Regina Anti-poverty Ministry

The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry (RAPM) is an outreach ministry of Wascana Presbytery of the United Church of Canada which does anti-poverty advocacy and education work with and for low-income. RAPM grew out of the Regina Downtown Chaplaincy, which helped serve the needs of Regina's low-income community from 1971 to 1995. In 1996, the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, the ministry changed its name and constitution to better express its transformation into a strictly justice-and-advocacy model of ministry. RAPM's objectives are divided between exercises in individual advocacy, where the support is provided to low-income people whose needs conflict with the established system, and systemic advocacy, where deficiencies within the system are identified and addressed by educational campaigns and representations to governing bodies. These objectives are achieved by networking with other denominations, faith groups, and relevant organizations. The RAPM board is itself a mix of United Church members, ecumenical multi-faith partners, representatives of community organizations, and low-income volunteers. RAPM has played a prominent role in promoting anti-poverty policies such as adequate income security, affordable housing, childcare and transit, equity programs, and fair taxation.

Peter Gilmer