Helping to Fight Poverty in NI

‘Individuals, families and groups can be said to be living in poverty if they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved in the societies to which they belong’ (Townsend, Peter 1979).

People living with poverty and social exclusion live daily with food poverty, fuel poverty; low wage employment and low benefit levels. All these result in poor health and a lower life expectancy. Social isolation is common, alongside educational failure. It is a stark fact that People Experiencing Poverty (PEP) also face a much higher cost of living as they cannot access the credit or payment benefits more affluent people take for granted.

Long term experience of poverty often results in people feeling excluded and powerless. This affects the hopes and dreams they enjoy and contributes to high levels of anxiety just trying to make ends meet. The grinding worry associated with long term poverty can also make the future look bleak, as the cost of living keeps on rising but wages and benefits stay the same. This can lead to depression and health problems and in the long term greater dependency on essential services. It costs our society more in the long run not to deal with poverty now. (NI Anti Poverty Network)

Evidence supports the view that there is a strong association between the extent of alcohol and drug problems and a range of social and economic inequalities. Narrowing these inequality gaps should contribute significantly to a reduction in high levels of damaging Alcohol and drug use. FASA’s integrated holistic approach to the person focuses on all aspects of their lives that are contributing to their substance misuse, thoughts of suicide, self harm and/or poor mental health and wellbeing.

Your support for this agency through Volunteering, Financial Support, Food Donations, and Corporate Social Responsibility enables us to play our part in addressing the complex issue of Children and Families in poverty

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, education…” (UN Declaration of Human Rights 1948)