The Local Community Food Centre is celebrating a momentous achievement. They are the second non-for-profit organization in Huron-Perth Counties to be certified as a Living Wage Employer in the champion category.
“Being a certified Ontario Living Wage employer is important to us because we know that poverty and low incomes are the driving forces behind food insecurity,” says Derek Barnes, Manager of Community Outreach of The Local Community Food Centre. “We look forward to a future where every member of our community has adequate income to meet their basic needs — in particular, dignified access to good, healthy food — as a matter of human rights and justice. Starting with our own staff here at The Local, and doing as much as we can to encourage other organizations and local businesses to do the same, is a concrete step in the right direction toward that goal.”
Calculated annually by the United Way Perth-Huron’s Social Research and Planning Council, the Living Wage is based on the living expenses of a family of four with both adults working full-time for 35 hours a week, once government transfers and deductions are taken into account. Everyday expenses included in the calculation are food, housing, utilities, childcare and transportation. The current Living Wage for Perth-Huron is $17.55 per hour. More information about Perth-Huron’s Living Wage can be found HERE.
“One in two households in Perth-Huron earn less than a Living Wage,” says United Way Perth-Huron Executive Director Ryan Erb. “The Living Wage movement is an opportunity for our communities to help lift individuals and families out of poverty. It’s about ensuring a healthy quality of life for employees that includes being able to pay the rent on time and afford healthy food. Employers who pay a Living Wage or more and have already certified are also telling us it’s improving their bottom line, so this can be an opportunity for businesses as well.”
About The Local Community Food Centre
The Local Community Food Centre in Stratford empowers those with barriers to accessing and benefiting from good healthy food by offering opportunities to cook, grow, share and advocate for good food for everyone in our community. Programs include three weekly community meals; daily cooking classes to teach people food skills to cook healthy, delicious meals even on a restricted budget; community garden and greenhouse programs; a low-cost community access market where people can purchase local, fresh, healthy food at affordable wholesale prices; and a social justice club and peer advocacy program where community members experiencing poverty can work together to target the root causes of food insecurity. For more information on The Local Community Food Centre, please contact Derek Barnes, Manager of Community Outreach at 519-508-3663 ext. 1003 or derek@thelocalcfc.org.