Poverty can be just a few paycheques away

from The Barrie Examiner

Barrie woman’s financial struggles are not unique
Posted By Nicki Cruickshank
Posted -16 sec ago

A few years ago, Bev Colpitts had a house, a car, and was living comfortably.

But that all changed after her marriage collapsed and her health took a turn for the worse.

Now, five years later, she has been left without a drug plan and can’t scrape enough money together to fill a $58 prescription.

“I have viral pneumonia, and I can’t afford the antibiotics or inhaler I need to get rid of it,” said Colpitts, a retired nurse who worked at Royal Victoria Hospital for 33 years. “I’m on a Canada Disability Pension, and I only get $900 a month to live on.”

Factor in $400 for rent at her east-end rooming house and the $350 for medication she needs to live, that leaves little for food or other amenities, let alone another prescription.

“I have to make that last $100 stretch, and I’ve lived like this for the past five years,” Colpitts said. “And I can’t take away from my medication funds because, without them, I have no quality of life.”

She isn’t the only one in this situation. Colpitts’ life is one Louise Stinson sees many local residents struggling with every day.

“Her situation is not unique here in Barrie,” said Stinson, executive director of the David Busby Street Centre. “It (poverty) is on the rise here. Most people in Simcoe County are two paycheques away from losing their homes.”

Stinson said, on a busy day, the centre, located in the basement of Trinity Anglican Church, can see upwards of 200 homeless or impoverished residents come through the door.

“And we get tons of calls from people in need of our services,” Stinson said. “We have counsellors whom people can come and talk to, or we have them go to people who can’t get here.

“We also have a nurse practitioner on staff that might be able to see people and see about getting them help with some medications,” she added.

It all depends on the severity of cases and on how much help can be found for these residents.

“We need to see increases in Canada Pension Plans and Ontario Works,” Stinson said. “Because this scenario can happen to anyone.”

Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll insists increases have been made.

“Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments were increased last November,” Carroll said. “And our government has raised the general minimum wage every year for the past four years.”

Regardless, Colpitts says she will never receive as much money as she did while working as a nurse.

“I had a good life and loved my job. I was making $39 an hour,” Colpitts said. “But we tend to fall between the cracks, and I’m resentful because I gave everything to my job and suddenly, when I need help, no one’s around to help me. It can really break your spirit, and I’d love to find some sort of drug plan.”

But there are community and social service programs around that can help.

“We can help them with access to food if they need it,” said Paula King, of the Elizabeth Fry Society in Barrie. “We can also connect with other services, like the Salvation Army.

“It really irks me that a pension plan wouldn’t give someone like her (Colpitts) a drug plan, too,” King added.

But there is a way to get one, according to the Simcoe County branch of Ontario Works.

“If someone is receiving disability, they can apply to the Ontario Disability Support Program and make a self-referral and be fast-tracked,” said Jamie Moran, manager of the social services department for Simcoe County Ontario Works. “If they’re eligible, they could be provided with a drug card to cover their medications.”

Moran said the Trillium Drug Plan is another option for those who don’t quality for ODSP.

It’s funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and is for low-income residents under 65 years old.

“It’s much better than having no drug coverage at all,” he said, adding that Trillium applications are available at the ODSP office (34 Simcoe St.).

Carroll said addressing local poverty is one of her priorities.

“The 2007 budget announced a number of initiatives for those who most need our help, including low-income families and seniors,” she said. “The premier has made the reduction of poverty a major priority for this mandate, and the creation of a cabinet committee solely designated to this goal indicates the seriousness of our intent.”

Colpitts hopes sharing her story will be an eye-opener to the public, and will encourage them

to help Barrie’s less fortunate on a more regular basis.

“There are such good news stories that come out of big storms or fires, when people say, ‘What can we do to help?’” she said. “But what about the people living without everyday?”

Contact the writer at ncruickshank@thebarrieexaminer.com