|
|
February 25, 2005
Changes for Yad b'Yad
New structure and a new face for poverty council.
PAT JOHNSON
The Jewish community's mobilization against poverty has taken some
forks in the road recently, including a name change and a new face
at the helm.
Iris Toledano, a social worker from Israel, is the new co-ordinator
of Yad b'Yad, the community agency that is spearheading advocacy
for Jews who live in poverty. Since 2001, Yad b'Yad, which
is Hebrew for "hand in hand," has brought more than 80
volunteers together to work on projects that include housing initiatives,
community outreach, supporting the Jewish food bank, community kitchens,
improved dental access, community gardens, clothing drives and a
raft of other services and projects. The current chair of Yad b'Yad
is Shelley Rivkin, but Toledano is on staff as the co-ordinator
who will oversee the fruition of the group's diverse projects.
With an undergraduate degree from Ben-Gurion University and a master's
in social work from the University of British Columbia, Toledano
has been deeply involved in poverty issues and community development
since arriving here in 1998 with her husband, Arik. The couple now
has two sons, Etai, five, and Eilon, 11 months.
Toledano has worked for the provincial government and in the Downtown
Eastside, doing community development, including planning for a
neighborhood house in the area. But she said she has a special affinity
for her new job.
"Working in the Jewish community means a lot to me," she
said. "That, for me, is like being at home. I continue to do
what I've chosen to do – to help people in need and advocate
for social justice."
The philosophical purpose of Yad b'Yad is straightforward.
"Our vision is of a community that is accessible, affordable
and inclusive to all," said Toledano. But the methods of reaching
that end goal are multitudinous.
Operating under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Greater
Vancouver, Yad b'Yad's mandate is to influence policy and other
organizations within the Jewish community, rather than duplicating
efforts by providing services directly. For example, Yad b'Yad works
closely with the Jewish Family Service Agency, synagogues and other
groups to help make services accessible to people with low incomes.
Among the most high-profile efforts of Yad b'Yad is a "central
assessment mechanism" that acts as a discreet, one-stop process
for accessing financial assistance, Jewish community services and
education. Participants can receive admission to events and services
in the community without being forced to go cap-in-hand to every
agency in the city. For instance, the Share Our Treasure program
provides tickets to High Holy Days services for those who might
not be able to attend otherwise. Tickets to entertainment and educational
events are also available through Tickets to Inclusion, a Yad b'Yad
program operated by the Jewish Family Service Agency.
Yad b'Yad also has a strong research component. One of the most
significant initiatives has been the Mapping and Mobilization project,
which resulted in a major analysis of poverty in the Jewish community,
who it affects, where it is most prevalent and what resources exist
to ameliorate it.
A significant part of the group's effort is devoted to public awareness.
"We want everyone in the community to be aware of the fact
and encourage them to do something to address poverty," said
Toledano.
Last fall, Yad b'Yad underwent a transformation, changing its definition
to "council" from "coalition." Yad b'Yad was
formed as a coalition, to which Jewish community agencies assigned
representatives, but this structure slowed the process as representatives
had to report back to their home organizations and obtain approval
to support various initiatives. Competing interests led to the new
structure, in which board members participate independently of other
agencies.
"The council is really a group of individuals who are committed
to the mandate and to the work of Yad b'Yad," Toledano said.
At the same time, Yad b'Yad added a subtitle to its name: "Addressing
economic security in the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver."
Guiding her work and the direction of Yad b'Yad is what Toledano
calls "striking new data from the latest census." Analysis
done with the co-operation of Yad b'Yad and other individuals and
groups, including David Berson of the social planning department
of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, have provided statistics
on the impact and extent of poverty in the Greater Vancouver Jewish
community.
Almost 50,000 Jewish Canadians currently live below government-determined
low-income levels, including 3,150 Jews in Greater Vancouver. After
Montreal, Vancouver has the country's largest proportion of poor
Jews. One in nine Jewish children and one in six Jewish teenagers
and young adults in Greater Vancouver live in poverty. Of those
under 24 who live alone, 68 per cent are below the poverty line.
Of single Jewish seniors, 42 per cent are in poverty, as are 32
per cent of single-parent households.
More information on Yad b'Yad is available at www.coalitiononpoverty.ca.
Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.
^TOP
|
|
