
-Women who became a step-mom
-Women who got pregnant through in-vitro
-Women who are recovering addicts
-Women who are serving or have served time in jail
-Women who are living or have lived in a shelter
-Military moms who move from one base to the next every few years
-Military moms who have been diagnosed with ptsd or whose partner has been diagnosed with ptsd
-Gay/Lesbian/Transgender/Transexual moms
-Multicultural moms
-Mothers who live at or under the line of poverty
I want to hear these stories and share them. I believe that reading about the diverse experiences of motherhood teaches us that we are all human beings doing our best based on our knowledge and abilities. There is no need for judgement, division and comparison. We can learn from each other and grow even stronger as a community.
If you are one of these moms, I want to hear from you. If you know someone who is, please share this post and my contact information with her. I look forward to learning from you,
Anne Walsh
artnsoul@ripnet.com
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday, 2 June 2016
Book of the Week-The Abundance Code
June 2nd, 2016
I have just finished reading The Abundance Code by Julie Ann Cairns. She was one of the Hay House authors I listened to during the Hay House Summit. I was impressed with her interview, it really made me think so I decided to order her book.
The book's chapters dispel myths about money. Julie talks about the many myths we are taught as children and the impact they have on our success and happiness as we grow into adulthood. Her goal is to create doubt so the reader can stop believing in the myth and rewrite his or her own beliefs.
I examined some of my favourite moments growing up. None of them really had to do with money. I loved going to the beach, visiting my aunt Louise and going to my Grandmother's home in the country. Then I was asked to list some of my lowest moments. These were all times when I felt cut off from my loved ones like the year I spent in Montreal, studying and looking for work. I was broke and no one would hire me because I wasn't from Montreal. All my references were from Ottawa. I was in an amazing city with so many things to do but I couldn't afford to do them. I didn't know anyone and felt very lonely. What these two exercises did were outline how being in nature and feeling connected to others promoted wellness and joy while feeling isolated made really sad.
Next, I had to figure out how to associate wealth with what I love while imagining how money could help me avoid what I hate. If money was no object, I would go away each winter, somewhere warm and enjoy quality time with my family. We would travel a lot, learn about different cultures and taste different food.
The author compares roommates who are the same age and make comparable incomes. One was raised in a wealthy home and the other one wasn't. She explains their different approaches to every day life. I was shocked to see how similar my habits were to the roommate who grew up poor. I never carry big amounts of money and prefer using debit for purchases. The roommate who was raised in a wealthy family always carried a wad of cash with her because that felt normal to her. I am always paranoid when I have cash that I will lose it. It stresses me out.
Julie does a good job at illustrating how we learn to compete for what we perceive to be limited resources even though we live in a world of abundance. She shows us how we learn to see money as a reward for hard work, something we earned by working for a long time. She pointed out that many of us are able to make money but we can't hold onto it because we don't feel worthy of it. She asks what we do with our money-spend or invest?
I hadn't really thought about it but I do have some money I could invest. It's not that much but she says it doesn't need to be a big amount. Usually, when I get money, I spend it on my loved ones. I go out and buy stuff that I know people have wanted for some time but couldn't afford. I pay for experiences like sending my husband to the Rock N Roll hall of fame or getting the girls registered in a gymnastics class.
If I spend money on myself it's usually to complete a project I have been working on, like getting my book printed or paying someone to film my workshops. I like to see a tangible result. The other thing I spend money on is food. I keep our fridge full of food we love. It's a love and safety thing for me, an act of self-care to keep the provisions fully stocked. Growing up, my mother didn't make much money so our fridge was often bare. I don't want my daughters to ever feel hungry and helpless to do anything about it.
