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THRIVE earns society designation, celebrating poverty plan anniversary

Feb 28, 2018 | 4:46 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB – THRIVE Medicine Hat is celebrating one year since unveiling a lofty goal of eliminating all poverty in the city by the year 2030.

The group was able to receive some big news from the province recently, finally earning the title of an official society.

It’s a ruling six months in the making for THRIVE, as they continue to march towards their 2030 target of eliminating hunger, self-harm, and addition in the community.

Becoming a society will allow the organization to raise more money, which will be invested back into the community for things like a potential task force on income security, or a possible expansion of programming at the Medicine Hat Food Bank to name a few.

Executive Director Karen Danielson said they’re now able to attract more community groups that deliver local services.

“It’s supporting the organizations in the community that are doing the work, and how can we best support them and enhance the work that’s already existing and [that] they’re doing?” said Danielson. “One of those that I’m quite excited to be working with is the Community Food Centre that we’re really hoping to broaden in Medicine Hat and bring forward.”

Key goals for project include closing gaps for Indigenous populations, women and people with disabilities, eliminating use of the emergency food bank, and eliminate all suicide attempts in 12 years time.

Moving into the second year of their 2030 plan, THRIVE will be reaching out to school divisions to support student and family programs, in their goal of raising high school completion rates to 90 percent.

They’re trying to grow their base of 12 organizations on the HELP Seeker app, which is used to bring together information on social services around the Medicine Hat area in real time.

Transportation will also be a primary focus for THRIVE this spring, hoping to expand options for both ride-sharing and public transit in the city.

MP Glen Motz is among those championing the 2030 plan, speaking about THRIVE and their initiative in the House of Commons earlier this month.

Motz said there’s still plenty of work ahead to eliminate poverty in the city, but is possible with buy-in from local leaders and organizations.

“There’s education components, there’s all sorts of supports and components involved in it,” said Motz. “It’s going to take our community, a full community, to address the issues and increase the values of peoples lives.”

THRIVE will be applying to the province to become a charitable organization in the near future as well, something that Danielson said would allow the program to grow even faster.