“Coronavirus brought sickness to many people
Elders becoming ancestors too soon
Can’t go for coffee, watched the news more
Starbucks closing down!
I’ve been isolated and alone, for so many years
Funny how now the world is sharing in my tears”
Above is an excerpt from a poem that was jointly written between members of the Richmond Advocacy & Support Committee and the Richmond Centre fo Disability. Click here to read the full piece.
 

The April 20 deadline to file your Canada Revenue Agency 2020 personal income tax is approaching. Due to the pandemic, some Richmond organizations are still offering free help for income tax preparation for low income individuals ($35,000 annual income or lower, $35,000 to 37,500 with one child) and families ($45,000 dual annual income or lower), however all of the services are on a drop-off and pick-up basis, and/or with either virtual or telephone support, to help keep everyone safe.
Please bring valid government-issued photo identification and all relevant documents such as …

In December, the B.C. government announced that starting in the new year it would be reducing the COVID-19 income and disability assistance of $300 by half. The PRC has written a letter to Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, requesting the reinstatement and ongoing maintenance of the full benefit. You can read the letter here.

Next month, Alan Hill of the Richmond Primary Care Network will be presenting on the issues currently facing in our city regarding developing and delivering essential health care services. The meeting will be virtual and taking place over Zoom — please RSVP to info@richmondprc.org if you’re interested in attending.
 

This past summer, the Richmond Advocacy & Support Committee launched its YouTube channel called the RASC Project. In case you missed it, RASC hosted its annual “Art for Social Change” exhibition and variety show, for the first time in a virtual format, in early October. You can stream the whole video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEv5TleU7FU.

On Nov. 9, De Whalen, president of the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition, was part of a delegation presenting in front of Richmond City Council, speaking to a proposed recommendation for staff to build a policy framework and conduct an economic analysis for Non-Profit Organization (NPO) space needs. She recommended observing the best practices of other municipalities, such as considering city-owned, rather than developer-owned, spaces. Read more in the Richmond City Council meeting minutes.

We are pleased to announce that as of July 24, 2020, the Richmond PRC became a registered non-profit society under the BC Societies Act with a slightly different name: the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (RPRC). The acronym is the same, as is our mission. We are, “a coalition of Richmond residents and agencies working together to reduce poverty and the impacts of poverty with research, projects and public education.”
RPRC is inviting people and organizations to join our society and become involved at the local level in poverty reduction. Those who …