This book is an excellent tool because it shows you how each myth plays out in your life, then helps you change your perception about money so that you are feeling more positive about it. In the last chapter, you pick your most challenging beliefs about money and replace them with positive affirmations then you replace old habits with new behaviours. I am much more aware of the ways I sabotage my own success by either giving my services away or undercutting myself, always working harder than I have to because it's what I feel I have to do to earn and deserve money. I strongly urge anyone who is working hard and not getting ahead to read this book.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
I have just finished reading The Abundance Code by Julie Ann Cairns. She was one of the Hay House authors I listened to during the Hay House Summit. I was impressed with her interview, it really made me think so I decided to order her book.
The book's chapters dispel myths about money. Julie talks about the many myths we are taught as children and the impact they have on our success and happiness as we grow into adulthood. Her goal is to create doubt so the reader can stop believing in the myth and rewrite his or her own beliefs.
I examined some of my favourite moments growing up. None of them really had to do with money. I loved going to the beach, visiting my aunt Louise and going to my Grandmother's home in the country. Then I was asked to list some of my lowest moments. These were all times when I felt cut off from my loved ones like the year I spent in Montreal, studying and looking for work. I was broke and no one would hire me because I wasn't from Montreal. All my references were from Ottawa. I was in an amazing city with so many things to do but I couldn't afford to do them. I didn't know anyone and felt very lonely. What these two exercises did were outline how being in nature and feeling connected to others promoted wellness and joy while feeling isolated made really sad.
Next, I had to figure out how to associate wealth with what I love while imagining how money could help me avoid what I hate. If money was no object, I would go away each winter, somewhere warm and enjoy quality time with my family. We would travel a lot, learn about different cultures and taste different food.
The author compares roommates who are the same age and make comparable incomes. One was raised in a wealthy home and the other one wasn't. She explains their different approaches to every day life. I was shocked to see how similar my habits were to the roommate who grew up poor. I never carry big amounts of money and prefer using debit for purchases. The roommate who was raised in a wealthy family always carried a wad of cash with her because that felt normal to her. I am always paranoid when I have cash that I will lose it. It stresses me out.
Julie does a good job at illustrating how we learn to compete for what we perceive to be limited resources even though we live in a world of abundance. She shows us how we learn to see money as a reward for hard work, something we earned by working for a long time. She pointed out that many of us are able to make money but we can't hold onto it because we don't feel worthy of it. She asks what we do with our money-spend or invest?
I hadn't really thought about it but I do have some money I could invest. It's not that much but she says it doesn't need to be a big amount. Usually, when I get money, I spend it on my loved ones. I go out and buy stuff that I know people have wanted for some time but couldn't afford. I pay for experiences like sending my husband to the Rock N Roll hall of fame or getting the girls registered in a gymnastics class.
If I spend money on myself it's usually to complete a project I have been working on, like getting my book printed or paying someone to film my workshops. I like to see a tangible result. The other thing I spend money on is food. I keep our fridge full of food we love. It's a love and safety thing for me, an act of self-care to keep the provisions fully stocked. Growing up, my mother didn't make much money so our fridge was often bare. I don't want my daughters to ever feel hungry and helpless to do anything about it.
This book is an excellent tool because it shows you how each myth plays out in your life, then helps you change your perception about money so that you are feeling more positive about it. In the last chapter, you pick your most challenging beliefs about money and replace them with positive affirmations then you replace old habits with new behaviours. I am much more aware of the ways I sabotage my own success by either giving my services away or undercutting myself, always working harder than I have to because it's what I feel I have to do to earn and deserve money. I strongly urge anyone who is working hard and not getting ahead to read this book.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Wednesday, 24 February 2016
Teen Poverty
February 22nd, 2016
On Monday evening, I went to a meeting at The Branch Restaurant in Kemptville. The meeting was organized by the Share the Love campaign officer, Heather Sansom. I was invited to speak about the art project I facilitated at Oxford on Rideau Public School. A gentleman from Youth Centres of Canada provided sobering statistics about poverty and the results of rural poverty on our community. Robin Heald from the Kemptville Youth Centre spoke at length about the situations she encounters through her work, youth who need shelter and have nowhere to go. She described the lack of resources in our area, like shelters and, explained the difference between agencies that offer referrals and agencies that conduct referral management. The Kemptville Youth Centre can refer clients to resources in adjoining communities like the Ottawa Shelter or the Prescott Shelter which is currently conducting a pilot project. Referring means she can give clients a phone number and a telephone, the rest is up to them. Once the teenagers leave her centre, she has no idea where they ended up.
