Sometimes it含羞草研究社檚 the smallest things that can trigger us. 

Mine involved $25. 

Two things happened that were annoying.

Thing number one was the government clawed back my Guaranteed Income Supplement by $22 because my CPP went up slightly. 

Of course, this made me very angry, yet another slap in the face to a senior.  

Now I know some of you might say, 含羞草研究社渞eally Carole, it was only $22.含羞草研究社�

When you live below the poverty line, $22 represents much more, it can feel like $100.

But then add that to thing number two, which was a large electronic organization being cheap with a gift card after I spent hours and four trips going back and forth to their smaller store in the mall. 

They are going to give me a big $25 for my angst and time apparently.  

This, after using up about seven hours of my time, trying to sort out the new phone I bought from them, and after (at their suggestion) changing to another server.

So, between those two things, with both of them making me feel 含羞草研究社榣ess than含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� (1) senior being shorted by government and (2) senior not being taken seriously by big box store.

Happens a lot with seniors. Starts when they are called 含羞草研究社渟weetie," or "dear含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� diminishes them as adult women. 

Then, shortly after that the feelings of invisibility begin, as people don含羞草研究社檛 hear what is said by the 含羞草研究社渄ear," or "sweetie,含羞草研究社� or if they take that at face value, then the words the senior uses apparently don含羞草研究社檛 count. 

Hey Ottawa 含羞草研究社� we vote! We will no longer be quiet little seniors. We demand to be heard and seen and treated with respect. 

We want change 含羞草研究社� not charity. 

The government needs to attend to the poverty that is rampant in the senior population.

In 2017 the Government of Ontario predicted in a paper, entitled Seniors and Poverty, that this was Canada含羞草研究社檚 next crisis. We含羞草研究社檝e arrived! Hear us and see us and listen to us. 

Do not tell me that the dental plan is recognition of that. It isn含羞草研究社檛 含羞草研究社� because a lot of dentists will charge more than what the government pays, so the senior still has to find the extra money. That is not 含羞草研究社榝ree含羞草研究社� dental. That is subsidized dental. 含羞草研究社淔ree含羞草研究社� means we don含羞草研究社檛 have to pay a thing. So, to the person who is advising our prime minister, please ask him to stop using the word 含羞草研究社渇ree.含羞草研究社� 

It含羞草研究社檚 interesting to see the response that Seniors Tin Cup gets.  A seniors facility in downtown Vernon refuses to put Seniors Tin Cup posters on their bulletin board because one person who lives there doesn含羞草研究社檛 like it. We are all volunteers and our only quest is to help low income seniors含羞草研究社� benefit. It really does boggle the mind as you would think they would be supportive of this, as half of their facility is very low income.

Maybe we need to open our hearts and minds and care.  If you care, go to  and sign the petition to increase pensions for low income seniors.  We can all make a difference if we join together.

Carole Fawcett is a freelance writer, retired counsellor carolef@shaw.ca