800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Nov 20th 2009, 7:55 pm
#91
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Location: White Rock BC
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Nov 20th 2009, 8:30 pm
#93
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,730
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Surprised to see so many comments saying the UK benefits system doesn't help with mortgages.
It does.
Not capital of course but the interest on repayments. In the early stages of a mortgage that is most of the repayment.
The idea has always been that the lender will accept interest only allowing the person to get back on their feet without losing their home.
It's an arrangement that has worked quite well.
It does.
Not capital of course but the interest on repayments. In the early stages of a mortgage that is most of the repayment.
The idea has always been that the lender will accept interest only allowing the person to get back on their feet without losing their home.
It's an arrangement that has worked quite well.
Nov 21st 2009, 5:18 am
#94
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Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Gastown - East Van
Posts: 413
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Bloody hell this is such a good point. The supermarkets look good because they collect but that's all they're doing. If they matched donated items on an equal basis, then I would be more impressed. But having a bin collecting goods people have paid full price for in their own store. This is lame.
Nov 21st 2009, 8:55 am
#95
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Upper Atmosphere
Posts: 1,708
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Google the Edscha plant closing in Niagara Falls for just one example. This one was followed by a CBC documentary.
German parent company closed a salvageable plant (Edscha were profitable in Canada at the time by the way), which is bad enough, but then it transferred all its its assets to a non canadian subsidiary, and then claimed poverty (having stripped the assets itself) and being unable to pay the contractually due severance and pension commitments in favour of the workers getting the legal minimum entitlement, which the tax payers of ontario will pick up the tab for. Its totally immoral, it happens far too often, and the government does nothing to freeze the assets of these corporations to stop it.
German parent company closed a salvageable plant (Edscha were profitable in Canada at the time by the way), which is bad enough, but then it transferred all its its assets to a non canadian subsidiary, and then claimed poverty (having stripped the assets itself) and being unable to pay the contractually due severance and pension commitments in favour of the workers getting the legal minimum entitlement, which the tax payers of ontario will pick up the tab for. Its totally immoral, it happens far too often, and the government does nothing to freeze the assets of these corporations to stop it.
Last edited by Lord Vader; Nov 21st 2009 at 9:01 am.
Nov 21st 2009, 10:26 am
#96
Happy in NB
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Island View, New Brunswick
Posts: 2,020
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Here in NB (Fredericton is my only experience) people collect for the foodbank right in the supermarkets. As you enter they give you a little card saying what type of canned, dried goods they are looking for and for the sake of 5$ I pick up a couple of hamburger helper etc...
Also I have packed the Christmas Boxes for families in need here in Fredericton and I can tell you that the supermarkets donate alot of the dried goods, cans and stored baked cookies for those. We packed about 680 boxes last christmas which basically provided Christmas dinner, plus for families.
Apparently a major increase here in NB has been the workers returning from the west.
I too have seen people and know of people who use the foodbank and seem to have money for cigarettes, beer etc... I wouldnt want to condemn people to a life of misery, deviod of any pleasures but sometimes it is about priorities. PS unemployment in Fredericton is 4.8% and there are Help Wanted signs about.
Also I have packed the Christmas Boxes for families in need here in Fredericton and I can tell you that the supermarkets donate alot of the dried goods, cans and stored baked cookies for those. We packed about 680 boxes last christmas which basically provided Christmas dinner, plus for families.
Apparently a major increase here in NB has been the workers returning from the west.
I too have seen people and know of people who use the foodbank and seem to have money for cigarettes, beer etc... I wouldnt want to condemn people to a life of misery, deviod of any pleasures but sometimes it is about priorities. PS unemployment in Fredericton is 4.8% and there are Help Wanted signs about.
Nov 23rd 2009, 1:29 pm
#97
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
Well that is one example of a German company who did something that made the national news media. By simply looking around at my family, friends, work colleagues, etc, who are retired and receiving a pension, I am not prepared to think that your example is anywhere close to the norm. At the same time if the province stepped in to pick up the tab, then the folks are still receiving their pensions and have an income so that they can buy there own food.
And now that international corporations are catching on that the goverment here wont stand up against them its becoming more and more common. Edscha is far from an isolated example. Its frankley rather scary when you look around. The province has done the legal minimum, which is not exactly what someone with 20+ years time served with a company is planning their financial life around. The minimum the province should have done is to stop the asset stripping so the union could sell the hardware to provide funds to cover the companies contractual commitment to the workers.
Last edited by iaink; Nov 23rd 2009 at 4:10 pm.
Nov 23rd 2009, 2:22 pm
#98
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Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Little Britain
Posts: 9
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
I work in a food shop that gets customers coming in with 'food voucher' type things for free basics - milk, bread - I cant remember the 3rd item - Im not sure but I think its a 'food bank' type company that gives these out to 'people in need'
The thing that really pisses me off is they (some not all) get their free stuff and then spend their money on Booze & cigarettes!!!!!!
If your that hard up & cant afford food what the hell are you doing spending money on beer & cigarettes???????
The thing that really pisses me off is they (some not all) get their free stuff and then spend their money on Booze & cigarettes!!!!!!
If your that hard up & cant afford food what the hell are you doing spending money on beer & cigarettes???????
Nov 23rd 2009, 2:33 pm
#100
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
I work in a food shop that gets customers coming in with 'food voucher' type things for free basics - milk, bread - I cant remember the 3rd item - Im not sure but I think its a 'food bank' type company that gives these out to 'people in need'
The thing that really pisses me off is they (some not all) get their free stuff and then spend their money on Booze & cigarettes!!!!!!
If your that hard up & cant afford food what the hell are you doing spending money on beer & cigarettes???????
The thing that really pisses me off is they (some not all) get their free stuff and then spend their money on Booze & cigarettes!!!!!!
If your that hard up & cant afford food what the hell are you doing spending money on beer & cigarettes???????
Nov 23rd 2009, 2:34 pm
#101
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
And cigarettes are addictive believe it or not... For many its not really a choice.
Nov 23rd 2009, 2:42 pm
#103
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Nov 23rd 2009, 3:06 pm
#105
Account Closed
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Posts: 7,284
Re: 800,000 Canadians need foodbank help
I volunteered at our local foodbank for 10 months and saw many families who would arrive with young adult kids. They would stand outside and smoke so had enough money for ciggies. They used to pee me right off - I wanted to shout out "get a bloody job you lazy ^&%&^*!". Nothing pees me off like able-bodied people saying they haven't enough food or money to live on when they can spend around $12-14 per pack of ciggies 
On the other hand there were definitely people who needed help. Recently unemployed, and quite a few people who you could tell had led a hard life, and there was also quite a lot of single parent families - we used to hand out split packs of diapers, toothpaste, shampoo, baby food etc too.
People had to show their 'benefits' card and could only go to the foodbank once per month.
On the other hand there were definitely people who needed help. Recently unemployed, and quite a few people who you could tell had led a hard life, and there was also quite a lot of single parent families - we used to hand out split packs of diapers, toothpaste, shampoo, baby food etc too.
People had to show their 'benefits' card and could only go to the foodbank once per month.
