Urban Exchange

Poverty definitions offer individual insights

Our survey on poverty closed a month ago and we’re working hard to compile and analyze what you’ve said so we can report back to you and the community. With 2855 participants (a few hundred more than our original estimate) – and almost as many open-ended definitions of poverty to sort through – that’s going to take some time.

In the meantime, we wanted to keep the conversation about poverty in Winnipeg going.

Right now we’ve got a few respondents’ poverty definitions rotating in the “Poverty Is . . .” banner in the sidebar and we’ve posted a handful of them below.

If you filled out the Urban Exchange poverty survey, how do these definitions differ from yours?  If you didn’t fill out the poverty survey – how do YOU define poverty?  Please let us know by leaving a comment below!

To get you thinking, here are some short samples of what other Winnipeggers said:

• Poverty is . . . a lack of hope – a feeling of not belonging.
• Poverty is . . . when people go hungry.
• Poverty is . . . when opportunity is a closed door.
• Poverty is . . . when you have no hope or choice – it’s not really about money.
• Poverty is . . . living paycheck to paycheck, or worse, on the streets.

We’re planning to release a report on the full findings in the fall.  Until then, we plan to share smaller bits of information on MyCityMySay.ca. We hope you’ll come back every now and then to check it out!

Photo credit:  Kieran 2009 (Flickr)

Results: where does the money go?

Basic expenses: Acceptable Living Level report

If you’ve just filled out the “Where does the money go?” form, thanks for participating!

Below, you’ll find some interesting figures that were compiled by the Social Planning Council and Winnipeg Harvest a few years ago:

In order to sustain a fair, modest and acceptable level of living The Acceptable Living Level report suggests that a family of four (4) needs to spend the following amounts each month.

Food: Shelter: Clothing: Transportation: Child Care: Recreation and Leisure: Total:

$637.44 $724.00 $153.28 $244.34 $428.80 $380.11 $2567.97

 

This total required income covers “the basics” but does not include several other important expenses such as communication, education, household furnishings, hygiene, assistive technologies, household operational items (such as laundry, dish soap, etc.).

More info, including figures for other family configurations:
Acceptable Living Level: Manitoba report (pdf)

(Note: please keep in mind that the sites we link to at MyCityMySay.ca do not represent the views of United Way of Winnipeg – please see the Disclaimer for more detail.)

Winnipeggers are generous with money, ideas and time

Last month, the Fraser Institute rated Manitoba as the most generous province in Canada. Our spirit of giving was evident during the recent holiday season, and yesterday’s big announcement – that Winnipeggers raised more than $17.9 million through United Way during the 2008 campaign – is a remarkable indicator of where our priorities are, even in an uncertain economy.

We’re generous with our ideas and opinions, too. So far, more than 4300 people have participated in Urban Exchange, sharing their thoughts on social issues, values, and the quality of life in Winnipeg.

To add to the picture of generosity, here’s a sample of what participants have told us* about giving their time to address the issues that are important to them:

• 76% said they’ve helped raise money for a charitable cause (besides donating money).
• 84% said they’ve volunteered or done voluntary community service for no pay.
• 59% said they’ve walked, run or bicycled for a charitable cause.

(*The figures above are taken from Urban Reflections: Winnipeggers have their say about our city and its direction (February 2008) and are based on the responses of 2893 participants.)

Read more:

The Fraser Institute’s 2008 Generosity Index

Winnipeggers raise $17.9+ million through United Way

What’s the best thing about living in Winnipeg?

This is the first in a series of “In Brief” posts where we’ll take information from an Urban Exchange report and present it in a small, bite-size format.

In Exchange One: Getting Connected we asked “What’s the best thing about living in Winnipeg?” The results of this question – along with dozens of others – were described in Urban Reflections, a report based on what almost 3000 Winnipeggers had to say about social issues and quality of life in Winnipeg.

If you live in Winnipeg, the top five “best things” might not surprise you:

1. 18% of participants said “the people” are the best thing about living here
2. 17% liked the fact that Winnipeg is a “smaller city with big city advantages”
3. 16% said that Winnipeg is affordable (decent cost of living, good economy, etc.)
4. 9% mentioned the diversity in our population
5. 6% had something to say about our community spirit and volunteerism

The chart below includes all of the things people listed in their open-ended responses. We’ve also created an image using participants’ words – you can download the image and use it as your desktop wallpaper by following this link.

In Brief

Over time, we’ll use this section to highlight selected findings from Urban Exchange surveys. For now, please download our first report on social issues – Urban Reflections.