Our community is working together to lift people out of poverty in Golden & Area A. Your experiences can inform our strategies and priorities for action.
Golden Threads is a collaborative initiative of social services and community agencies, municipal government, health services, business leaders, and caring residents of Golden, British Columbia and its surrounding communities. Our collaboration began in 2023 for the purpose of developing a ‘Common Agenda for Poverty Reduction in Golden and CSRD Area A’, a strategic visioning document that will serve to guide, focus, and maximize our collective impact.
The initiative is directed by a Leadership Roundtable, an action group composed of nonprofit organizations, representatives from local government, and business owners committed to supporting a resilient community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Our focus is to shed light on the untold stories of those living with less in our community, and engage residents in the development of locally-actionable strategies. We have the community willingness, a fantastic collection of committed professionals, big hearted citizens, and multi-sector support.
You might ask, how do you define poverty? Our answer – we don’t! According to Food Banks Canada’s Poverty Report Cards, more than 42.6% of people nationally feel financially worse off compared to last year; 18.4% are experiencing food insecurity and almost 30% are coping with an inadequate standard of living. The measures that have traditionally been used to define poverty don’t always tell the whole story, and we know many residents in Golden and Area A face unique local pressures finding affordable housing, living wage employment, and access to important services. You know your own story best.
Join us for a free community art and storytelling workshop at the Civic Center on Saturday, July 6, 2024. Supplies will be provided for expression through different mediums, and you can choose to create independently or in collaboration with local artists:
– Shasta McCoy: Weaving
– Kathryn Cooke: Poetry, Collage & Weaving
– Hanako Nagao: Mural Painting
– Metis Nation Columbia River Society is hosting a beading circle outside their new office (at the Old Courthouse Building) from 11am til 2pm as part of the event.
A $25 grocery gift card will be provided to the first 20 people who register on Eventbrite (www. eventbrite.ca/e/933993859777) and participate. Snacks and refreshments will be served, kids are most welcome. This is a drop-in style, “stay as long or short as you like” event!
Participation is for anyone living in Golden or Area A who has struggled to make ends meet to help challenge misconceptions and stereotypes by sharing their lived experience through art. There are additional ways community members can engage and share their story over the summer: The Community Wellbeing Survey is online and we welcome responses from all residents to collect many different experiences.
Book a one-on-one confidential conversation to share your experiences. Interviews will take between 60-90 minutes and participants will receive a $40 grocery gift card in gratitude.
As advocates for change, we recognize the power of personal narratives in fostering empathy, understanding, and ultimately inspiring action. Stories and insight gathered through our community engagement process will inform our strategies and priorities for action in a “Common Agenda for Poverty Reduction in Golden and Area A”.
If you’re interested in more stories like this, check out our local community stories here.
