Since the economy began its downward spiral last fall, the Scott Mission in downtown Toronto has seen 10 per cent more men and 20 per cent more women make use of its programs on a regular basis, compared to the same period last year.
According to David Smith, CEO and executive director, there are many new faces amidst the drop-in centre’s usual crowd. “They don’t look like what you’d think of as homeless people,” he said. “Often they’re people whose economic situation was tenuous anyway and now they’ve crossed the line into poverty. Many have never used a food bank or soup kitchen before.”
According to Statistics Canada, 295,000 jobs were lost between October 2008 and the end of February. Over half of the country’s total job losses have been in Ontario, many in manufacturing and construction sectors.
The mission’s food bank is in particular demand, up 25 per cent from last year.
The non-denominational organization has struggled to find more resources, especially canned food and casual clothing. Although Smith and members of the team have been soliciting more goods and calling contacts, “the additional stocks received are being depleted as fast as they come in.” Several corporate suppliers and a number of churches have increased donations, but Smith said it is hard to judge how the months will unfold and if the centre will garner enough long-term support.
The ripple effects of the recession are felt even in “beautiful wealthy Alberta” according to Rev. Helen Smith at the Calgary Urban Projects Society. Smith is a Presbyterian minister and works with single adults who need rental assistance. Usually she issues 10 to 13 cheques each month, but as the end of February drew near, she had already issued 20.
Many people who lost manufacturing jobs in Ontario set out for Alberta in hopes of working in the oil sands, but local companies are not hiring, she said. People employed by temporary agencies have also run into trouble as businesses avoid hiring temporary workers to save money.
By the end of February, Alberta’s unemployment rate was up to 5.4 per cent, the highest in almost six years. Construction and manufacturing jobs have been hit the hardest.
When asked how the organization was meeting demand, she replied: “We just keep on trucking, providing what we can.”
According to Rev. Margaret Mullin, director of Winnipeg Inner City Missions, staff are working longer hours as more people make use of Flora House and Anishinabe Fellowship Centre.
There is high demand for a full-time employment councilor hired by the mission. But her salary is paid by a two-year grant that runs out at the end of 2009, and reapplication is not possible.
As organizations that issue grants feel the economic squeeze, the effects are trickling down to groups that rely on them for operation costs.
“Even at the end of 2008, I got letters from people apologizing for fewer donations, and foundations are also sending letters telling us to expect less funding over the next four years,” Mullin said.
Although the board is pursuing other options and Mullin is seeking more grants, if salaries cannot be paid the missions will decrease their programming.
