What is the Alliance
The Alliance is a collaborative initiative, known as a collective impact, supporting the efforts of those working to reduce poverty in our community. “Alliance” is defined as “a relationship based on an affinity in interests, nature or qualities”
How does the Alliance work?
Who is the Alliance?
There are currently 45 members from business, government, community agencies, contracted service providers and the community members at large.
What is CAPRA doing?
In Red Deer, CAPRA has Action Committees working to address issues around:
- Living wage
- Affordable transportation
- Financial literacy
- Literacy
- Food security
What’s the difference between Poverty Reduction and Poverty Alleviation?
Poverty Alleviation can be described as efforts to provide immediate, short term relief to people experiencing poverty. Important and necessary poverty alleviation initiatives include, but are not limited to:
- Shelters
- Food Banks
- School Toast programs
- Giving change, donating clothing, toiletries or other items
Wikipedia defines Poverty reduction as a term that describes the promotion of various measures, both economic and humanitarian, that will permanently lift people out of poverty. Poverty reduction strategies include, but are not limited to:
- Community gardens, food forests and edible landscaping
- Affordable and social housing projects
- Living Wage
- Literacy and financial literacy training programs
- Free education
Which Central Alberta communities are part of CAPRA?
CAPRA has members from the city of Red Deer, Red Deer County, Benalto, Bowden, Delburne, Elnora, Penhold, and Spruceview. CAPRA also supports poverty reduction efforts in Innisfail, Sylvan Lake, Blackfalds and Lacombe.
How is CAPRA involved in regional initiatives?
Strategies for reducing poverty need to be specific to the needs in individual communities. CAPRA has been awarded Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funds to support communities throughout Central Alberta to open a discussion about poverty, its impact on their community and develop strategies to affect change.
How does poverty reduction benefit me?
About 400,000 Albertans including 91,000 children live in poverty. It is very likely that your neighbour or child’s classmate may not be getting the nutritional, educational, social and emotional opportunities they need to lead a happy and rewarding life.
- Red Deer has the highest percentage of lone parent families at 19.9% (provincial average is 16.2% and national average 17.9%) in Alberta with 38% being low income.
- While poverty in rural communities declined between 1981 (16.2%) and 2001 (13.5%) impoverished rural women have fewer options for further education and training and may be isolated by community dynamics, geographical distance and/or lack of transportation.
- Poverty costs you money. Between $7.1 – 9.5 billion is spent every year in Alberta to manage the symptoms of poverty such as higher health care and justice costs and the lost opportunity cost of a poorly trained and unproductive workforce.
- It is estimated that a comprehensive human resource development system that would eliminate child poverty in 5 years and all poverty in 10 would cost less than half that amount at around $4.5 billion per year
How can I get involved?
Contact Lori Jack via email at info(at)capovertyreduction.ca or by phone at 403-343-3900. Your time commitment can be as little as 3 hours per month in meetings and/or activities that reduce poverty.
You can contribute in a variety of ways as simple as sharing your thoughts and ideas. If you don’t have the time, you can make a financial or in-kind tax deductible donation.
