VATICAN CITY -- Christians cannot stand idly by and watch as millions of people are deprived of their basic needs because of others' greed, Pope Francis said.

Sheri McConnell has no doubt some divine intervention was involved in her taking on the role of executive director of Mary’s Meals Canada in March.

OTTAWA -- The federal government is touting recent statistics that indicate that the poverty rate in Canada is on a downward spiral, but social justice and anti-poverty groups say the statistics don’t tell the whole story and there is still a lot of work to be done if Canada is going to reduce poverty levels for Indigenous Canadians and those who live in remote areas of the country.

Driving downtown, the weather forecast came on the radio: “The temperature tonight is expected to plummet to a low of minus-14 degrees with a windchill factor making it feel like minus-25. The health department has issued a warning that at these temperatures frostbite to exposed skin can occur within minutes.”

Even though a substantial number of people the Lok Manch organization serves are illiterate or never properly schooled, the easiest way to start a Lok Manch meeting is to have everyone stand up and recite the pre-amble to India’s constitution, said Jesuit lawyer Fr. Stanislaus Jebamalai.

The Ontario government is inviting public input as it drafts a new five-year poverty reduction strategy.

The failure to end child poverty in Canada, promised 30 years ago when parliamentarians pledged to stop the scourge by 2000, has seen a generation of children grow up without the supports they need, says Leila Sarangi.

The poor need our hands to lift them up and give them hope, said Pope Francis on the World Day of the Poor. Three days later, Canada’s new government extended a hand in a different direction when it swore in our first-ever Minister of Middle Class Prosperity. 

EDMONTON -- Zeny David will have warm clothing this winter and still be able to afford groceries.

Poverty isn’t always misfortune or bad luck. Sometimes it’s a vocation.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul plans to take its operations to the next level as it moves into the new decade.

You would think people might notice the poor.

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is calling on Canadians to treat people in need with dignity and not only help them with their material needs but also support them spiritually as the third annual World Day of the Poor on Nov. 17 approaches.

OTTAWA -- On a wet and damp October Thursday on a pathway that goes under a street in downtown Ottawa near the Rideau Centre shopping mall not far from Parliament Hill, a group of people huddled in sleeping bags and blankets to fight off the chill.

Amanda Fellows has seen all too closely how generational poverty keeps perpetuating itself.