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•The IFP • H alton H ills, Thursd ay, A p ril 18, 2013 7 CAN YOU GUESS WHO THIS SEVERE LOOKING MAN IS? HE COMPOSED SUCH GORGEOUS MUSIC! COME FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF ON SAT. MAY 4TH DETAILS AT: www.georgetownchoral.ca or call 905-877-7795 Sponsored by "The Gallery, Georgetown's premium 60 plus lifestyle community" 348 Guelph St., Georgetown You're Invited ATTENTION ALL CONTRACTORS Friday April 19th 12 - 5 pm Food • Prizes Vendors • Demos TAX DUE DATE IMPORTANT REMINDER TO HALTON HILLS TAXPAYERS The second instalment of the 2013 Interim Property Tax Bill is due on Friday April 26, 2013. For further information please visit our website at www.haltonhills.ca 40 Describing his emotional struggle that still continues to haunt him today, Steven said he had to leave that toxic environ- ment in order to get healthy again. The decision led to his downward spi- ral into poverty as he struggled to cope with the lingering memories of his job helping Aboriginal communities over- come mental health and addictions. Within months he depleted his savings, lost his house and lost his car. To get some grounding, Steven moved back to Ontario, the province he grew up in, settling in Halton Hills where a friend lived a few years ago. It's in Halton Hills where he says he has been trying to piece his life back together, but is still met with chal- lenges. Steven is among thousands of Halton residents who are struggling to make ends meet each and every day. According to 2006 census fi g- ures, there are 37,000 individuals living in poverty in Halton. As he continues to deal with post-trau- matic stress disorder-- which the Cana- dian Mental Health Association describes as an anxiety disorder characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situ- ation long after any physical danger in- volved has passed, through fl ashbacks and nightmares -- Steven receives just over $1,000 from the Ontario Disability Support Program each month. He fi nds it diffi cult keeping up with bills when telephone, laundry, toiletries, clothing and heat and electricity are fac- tored in. Without the help of subsidized rent and some supplies from the food bank, he doesn't know how he would be able to survive. "Being in poverty has really opened my eyes," he said, recalling his comfortable salary and life before he became ill. Unless you're working and considered a "contributing member of society," Ste- ven said you start to realize no one cares about you. "You're considered a burden to the sys- tem," he continued. Steven said he would like to work again, but doesn't know if it would be possible given that he only gets a few hours of sleep each night and his physical health continues to deteriorate. "I'm kind of stuck, but I haven't given up," he said, noting that he does what he can to help the community he lives in by occasionally offl oading the Food for Life truck that delivers fresh foods from gro- cery stores, restaurants and the corporate food sector and delivers them to more than 50 community agencies and 42 out- reach programs like the Milton Salvation Army and the Halton Children's Aid So- ciety. Steven said his situation isn't as bad as others with nearly 3,200 people still wait- ing for rental assistance in Halton. He believes everyone is too caught up in their own lives to see what's happening around them and the dire need to address poverty. "The focus in cities is to make money and so we're fo- cused on that all the time that we don't care about what's going with our neighbours," he said. "If that (the market) all crashed tomorrow, where would we all be?" He continued the prob- lem will only become bigger as people continue to turn a blind eye to the issue. The cost of living continues to rise and the gap between the rich and poor con- tinues to widen, said Steven, adding that those who are living in poverty are get- ting left behind. He's also a member of the Halton Pov- erty Roundtable, which has actively been lobbying the government to tackle pov- erty. He's hoping by sharing his experience it will help people see "the big picture." Part Three of Living in Poverty: Discov- ering the Hidden Poor in Halton will dis- cuss the obstacles those living in poverty face. It will appear Thursday, April 25. Halton Hills resident Steven walks near his home. Steven is among thousands of Halton residents who are struggling to make ends meet each and every day. Accord- ing to 2006 census fi gures, there are 37,000 individuals living in poverty in Halton. Photo by Eric Riehl Metroland Media Group Local man says unless you're working no one cares about the poverty-stricken Living in Poverty A Special Report Continued from pg. 1 "The focus in cities is to make money and so we're focused on that all the time that we don't care about what's going with our neighbours"