Avon Church in Stratford is the first church in Perth-Huron to certify as a living wage employer.

“We thank Avon Church for certifying,” said United Way Perth-Huron Executive Director Ryan Erb. “The cost of everything continues to go up and that can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Lifting people up and ensuring they can live well in their community is an important component of social justice and we appreciate that Avon Church is taking action as a faith community to address this pressing challenge in a meaningful way.”

“Avon wanted to officially become part of the Living Wage movement because we hope that the more organizations join in, the more others will be inspired to come on board,” said Laura Taylor, Community Life Coordinator at Avon Church. “We believe that living at minimum wage is a struggle and that everyone is better off, including our society, if they are able to do more than just get by.”

Based on a 35-hour work week, the Living Wage for Perth-Huron is calculated regularly using local data and takes into account the living expenses of a weighted average of family types including a family of four, a single mother supporting a seven-year-old child and a single adult, once government transfers and deductions are factored in. Everyday expenses in the calculation include housing, food, utilities, childcare and transportation. For more information about the living wage, visit GO HERE.