Co-op Student Journey – Mia and Georgia
At the beginning of September 2023, we (Mia and Georgia) began our 4-month co-op journey at United Way Halifax. Being university students in a town away from home made it easy to lose sight of the many struggles that exist beyond our own social “bubbles” on campus. Since neither of us grew up in Halifax, our perception of the city was largely shaped by our university experiences, and we were naïve to the challenges faced by the broader community. But by working with United Way Halifax, we’ve begun to understand what individuals experiencing poverty in our community are facing on a day-to-day basis, and we’d love to share some of our key take-aways with you.
Lesson #1: The struggle of seniors in our community
Because healthcare in Canada is free, people often assume it’s accessible. We learned that that’s not always true, especially if you belong to a certain demographic, like seniors.
During our first week at United Way Halifax, we visited a local senior’s centre and had an opportunity to chat with the managers. Many of their clients have costly needs that aren’t met by Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. They also rely on low senior assistance and pension rates. Before working at United Way, we assumed that seniors who are sick would get a bed at a hospital promptly, those who require assistance move into nursing homes, and that folks who have worked all their lives putting funds into a pension plan can survive off their savings. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Nova Scotia has the highest senior poverty rate across Canada, with 1 in 10 seniors living below the poverty line. It’s an uphill battle for many seniors in our community who are on limited incomes, but continue to face rising costs.
Lesson #2: The housing crisis can be detrimental, even if you have a home
Since working at United Way Halifax, we’ve heard the perspectives of people who are struggling to make ends meet by listening to their stories first-hand, reading articles and even participating in exercises like Make the Month. Living in Halifax as students, we also feel the strain of the housing crisis. But luckily, we each live with 3 roommates to help alleviate the cost of rent. We only buy groceries for ourselves, and we receive a bus pass and healthcare through our university.
Learning about the struggles of individuals who have to balance buying necessities, feeding their families and paying rent has been really eye-opening. Before completing our work term here, we assumed that most, if not all of the people really experiencing the pressure of the housing crisis were either already homeless or living on low incomes. While those people are certainly experiencing the worst of it, there are also many other ways that the housing crisis can affect people who have a home and may not consider themselves to be living in poverty.
Lesson #3: The correlation between poverty and mental health
Working at United Way Halifax has truly made us more compassionate and empathetic people. We believe that’s because we’re always learning about the mental and emotional challenges faced by people experiencing poverty and marginalization. Thanks to our experience as campaign associates, we better understand the relationship between poverty and mental health. When an individual experiences a shortage of food, shelter, education, social connection, or other basic necessities, it typically does not end there. Their hardships extend well beyond these struggles and have a profound impact on their mental well-being. In fact, the number one population served by our funded agencies in 2022/23 were individuals struggling with mental health challenges. While it’s reassuring to know that the programs we fund are having an impact, it’s tough to see the demand for mental health supports increasing in our communities. We hope to see even more organizations helping in the future.
United Way Halifax has taught us many things, but the most memorable has nothing to do with the actual job. Being surrounded by a team that is passionate about change, and working to implement it, has allowed us to see parts of our community we didn’t even know existed. Our time here has built empathy for folks living in poverty, understanding toward everyone’s situation, and a sincere belief that change is possible. We will continue to learn after our time at United Way is over and encourage everyone to look beyond their own bubble to find ways that they can help their community.