We discussed the impact of poverty on community health: inadequate food or cold homes so children get sick. We examined the correlation to dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, obesity (by eating cheap, processed food) and relocation. Youth will choose to go to the Ottawa shelter, given a choice because there are more accessible resources there and transportation. Once they get there, there is no follow-up so they may end up on the streets which can lead to drug use or prostitution. Robin would rather have referral management services. This means you actively connect youth to resources, you contact those resources for them and coordinate them accessing the services. You then follow-up for a set amount of time to ensure they are gaining the skills or contact necessary to their success. They may need job skills or assistance with housing. Once teenagers leave our area, chances are they will not return to our area.
We met Mario, the manager of the new ReStore in Kemptville who just moved to Kemptville from PEI. The Restore raises funds for Habitat for Humanity by accepting donations of used construction materials and selling them to the public, home builders etc. The money helps to pay for their next building project. Habitat for Humanity chooses a family in need and works in partnership with them to build a home. They have a mortgage but is in interest-free and adjusted according to their income. The home is theirs and they can choose to sell it once they have lived there for a year. Mario reported the many benefits for families who become homeowners. Children have a space of their own, a home they can be proud of, they have sense of ownership and learn to take care of their home, they can have people over for playdates.
Having the ReStore is good news. However, the lack of resources for teens means many local youth fall through the cracks. Robin lead a brainstorm of potential solutions. Initially, the discussion was focused on how we can gather data re: how many local teens are actually homeless, couch surfing or stuck in abusive situations. There were many suggestions including having an intranet database that social service agencies could use to enter information about teenagers who were using their services, using the youth's initials to ensure confidentiality while avoiding counting the same person twice. Others talked about policies and procedures that exist elsewhere. We could contact them and ask for their service map to learn from their experience. One success story came from Medicine Hat where homelessness became a priority and was drastically reduced. The Prescott Shelter Pilot Project is likely to expand to our area. For now, Robin encourages everyone to contact their MP and MPP and demand that the issue of teen homelessness be addressed. This is a crucial time as our Municipality is discussing policies that will affect affordable housing in Leeds-Grenville.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
On Monday evening, I went to a meeting at The Branch Restaurant in Kemptville. The meeting was organized by the Share the Love campaign officer, Heather Sansom. I was invited to speak about the art project I facilitated at Oxford on Rideau Public School. A gentleman from Youth Centres of Canada provided sobering statistics about poverty and the results of rural poverty on our community. Robin Heald from the Kemptville Youth Centre spoke at length about the situations she encounters through her work, youth who need shelter and have nowhere to go. She described the lack of resources in our area, like shelters and, explained the difference between agencies that offer referrals and agencies that conduct referral management. The Kemptville Youth Centre can refer clients to resources in adjoining communities like the Ottawa Shelter or the Prescott Shelter which is currently conducting a pilot project. Referring means she can give clients a phone number and a telephone, the rest is up to them. Once the teenagers leave her centre, she has no idea where they ended up.
We discussed the impact of poverty on community health: inadequate food or cold homes so children get sick. We examined the correlation to dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, obesity (by eating cheap, processed food) and relocation. Youth will choose to go to the Ottawa shelter, given a choice because there are more accessible resources there and transportation. Once they get there, there is no follow-up so they may end up on the streets which can lead to drug use or prostitution. Robin would rather have referral management services. This means you actively connect youth to resources, you contact those resources for them and coordinate them accessing the services. You then follow-up for a set amount of time to ensure they are gaining the skills or contact necessary to their success. They may need job skills or assistance with housing. Once teenagers leave our area, chances are they will not return to our area.
