Chew on This card. October 13, 2017 (Photo by Colin Gowdy)Chew on This card. October 13, 2017 (Photo by Colin Gowdy)
Windsor

Windsor activists demand end to poverty with 'Chew on This!' campaign

Wednesday is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and volunteers in 30 cities across Canada will be taking to the streets.

In Windsor, activists will be outside the Downtown Mission on Ouellette Avenue to launch the "Chew on This!" campaign.

Between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., volunteers will be handing out lunch bags containing a snack, a magnet, and a postcard to tell Prime Minister Justin Trudeau more needs to be done to end poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness.

They will also be calling on the federal government to strengthen its Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy, so it is fully-funded, legislated, and rights-based.

"We want to send a message that poverty is a collective responsibility, and a strong federal action plan can ensure everyone can live a life of dignity," said Downtown Mission Executive Director Ron Dunn.

It is estimated one in six people in Windsor-Essex currently live in poverty.

"Chew on This!" is organized by the Dignity for All campaign, which released its own plan in 2014. The plan outlined six policy areas where the federal government can take action to reduce poverty drastically. It was based on five years of consultations with 600 organizations and individuals across Canada.

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