THUNDER BAY -- The length of time people are caught in clothing dependence is about to become a new measure of poverty crisis.
The province announced $142,000 on Friday to support the Community Clothing Assistance in building an online database its leaders say will show patterns in extreme and extended poverty crises among their clients.
According to CCA executive director Ewa Glubinowicz, the online referral program will include "information about our customers, information about products they get, partnerships and statistical information, who got what and how often."
The CCA allows its clients under financial duress to claim as many as 32 pieces of free clothing per person in a family, up to four times each year.
The database will allow its 91 partner community organizations to refer clients and that list of partners is expected to grow to include 200 groups by the time the program is fully operational in two years.
They will be able to better deliver free clothing to low-income individuals but the data will also be able to reflect back to those making policy decisions at the provincial level.
"If the crisis re-occurs to the person, then the statistical information will say, 'we have a person in crisis for longer than two to three years right here in Northern Ontario,'" Glubinowicz said.
"The database will be available for government as well to make appropriate decision about poverty reductions right here in Northern Ontario."
CCA will retain proprietary rights to the information it collects and Glubinowicz ensured identities of those involved will remain confidential.
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro announced the provincial commitment on behalf of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
"There are a number of like organizations who are doing similar work and this is going to help them leverage the skills, the assets, the initiative of all the other organizations to try to provide a more coordinated approach to this and I think it only means things will get better than they already are," Mauro said.
