Advocacy Office opens this week

New intiative to support low-income community members in accessing support and basic needs
Picture of office table with two chairs

How do we create a vibrant, healthy community where everyone, regardless of income, feels welcome and that they belong? That question will be at the heart of the services offered through the Nourish Project’s Peer Advocacy Office, an innovative new initiative that will open its doors this month at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.

“Poverty creates a barrier to belonging,” says Nourish Peer Advocate Lori Sainte. “We know from research and local surveys that people living on low incomes feel less welcome when compared to higher income groups. Part of our job as advocates will be to build connections and create a place where people experiencing the effects of poverty can find the support they need to thrive.”

Peer advocates posing for a picture after a training sessionWhile not intended to replace existing services, the program is designed to improve outcomes for people accessing local services and to create a place where people living on low-incomes can find a sense of connection and belonging, Sainte said.

The office will be run by Peer Advocates, community members with lived experience of poverty who have successfully completed a 12-month training program on topics ranging from housing, income and food insecurity to active listening, conflict de-escalation, and effective communication.

“It is likely that many people will come to the Office because they are looking for some help navigating existing services or to find support solving a problem they are experiencing,” said Nourish Project Manager, Joëlle Favreau. “Perhaps more impactful, however, will be the benefits of creating a less structured space in which people feel their experience is being validated and heard.”

The Office will be open for walk-in visits on Thursdays from 1:00pm to 3:00pm starting May 5. No appointments are necessary, and all services offered through the Office are free and strictly confidential. To reach the Advocacy Office, call 705-743-3526 ext. 117 or email pao@nourishproject.ca