We met Mario, the manager of the new ReStore in Kemptville who just moved to Kemptville from PEI. The Restore raises funds for Habitat for Humanity by accepting donations of used construction materials and selling them to the public, home builders etc. The money helps to pay for their next building project. Habitat for Humanity chooses a family in need and works in partnership with them to build a home. They have a mortgage but is in interest-free and adjusted according to their income. The home is theirs and they can choose to sell it once they have lived there for a year. Mario reported the many benefits for families who become homeowners. Children have a space of their own, a home they can be proud of, they have sense of ownership and learn to take care of their home, they can have people over for playdates.
Having the ReStore is good news. However, the lack of resources for teens means many local youth fall through the cracks. Robin lead a brainstorm of potential solutions. Initially, the discussion was focused on how we can gather data re: how many local teens are actually homeless, couch surfing or stuck in abusive situations. There were many suggestions including having an intranet database that social service agencies could use to enter information about teenagers who were using their services, using the youth's initials to ensure confidentiality while avoiding counting the same person twice. Others talked about policies and procedures that exist elsewhere. We could contact them and ask for their service map to learn from their experience. One success story came from Medicine Hat where homelessness became a priority and was drastically reduced. The Prescott Shelter Pilot Project is likely to expand to our area. For now, Robin encourages everyone to contact their MP and MPP and demand that the issue of teen homelessness be addressed. This is a crucial time as our Municipality is discussing policies that will affect affordable housing in Leeds-Grenville.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Rural Poverty and Affordable Housing
February 6th 2016
Yesterday, I participated in the second annual Share the Love campaign. Share the Love's goal is raising awareness about rural poverty and unsafe housing in the Leeds-Grenville area. I heard about them last year when my, Have You Hugged the Alien? book was published. I was going into schools to offer my workshops on healthy emotional expression. Share the Love organizers approached me and asked if I would facilitate some art with children and create an art display for their upcoming auction. Proceeds would go to Habitat for Humanity.
I went into my daughter's grade 3 class at Kemptville Public School and we had a discussion about poverty. I pointed out the many luxuries we take for granted like feeling warm as we enter our home, having a snack after school, being greeted by pets or playing with toys, having supper, taking a hot shower and sleeping in a warm bed, knowing we are safe. We compared that to the realities of families living at the edge of homelessness, barely making it on a monthly basis.
Each child chose one room in their home that they enjoy, the space that feels most like "home" to them. They were asked to re-create that space in a box, using play-doh, popsicle sticks, string, markers and a variety of other cheap materials. The boxes were displayed at Geronimo Coffeehouse with an index card attached to it, describing the student's vision for their box. The boxes were auctioned off and raised $500 for Habitat for Humanity. It was a wonderful experience,
This year, I visited Oxford-On-Rideau Public School and met with 44 students from grades 4, 5 and 6. This time, I could report on some of the changes that had happened since last year's campaign. A new Re-Store is set to open in Kemptville as the needs of our community have been recognized. A new program is also being discussed which would make it easier for low income families to become home-owners through "down-payment assistance", it would also provide "a flat rate Housing Allowance" so people can pay their rent and, thirdly, this program would offer financial assistance to low income families living in unsafe housing "to repair their home while improving the energy-efficiency of the unit". For more information about the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario program or to weigh in on these issues at one of the upcoming meetings, go to www.leedsgrenville.com/en/live/housing/affordablehousing.asp#
We talked about the fact that "1 out of 4 rural households are in the lowest income categories" in the Leeds/Grenville area. Then, I asked for the students' help. Their art could raise awareness about this issue by being displayed at Geronimo Coffeehouse for the month of February. Their art and efforts could also be shared at a meeting on February 22nd with homebuilders and politicians showing them the importance of creating more affordable homes. My directives were short: create something colourful that will catch the eye of the public and communicate a message about the need for safe, affordable housing in our area.
