London 'Heartbeat away from homelessness': St. Thomas coalition holds consultation on poverty reduction strategies Share In Elgin County, there is both visible and invisible poverty. “I have both lived in poverty and I have lived not in poverty,” said Lillian Christine Sorko.
“I've had a little bit of both worlds recently.” Having heart surgery a year ago, Sorko said she is “a bit behind.” She’s also recently moved her daughter and four grandchildren into her home.
“My daughter was evicted at the beginning of the month, and it's a ‘renoviction,’” said Sorko. “She has four children, and she's struggling immensely. We're kind of house sharing right now, and I'm probably one heartbeat away from homelessness because we're overcrowded.
” It is estimated that more than 12,000 people in St. Thomas and Elgin County are living below the poverty line. Wednesday, the St.
Thomas-Elgin Coalition to End Poverty held a community consultation at Memorial Arena in St. Thomas. St.
Thomas Mayor Joe Preston and Kelly Ziegner, president and CEO of United Way Elgin Middlesex, take in the community consultation put on by the St. Thomas-Elgin Coalition to End Poverty on June 12, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) “Although we have about 10 per cent of folks who are living in low income, we also have a really great and caring community who's really coming out to do this work,” said Randi Gregoire, chair of the coalition.
“It's evident by having over 130 people sign up t.
