In the Oct. 10, 2013 issue of Mental Health Notes, we told you about the Caledon Institute of Social Policy’s Data Rescue campaign to raise money to collect information about welfare incomes in Canada. We’re pleased to report the institute has exceeded its goal of raising $20,000. 
In all, the Data Rescue campaign raised $20,608. The achievement means that the institute will be able to collect valuable national data about the average income of social assistance beneficiaries by household type and province.
The crowdfunding campaign was the result of the federal government’s dismantling of the National Council on Welfare (NCW), which had previously collected the data and used it in reports titled Welfare Incomes. The Caledon Institute took over the work of the NCW and will continue collecting this important source of information.
“Welfare recipients typically receive income that is well below the poverty levels and are often seen as the undeserving poor,” said Sherri Torjman, Vice President, Caledon Institute of Social Policy. “This evidence is the only way that we can make an informed case for improving welfare.”