Three stories about poverty

These stories are all too common at the Partners in Mission food bank. These are based on real people, but their names and some of the details have been changed to hide their identities.

Retired, working and hungry
Sam and his wife were retired and receiving money from Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Then Sam’s wife passed away. He received a Survivor Benefit from CPP, but it just wasn’t enough to pay the bills. Sam had to go back to work part-time driving a taxi to make ends meet. He also had to use the Partners in Mission food bank on a regular basis.

Two incomes, not enough food
Mary and Bill are a young couple with two young children. Bill works full time in a minimum wage job and Mary works part-time. Even though both are working they don’t make enough to pay all their bills and put food on the table for their two children. As a result, they have to use the Partners in Mission food bank on a regular basis to get the food they need.

Single-parent, can’t pay the mortgage
Denise had a good job, a great house, two kids and a husband. Then her marriage took an unexpected turn and her husband left. Her salary wasn’t enough to cover the mortgage on their house, let alone the day-to-day costs of her family of three. She turned to the Partners in Mission food bank to help with food for her family. She used the food bank every month until she could sell the house and move back in with her parents.

Source: Partners in Mission Food Bank