TRURO - Truro will help mark the 25th anniversary of the International United Nations Day for the Eradication of Poverty with a special event.
The international day is Wednesday and the Colchester Anti-Poverty Network (CAPN) will raise awareness in a creative way by hosting a poverty hunt, which is similar to the television show The Amazing Race.
The event will start at the Truro Farmers' Market at 4 p.m. Participants, in teams of two or more and armed with clues, will head out into downtown Truro to collect information about poverty in our communities. Returning to the market by 5 p.m. participants will participate in an information sharing session. The poverty hunt is open to everyone in the community.
Event organizers said it's important local residents pay attention to poverty-based issues, locally and internationally. One reason, they said, is because the financial burden poverty places on governments and non-governmental organizations like food banks, schools, charities, churches and soup kitchens.
Also, it's estimated in Nova Scotia poverty costs between $1.5 and $2.2 billion a year through increased costs in health care, education, social services, lost wages, policing services and lost business revenue.
In addition, the stigma and financial challenge of being poor often prevents inclusion for children and adults in typical activities such as sports, clubs, going to a restaurant or simply out with friends for a cup of coffee. The result of this can be a sense of isolation, which can result in negative coping strategies such as drug use, smoking and alcohol abuse.
These are only a few reasons why poverty affects an entire community. More information will be shared at the poverty hunt.
