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Jill Zacharias

Jill Zacharias
Jill has recently joined the Vibrant Communities team as the BC Manager of Growth and Impact, Cities Reducing Poverty. Jill brings extensive experience in municipal government, social planning and poverty reduction, and has worked closely with Tamarack as a CRP member and as chair of the BC Community of Practice on Poverty Reduction.

Recent Posts

British Columbia: Pathways to Ending Working Poverty in Action

Posted by Jill Zacharias on November 14, 2021

On October 20, 2021, the Ending Working Poverty in British Columbia webinar co-generated intersectoral dialogue on one of the most important topics faced in Canada today.

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BC showcases pathway for provincial governments ending poverty

Posted by Jill Zacharias on September 7, 2021

TogetherBC exemplifies a successful provincial/territorial pathway to ending poverty due to its clear connection to Canada’s poverty reduction strategy, recognition of local poverty reduction actors as experts, direct funding of local poverty reduction strategies, and municipal alignment with provincial priorities. Two years after its release, the strategy is already showing significant gains toward ending poverty.

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Williams Lake releases poverty reduction strategy mid-pandemic

Posted by Jill Zacharias on March 16, 2021

Three years ago, when the Williams Lake Social Planning Council made a commitment to complete a poverty reduction strategy for the region a global pandemic was not on the horizon. Now, as communities across the country struggle to carry on meaningful social planning in circumstances no one has experienced before, the Thrive Poverty Reduction Strategy for Williams Lake and Area has successfully released in January this year. The strategy is a tribute to dedication and perseverance, adapted to reflect an ever-changing context that has underscored what is important to the community as well as how to work together towards a proactive response.

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New Support for BC Communities working towards the End of Poverty

Posted by Jill Zacharias on December 10, 2020

Ten years ago, I was hosting a social development planning session in Revelstoke BC and a frontline service provider stood to speak. They were there to share an update on their work. Instead, they began to speak about poverty and how it underscored all other challenges their clients were experiencing. 

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Making Progress on Poverty Reduction in British Columbia

Posted by Jill Zacharias on April 13, 2018

So far, 2018 is turning out to be an important year for poverty reduction in BC. Currently, 557,000 people are living below the poverty line in Canada’s most western province – the second highest provincial poverty rate in the country. Against this sobering backdrop, the BC government has just completed a broad range of consultations with a variety of citizens, including people with lived experience. In June 2018, the government will release a “What We Heard” report summarizing feedback from the consultations, with plans to introduce poverty reduction legislation this fall. The intended result is the development and implementation of a poverty reduction strategy.

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