WHAT IS PATHWAY TO POTENTIAL?
Pathway to Potential is a strategy for reducing poverty and ensuring social and economic wellbeing for the residents of Windsor and Essex County (WEC).

IS PATHWAY TO POTENTIAL LINKED TO ANY GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES?
Pathway to Potential is aligned with the Ontario Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which has an initial goal of reducing child poverty rates by 25% by the year 2013.
WHY A LOCAL STRATEGY?
Complex problems like poverty require communities to work together to find solutions.

HOW MANY RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE POVERTY?
More than 38,000 residents of WEC live in poverty.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN PATHWAY TO POTENTIAL?
A Roundtable of more than 30 individuals, including those who experience poverty, business leaders, representatives from all three levels of government, and voluntary and public sector organizations, plus action-oriented subcommittees working to reduce poverty in five key areas: affordable housing, child care and early learning, education and skills training, health, and income support.

WHAT ROLE DOES THE ROUNDTABLE PLAY?
The Roundtable sets the direction for Pathway to Potential.

Vision: All residents of Windsor and Essex County will be valued and included in.
their community and experience social and economic wellbeing.

Mission: Together we will reduce poverty and ensure the social and economic.
wellbeing of residents who live in Windsor and Essex County. We will accomplish this by ensuring citizen empowerment, an inclusive community that embraces diversity, all voices are heard and honoured, and all citizens are valued and live with dignity.

Reduction of poverty is a shared responsibility requiring a commitment to concrete action, which must involve citizens, businesses, all three levels of government, and voluntary and public sector organizations.

WHAT ROLE DO THE SUBCOMMITTEES PLAY?
The Subcommittees are involved in the recommendation and implementation of targeted poverty reduction initiatives that are aligned with the values and objectives of the Roundtable.
HOW IS THE COMMUNITY BEING ENGAGED IN THIS WORK?
We have been talking to numerous community stakeholders about the impact of poverty in Windsor-Essex County, and engaging in conversation about community-based solutions.

We are working with United Way/Centraide Windsor Essex in areas where the poverty reduction indicators align with Community Outcomes Process.

A grass roots group called Voices Against Poverty (Voices) has emerged as a result of Pathway to Potential, and is working in collaboration with the Roundtable and Subcommittees to provide insight and expertise on the barriers to getting out of poverty and the most meaningful solutions.

IS THE WORK BEING DONE LOCALLY CONNECTED TO WORK BEING DONE ELSEWHERE IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO?
More than 30 communities across Ontario are currently engaged in some form of collective action on poverty reduction.

Pathway is actively involved in several provincial organizations that help play a coordinating role in the provincial anti-poverty movement.

HOW IS THE WORK OF PATHWAY INFORMED?
Communities must learn from one another, and Pathway has and will continue to be involved in the communication and sharing of information.

To date, Pathway has been involved in the following learning activities:

  1. - Canadian Social Forum (Calgary, May 2009)
  2. - Tamarack Institute’s Reducing Poverty in Ontario Conference (June 2009)
  3. - Regular Participation in the Tamarack Institute’s Tele-Learning seminars on community-based poverty reduction strategies
  4. - Ongoing consultation with community-based poverty reduction strategies across Ontario
HOW IS PATHWAY PROMOTING PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT POVERTY IN WINDSOR-ESSEX COUNTY?
Pathway has held several community forums to help raise public awareness and encourage dialogue about many aspects of poverty, including housing, social assistance and employment insurance.

Pathway has engaged the Centre for Business Advancement and Research (CBAR) at the University of Windsor to help develop a marketing strategy, and will begin implementing the strategy in the Fall of 2009.

Pathway was able to speak to more than 1000 people about the nature of poverty in Windsor-Essex County at this year’s Festival Epicure and Fringe Festival.

Pathway now has a Facebook page (www.facebook/pathway.rep) and is currently in the process of developing a website.

WHAT IS PATHWAY DOING RIGHT NOW?
  1. - Consulting with the community and assessing needs
  2. - Advocating for policy change
  3. - Researching the most effective ways to reduce poverty
  4. - Developing local solutions that will reduce poverty

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