Sara Anderson, a Native woman and single mother, embarked on a hunger strike this past Monday April 3rd (making today day 12). She has ceased eating and taking her prescribed medication, surviving only on water in an act of protest against the Ontario provincial government and social assistance rates. When asked how long she plans to strike, Sara replied "If it takes my life."

In Ontario, successive Conservative and Liberal governments have gutted social assistance, resulting in rates that are 40% less than what they were prior to 1994.
Sara has experienced some of the effects of the current Ontario welfare system. As a single mother, she receives enough to pay her rent, with less than $300 left over to pay for bills, transportation, amenities and food for she and her daughter. As a result, access to the basics of life - including food - is compromised.
Suffering from severe arthritis, migranes, depression, a bullet-wounded hip and a broken ankle, Sara tried to access Ontario Disability benefits (ODSP). She was routinely rejected, twice. Access to ODSP would increase Sara's income and would remove the possibility of being cut off (as is the case with Ontario Works (OW)/welfare).
In order to ensure that she had enough healthful food to eat, Sara sought and received the OW Special Dietary Supplement. After being arbitrarily cut off of the supplement, Sara has seen no other choice but to draw attention to the problem through the drastic action of taking on a hunger strike.
While a strong woman, Sara is currently suffering the effects of hunger and pain, and even speaking has become a challenge. She will continue her hunger strike until there is "something in writing that things will change for everybody."

You can extend your support to support Sara Anderson!
* Sign the on-line petition at http://ocap.ca/rtr/diet/petition
* Write letters to, or call,  Premier McGuinty (fax 416-325-3745 or write Dalton McGuinty, Premier, Legislative Building, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1A1) and Sudbury MPP and Cabinet Minister Rick Bartolucci (at 705-675-1914) supporting Sara's demands.

Support Sara in her demands!
* the raising of the social assistance rates by 40%. This would bring the social assistance rates back to where they were in 1995 before the Tory cuts. As Sara puts it with the recent tiny increase by the Liberal government "Welfare rates went up by two percent, but our rent went up by more than that."   
* the re-instatement of the previous Special Diet policy which allowed people on social assistance to receive funding for nutrition for themselves and their families. Sara recently had her Special Diet plummet from $75 a month under the old policy to only $20 with the new policy, a $55 cut in her and her daughter's monthly income;
* making it easier for people living with disabilities to be able to get on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) which provides people with more financial support. As it stands many are routinely rejected when they apply. Sara's application for ODSP was rejected and this rejection was upheld by an internal review. She has an appeal scheduled in early May. 
* that all people on social assistance who move be offered community-start up funds to allow them to establish their new home. Sara was only given $90 for her move last fall when she should have been offered hundreds of dollars in start-up funds.