On Friday, November 21, 1997 5:50 AM, Denise Simard[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
wrote:
> I would like to know where to join the Canadian Association of Food
> Banks.

Denise,

I know I talked about the collection and use of information in my last
posting, I gave two examples.  One was one that had in fact happened, with
the information collected by foodbanks and pulled together by the Canadian
Association of Food Banks going to the UN.

The other example I gave was one that I feel strongly about as a consumer
who has worked on local and  provincial issues.  It also is somewhat
related to a program that the Daily Bread Foodbank uses.  And my views are
also informed by their work in the area of advocacy and policy.  I would
suggest you get in touch with either Bev Brown or Sue Cox for more
information.  And please if possible share what you find out here for all
of us.  I am in no way associated with either organization.

The other example I gave of the cost of travel for health appointments is a
very real one.  Something as simple as, a child that needs to go to sick
kids, can put a family's shelter at risk and leave them without enough to
buy food, in fact a simple ear infection can do the same by the time you
account for taxies, fever reducing drugs and popsycles.  It is when these
kind of things are documented that we are better able to reflect what
stresses and challenges face people living in poverty and how inappropriate
a level of income that does not even attempt to provide the necessities of
life is.

I have heard very little about income as a determinate of health,  has our
understanding of the impact of income inequalities changed?  Or is it that
we assume that people have low incomes because they are deficient in some
way and thus the answer to income inequalities is to find ways to catch,
teach and fix poor people, failing that their children?

I hope people involved in the health promotion field do not feel these are
inappropriate questions and do not belong in this forum, if so please feel
free to discuss that too.

S


--
Sherrie Tingley
[log in to unmask]