Nelson at its Best

Calling on the arts community to join in the conversation!

Please joins us on Wednesday May 13th at 7pm at Oxygen Art Centre.

Nelson at its Best
Join in the Conversation for a Healthy, Poverty-Free Nelson!
Nelson is a great place, but for some, it’s an expensive place to live.  Poverty forces some residents of Nelson to make hard choices — between rent and medicine, food and transportation, childcare and employment opportunities; between moving towards a self-sufficient future or just getting through the day. Thirteen diverse Nelson organizations have undertaken a multi-year process of working together to do something about that. Envisioning “Nelson at its Best,” the organizations have started a community conversation about how to address poverty in our city. “Many of the systemic issues of economic and social hardship are out of our direct control but there are things we can do together as a community, and this project will do just that–find local solutions” says Jenny Robinson, a project committee member and Board member of the Nelson Social Planning Action Network (SPAN) Society.

Poverty is a complex issue that affects everyone in the community. Being poor can lead to feeling isolated and excluded, as it limits opportunities to participate in community life. It can mean living in substandard conditions and feeling stressed. Poverty erodes people’s spirits, and can lead to physical and mental illness.

According to project committee member Tom Thomson, Executive Director of the Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce, “Poverty affects everyone’s health and well-being, and when people don’t have enough for the basics in life, community life and business life suffer, too.”

The group wants to involve as many people as possible to come up with solutions to reducing poverty in Nelson. We are starting this process with a broad community conversation. Everyone needs to be engaged in the solutions for making Nelson the best place it can be.

Local residents are invited to participate in the community conversations. People will be asked to provide their thoughts and ideas on a few simple questions:
1. What are our community’s strengths?
2. What would our community look and feel like, healthy and free of poverty?
3. What are the most important issues to be addressed so we can reach our vision of a healthy, poverty-free community?

Responses can be submitted in words, pictures, drawings, video – even song. Conversations are being hosted by Nelson at its Best committee members, community organizations, interested residents, school groups and businesses.

There will also be a Public Conversation on Wednesday, May 13^th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Oxygen Art Centre. Everyone is welcome!

Help make Nelson the best place it can be. Join the community conversation!

For more information visit:  www.bestnelson.org