Younger families hard hit

The majority of welfare recipients in the
Greater Vancouver area are still living well below
the poverty line — compelled to cut back on food
or seek cheaper, inferior accommodation.

- That’s the gist of a new
report released last week by
the United Way Social
Planning and _ Research
Committee.

In spite of changes last
April in the policy of the
Guaranteed Available  In-
come for Need (GAIN)
program and increases in
rates, the report indicates
that allowances need to be
increased by at least $130 a
month for most single
recipients, and up to $230 a
month for some _ families
during the first four months
On assistance.

The 22-page document
“Measuring the Gap” is a
sequel to “The Adequacy of
Basic Assistance Benefits in
Greater Vancouver” issued
by the committee’ in
November 1978.

Following the = an-
nouncement of changes in
GAIN benefits last April,
United Way began analysing
the effects on actual
payments. This is im ac-
cordance with United Way's
traditional policy of
reviewing the adequacy of

welfare benefits on a regular
basis.

SHORTFALL

UP TO 75%

The study finds that in-
creases in the GAIN rates
made by the minister last
year did not improve the
Situation to the extent ex-
pected when they were first
announced. Many
discretionary supplementary
payments called overages
were abolished at that time,
and became in effect in-
cluded in the new rates for
all. As a result, the net
impact of the increases to
families who have received
overages was less than

‘appeared.

Pricing a basketful of low
cost nutritious food,
allowing for clothes, per-
sonal care and bus travel,
the report points to a
shortfall of from 12 to 75 per
cent for longer term
recipients. In fact, the cost
of basic goods and services
exceeds the amount
available under the GAIN
support allowance for all the
groups examined.

CONTINUED ON PAGE C4

CORAL POLGE'S PROFESSION

CORAL POLGE ... “when you got toa spirit, all you

do ts leave olf the coat.”

sunday

news

Tel. 980-0511

P.S. YOUR CAT IS DEAD —(itor)Mary Anne D.
MacNeill (Kate) threatens Tim Dandon (Jimmy) while
Roger Allen (Vito) looks on in a scene from the
comedy now running at the Studio Theatre in North

Vancouver.

‘

By OLGA RUSKIN

“T feel the person 1
draw. I don't see
them. I sense them. I
feel as if I am _ that
person, explains
world-famous _ British
psychic artist Coral
Polge in the’ North
Vancouver home of
medium David Young
who 1s— akso_ inter-
nationally known.
What is unusual is that
the person she draws
has “passed the spirit”

Drawing portraits of spirits

to another world. But
they become real to
Coral and so she draws
them on paper with a
pencil or crayon.

Itas fascinating to hsten

“When you go to the spirit
all you do 1s leave off a coat.
You don't suddenly change
when you leave off the coat.
The body as only a tem-
porary sheller What gets to
spirit as exactly the same
person that leaves here If
youre a giggler when you
leave here you're going to be
a giggler over there ”

CONTINUED ON PAGE C2

Edgemont Carpet & Lino is pleased to in-
troduce their new manager Pat Breslin Pat
would like to invite everyone to come in and
take advantage of this sale. Stock has to go and
iS priced to clear Hurry for best siection.

y eOogemoncd taceRtiors Lt.

CARPET & LINO CENTRE
2029 Lonsdale Ave.
{fast across from London Drugs)
985-0114