ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a community organization of low-and-moderate-income families, working for social and economic justice and stronger communities. Mr. Cuthbert joined the province-wide initiative and is looking for Durham residents to join him.
"I hope it will grow throughout Durham Region because all of the cities and towns here have the same problems," he said.
He wants to help make a difference in the community for the benefit of low-and-middle-income people as well as seniors and those with disabilities.
"Given the opportunity we can make a difference," he said. "With numbers we can move mountains."
Mr. Cuthbert became interested after he saw an article in a Toronto newspaper about ACORN and it immediately resonated with him.
"Durham Region needs that organization here," he said.
Mr. Cuthbert has cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair. He had difficulty finding affordable and appropriate housing, but now lives in Durham Regional housing in Pickering, in a wheelchair-accessible unit. Now, helping people who face housing challenges, as he did, motivates him.
"I have seen what the chapter in Toronto has done," he said. "They clean up slum housing and crack houses and shut down slum landlords."
With more than 300,000 member families, ACORN is organized in 850 neighborhood chapters in more than 100 cities across Canada, the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Peru and Mexico. ACORN's goal is to represent the interests of Toronto and Canada's low-and-moderate-income urban communities on the critical issues of social and economic justice.
ACORN members participate in meetings and work on campaigns, elect leadership from the neighbourhood level up, and pay the organization's core expenses through membership dues and grassroots fundraisers.
Anyone interested in joining
E-mail:gcuthbert@rogers.com
Web Site:http://gcuthbert2007.tripod.com/
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