Ladysmith residents are challenged to experience poverty for just three days to gain new insights. (pixabay)

By Spencer Sterritt

poverty challenge

Ladysmith residents challenged to experience 3 days of poverty

Mar 21, 2021 | 7:04 AM

LADYSMITH — A new challenge asks Ladysmith residents to put themselves into the shoes of someone experiencing poverty.

The CommUNITY Together to End Poverty project is organized by Social Planning Cowichan and the town of Ladysmith.

Rosalie Sawrie with Social Planning Cowichan said Ladysmith residents can undertake three challenges: surviving on a food allowance based on social assistance, using only public or active transportation or spending 12 hours in the community with nowhere to go.

The food allowance and transportation challenges last for three days.

“The food challenge is the one people are most interested in,” Sawrie said. “There are quite a few challenges surrounding food security which come up quite often, especially for folks who don’t have access to public transportation where they live.”

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Sawrie said the area is ideal for the project since it’s directly between two larger centres.

“A lot of people do have to go to Duncan or Nanaimo for their services, so being able to identify what those specific gaps are for Lantzville and Stz’uminus is really important.”

Participants will fill out a survey once they’re completed the challenge. They survey will be used in a poverty reduction plan for the Ladysmith and Stz’uminus area.

“Someone who may not be directly impacted by poverty themselves may be able to contribute to the solution,” Sawrie said. “The biggest outcome coming out of this plan is we want to be able to do the actions that come from it.”

The poverty challenge runs from March 29 to April 9.

Anyone interested can sign up online.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt