Two local working groups are making a difference in ending working poverty in Trail, and you can be a part of the solution. Both the Ending Working Poverty Leadership Table and the Lived Experience Advisory Group are looking for new members.
The two groups have been working since January 2023 with Heather Glenn-Dergousoff, the poverty reduction project specialist at the Skills Centre, on a three-year poverty reduction project.
“The leadership table is for anyone who wants to make a difference around working poverty in our community. Working poverty is defined as people who are working either full or part time yet still not earning enough money to keep their heads above water,” Heather says.
Participants at the leadership table come from all walks of life and income levels. They simply have to live or work in Trail. If participants are currently living in working poverty conditions, they will receive an honorarium for every meeting that they attend.
“We need a total of three hours a month commitment from participants,” Heather says. The leadership table meets in person for 1.5 hours each month, and there is another 1.5 hours of other work participants do on their own. They should also be willing to commit to the leadership table for one year.
The Lived Experience Advisory Group is made up of people currently living in working poverty. Participants meet individually with Heather and again receive an honorarium for each meeting. The time commitment is only about six hours a year, and participants can live anywhere in the Lower Columbia region.
“The advisory group acts as consultants to give their perspective on local programs, projects and service delivery. As an example, the advisory group had the idea for a food security initiative that became our garden box project. They took the idea to the leadership table, it was approved, and the Skills Centre launched the project earlier this year very successfully.”
Similarly, the leadership table initiated local engagement work for the Ending Working Poverty project to bring to the City of Trail for their new community plan update. The Lived Experience Advisory Group attended the engagement sessions, contributed their voice to the discussion, and the leadership table included that input in their submission to the City of Trail.
People interested in learning more about these two working committees should contact Heather at 250-368-6360 ext 235 or hglenn-dergousoff@skillscentre.ca.
