This year marks the 28th anniversary of the UN declaration of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On this day, the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force is releasing its first IMPACT Report 2020.

The IMPACT Report 2020 has been developed in partnership with the Tamarack Institute with support from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce. In March 2019, the Poverty Task Force joined other roundtables addressing poverty in a 6 month action-learning coaching Getting-to-Impact mentorship program. This new initiative required us to pull together poverty-related impact data across Bruce County and Grey County. And make our first attempt to set a baseline for our overall progress with over 52 community partners.

This means a shift of our evaluation from activities-based reporting to communicating impact. The result is a report that sets a baseline for the work being done to empower our community to end poverty. The shift from activity reporting to outcome/impact reporting better allows the Poverty Task Force to evaluate if the activities that are being done are having their intended effect and allows course correction, if needed.

When impacts are tracked overtime, long-term solutions and building on the work that has been accomplished at each stage becomes a more pronounced focus.

“The Poverty Task Force continues to focus on service coordination for immediate, medium and long-term COVID 19 response associated with its strategic priorities: food security, housing & homelessness, health equity, income & employment security, and transportation.” Jill Umbach, Coordinator, Poverty Task Force, “But the release of the IMPACT Report 2020 reminds us of the collective impact of over 52 partner organizations to support and empower the environment for reducing poverty at a higher impact level.”

With the release of the report we have uploaded data collected to BGDISC.ca – our Grey Bruce open data portal - and updated our Health Equity Tool Resources.

While the data collected for the baseline report is pre-COVID19, we know that the circumstances of many neighbours living with low resources has been intensified.
• 20% of families in Grey Bruce are food insecure.
• Although most food insecure households are employed, 70% of households reliant on social assistance are food insecure.
• Stigma, socioeconomic and cultural barriers prevent many of our neighbours from receiving the care they need. It is vital that the health services and resources available are provided in an equitable way to all our neighbours, to meet their individual needs and promote optimal health for everyone.
• 13.3% (Bruce County) and 15.5% (Grey County) of households have low income.
• Almost 1 in 5 children across Grey and Bruce live in a low income household.
• 29% (Bruce County) and 30.5% (Grey County) of renters are in core housing need. A household is in core housing need if housing is not of adequate size, not in adequate condition, or costs more than 30% of before-tax household income.
• Basic needs are increasingly out of reach for people living on low-income. People with insufficient income face impossible choices every single day.

• To read or download the IMPACT REPORT 2020 go to: https://povertytaskforce.com/impact-report/
• To access the Health Equity Tools and Resources go to: https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Your-Environment/HealthyCommunities/Health-Equity
• To learn more about the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force go to: https://povertytaskforce.com/
• To learn more about Tamarack Institute go to: https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare

source: media release, Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force