Government Backs Peer Support Network for Low Income Individuals
For Release #05-306
Friday, Nov 25, 2005
WHITEHORSE -- Health and Social Services Minister Peter Jenkins today has announced that the government will contribute $14,000 to the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition that will allow it to introduce a new support program for low income individuals.
"This funding will enable the coalition to establish a peer support network for people living in poverty. We anticipate this network will help people who feel that they are stigmatized, ignored or treated poorly because of their low incomes," said Jenkins.
The network concept is the response to an earlier set of group discussions undertaken by the coalition and funded by the Yukon government. Last year the coalition interviewed people living in poverty to find out what they felt they needed. Overwhelming the response was someone to talk to who understood the reality of their lives.
"These are people living in poverty. They include families, seniors, people with disabilities and some First Nations members. Because of what they don't have, they feel cut off from others in society, marginalized. One of the things that the coalition heard was that people living in poverty feel isolated. They have no one to talk to about the issues that impact them," Jenkins added.
The project will help people to gain the skills to set up and maintain peer support groups and help them find supports they need to ease daily living requirements, mentoring and finding inexpensive sources of products and services.
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