Wednesday, Oct. 17 marked the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and in Nova Scotia there are a lot of people who are struggling to make ends meet.

For most people making a cup of tea is a simple task. But it's not easy for Judy Deal because she has two broken fingers. She tripped and broke them in a recent fall.

But her struggles with her cup of tea is nothing compared to the illness that forced her into disability in her mid 20's.

"I went down to 62 pounds and they put me in the hospital," said Deal. "I was in there for two years and I went into a coma twice."

Her disability pension pays the rent, heat and lights with only $50 a week left over for food and everything else. Deal's biggest fear is being forced onto the street.

"If the rent goes up, I have less food," said Deal. "I have to choose, food or rent, what am I going to pick?"

People at an anti-poverty rally in Halifax on Wednesday said Nova Scotians shouldn't have to make those kind of choices.

According to the organizer of the rally the answer is for the rich to give up some of their wealth and that money go to help Nova Scotia's 71,000 people who need it.

"The growing gap between the very rich and everyone else, not just the very poor, but everyone else is ridiculous in this country as it is in much of the western world," said Wayne MacNaughton.

Judy Deal agrees and said that extra help is needed right away.

"It's scary. It is so scary and this is starting off with young children too," said Deal. "You know young kids right up to seniors. What am I going, what's going to happen to me when I'm a senior citizen?"