The room buzzed with excitement and feverish activity as students created their flag. There was such a variety from a slice of pizza, before and after images, us vs them imagery and beautiful outbursts of love. When students had completed their flags, I asked them to design their clothes pin. I was displaying the flags on a clothes line in the main hallway of the coffeehouse therefore we needed colourful, eye-catching clothes pins. When the students were done, they helped me gather my materials and got to work cleaning up the lunch room. It was pizza day and they scrubbed the tables clean. I was really impressed with these students. They were hard working and thorough.
I met with Heather Sansom at Geronimo and she helped me hang all of the art work. She even paid for my lunch (not a bad gig). The students had a blast, the teachers enjoyed witnessing the energy of their students creating for a good cause and, Heather and I were satisfied with the colourful art display that would surely get people talking about a very important issue.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Yesterday, I participated in the second annual Share the Love campaign. Share the Love's goal is raising awareness about rural poverty and unsafe housing in the Leeds-Grenville area. I heard about them last year when my, Have You Hugged the Alien? book was published. I was going into schools to offer my workshops on healthy emotional expression. Share the Love organizers approached me and asked if I would facilitate some art with children and create an art display for their upcoming auction. Proceeds would go to Habitat for Humanity.
I went into my daughter's grade 3 class at Kemptville Public School and we had a discussion about poverty. I pointed out the many luxuries we take for granted like feeling warm as we enter our home, having a snack after school, being greeted by pets or playing with toys, having supper, taking a hot shower and sleeping in a warm bed, knowing we are safe. We compared that to the realities of families living at the edge of homelessness, barely making it on a monthly basis.
Each child chose one room in their home that they enjoy, the space that feels most like "home" to them. They were asked to re-create that space in a box, using play-doh, popsicle sticks, string, markers and a variety of other cheap materials. The boxes were displayed at Geronimo Coffeehouse with an index card attached to it, describing the student's vision for their box. The boxes were auctioned off and raised $500 for Habitat for Humanity. It was a wonderful experience,
This year, I visited Oxford-On-Rideau Public School and met with 44 students from grades 4, 5 and 6. This time, I could report on some of the changes that had happened since last year's campaign. A new Re-Store is set to open in Kemptville as the needs of our community have been recognized. A new program is also being discussed which would make it easier for low income families to become home-owners through "down-payment assistance", it would also provide "a flat rate Housing Allowance" so people can pay their rent and, thirdly, this program would offer financial assistance to low income families living in unsafe housing "to repair their home while improving the energy-efficiency of the unit". For more information about the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario program or to weigh in on these issues at one of the upcoming meetings, go to www.leedsgrenville.com/en/live/housing/affordablehousing.asp#
We talked about the fact that "1 out of 4 rural households are in the lowest income categories" in the Leeds/Grenville area. Then, I asked for the students' help. Their art could raise awareness about this issue by being displayed at Geronimo Coffeehouse for the month of February. Their art and efforts could also be shared at a meeting on February 22nd with homebuilders and politicians showing them the importance of creating more affordable homes. My directives were short: create something colourful that will catch the eye of the public and communicate a message about the need for safe, affordable housing in our area.
The room buzzed with excitement and feverish activity as students created their flag. There was such a variety from a slice of pizza, before and after images, us vs them imagery and beautiful outbursts of love. When students had completed their flags, I asked them to design their clothes pin. I was displaying the flags on a clothes line in the main hallway of the coffeehouse therefore we needed colourful, eye-catching clothes pins. When the students were done, they helped me gather my materials and got to work cleaning up the lunch room. It was pizza day and they scrubbed the tables clean. I was really impressed with these students. They were hard working and thorough.
I met with Heather Sansom at Geronimo and she helped me hang all of the art work. She even paid for my lunch (not a bad gig). The students had a blast, the teachers enjoyed witnessing the energy of their students creating for a good cause and, Heather and I were satisfied with the colourful art display that would surely get people talking about a very important issue.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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