A new poll commissioned by the Salvation Army finds that many Canadians hold some less-than-charitable views when it comes to the poor, including that those of meagre means would "take advantage" of any help and would "do nothing" with it.

The poll, conducted by Angus Reid in late January, also found that about 25 per cent of Canadians think that poor people are lazy and have low moral values.

William Francis, the Salvation Army's commissioner in Canada, said the results show that many people "continue to believe well-worn myths" about what it means to live in poverty here.

The poll was released Tuesday as the Christian organization launched a campaign called The Dignity Project, "to educate and inform the public about challenges facing Canada's most vulnerable people," a press release said.

Many Canadians see poverty as the third most important issue in the country, next to the economy and health care, the poll found. But few people have a realistic view of what it means to be poor.

Spokesperson Andrew Burditt told The Canadian Press that many of the 1,025 adults polled "didn't really understand the extent to which systemic barriers can get in the way of really providing a life for yourself and that does rob you of your dignity."

The poll also found that:

• 37 per cent of respondents believe that the poor "still have it pretty good."
• Nearly half believe that a family of four can live on $10,000 to $30,000 annually.
• A third of respondents think that poverty does not strip a person of their dignity.
• Nearly half said that poor people could find a job if they really wanted to.

But a long list of factors including low paid jobs, lack of access to job training or affordable housing, mental health and addiction problems can trap people in poverty, Burditt said.

"There are jobs out there that are minimum wage or slightly above, but it's difficult to really put a life together using a job in coffee shop or a job at a fast food restaurant," he said.

Statistics Canada defines the average poverty line as $35,000 for a family of four living in an urban setting.

One in 11 Canadians, or about three million people, live in poverty, the group said. That number has remained steady over the past 10 years.

But many food banks across the country have reported a jump in demand for their services since the onset of the global recession.

At Winnipeg Harvest, workers say they're serving more children and retirees.

"The safety net isn't catching people properly," said David Northcott, the food bank's executive director.

The Angus Reid poll was conducted on Jan. 26-27, 2011. The margin of error was reported as plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

With a report from CTV's Jill Macyshon and files from The Canadian Press