The day before

I am feeling anxious about this challenge, thankfully Stephanie as agreed to be my personal cheerleader.

Do the Math Challenge Guidelines

Here are the guidelines participants are asked to follow for the challenge!

1. The challenge will start after the press conference on October 1^st, 2010.
2. You will be asked to attend the Salvation Army food bank during the day on October 1^st, 2010.

·         You will have to call the Salvation Army Food Bank to make an appointment

·         You will have to bring your identification for you assessment

·         If you have not made your donation to the food bank please bring it with you on that day

3. You will be asked to eat at least once at the soup kitchen or the mission.  You will be asked to make a small donation at the time of the meal to compensate for the food they will serve you. 
4. You will be asked to use public transportation, bike, walk to ask someone for a ride (that does not live in your household) to get to the food bank and community meals.
5. You will be asked to blog about your experience.  The information will be on our blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Please see attached for more information.
6. You will be asked to commit to the challenge for at least 3 days.  We would like to have you do the full week without caving or at least try to go as long as possible.  If you cave, we are asking you to blog about your experience to discuss the reason why you couldn’t go through with the challenge any longer. 
7. You will be able to use 5 pantry items during the challenge.  Those will be:  oil, flour, salt, coffee and pepper
8. You will be asked to refrain from accepting any food from others.  If you have to attend a function please bring your own lunch from your food basket. 
9. The challenge will end at 12pm on October 8^th, 2010 at the community lunch.  We hope you will attend to talk about your experience to others in the community.

Welcoming the Participants

Good Afternoon!
The Do the Math organizing committee would like to announce the Do the Math Challenge participants.  These individuals have made the personal decision to live solely off the contents of a food bank hamper for a week to help raise awareness about the inadequacy of social assistance in Ontario.  Those participating are:

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health - Sudbury District Health Unit

Stacey Lavallie, Web Content Coordinator - Northern Life

Tony Ryma, News Anchor - MCTV

Geneviève Pineault, Artistic and Exective Director - Le TNO
-Partner: Denis Bertrand

T.J. Giroux, Radio Personality - Le Loup FM

Shawn Poland, Associate VP College Advancement - Cambrian College

John Closs, President - Sudbury District Labour Council
- Partner: Anita Desroches

John Gaudi, Reporter - CBC Radio

Markus Schwabe, Radio Personality - CBC Radio
-Partner: Karen
-Children: Nicholas and Gabrielle

Alice Haasdyk, Chair - Sudbury Food Connections Network

Ernst Gerhardt, Professor - Laurentian Univerisity

Vicky Lafond, Executive Assistant - Social Planning Council of Sudbury

Michelle Murray, Member - Rotary Sunrisers

Jeff Sutton, President - Rotary Sunrisers
-Family

France Gélinas, MPP - Nickel Belt

Kathy Dahmer, Minister - United Church in Lively
-Larry Dahmer, Social Worker - Sudbury Regional Hospital

Wishing them good luck!

Do the Math Challenge Background

Rationale for the Challenge: Community representatives from the Put Food in the Budget campaign visited more than forty MPP’s across Ontario and asked them to complete the survey. The MPP’s who completed the survey said that a single person needs a minimum income of $1340 per month. Almost all of them said social assistance is inadequate.

The Liberal MPP’s gave different reasons for not supporting the Campaign’s request for an immediate increase, because of the recession; because they wanted to wait for the results of the Social Assistance Review, or because they feel there is not public support.

Minister Meilleur said to our delegation that ‘she would love to give people an extra $100 per month but it’s not on the public radar’.

The purpose of the Challenge is to demonstrate that there IS public support for an immediate increase in social assistance as a first step towards health and dignity for people receiving social assistance.

Secondly, the Social Assistance Review terms of reference have just been released. The Review will not begin until September and will last twelve to eighteen months. There will likely be no recommendations before the next election and no possibility of implementation before the election. So a second purpose of the Challenge is to raise awareness that the Ontario Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy means little if it ignores the poorest people in the province and fails to immediately improve the income of people on social assistance.

Finally, it is important to show public solidarity with people in Ontario who experience persistent stigmatization and discrimination.