A plan to fight hunger

Iqaluit residents ask for cash to feed the homeless

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

DENISE RIDEOUT

Two Iqaluit residents want to launch a program to provide meals for homeless people in the city during the winter months.

Doug Lem and Ron McLean say there’s an obvious need in Iqaluit for such a service. The soup kitchen run by the John Howard Society out of the Sailivik Centre shut down in August, and the Oqota homeless shelter does not provide meals.

“Our main concern right now is serving meals to the homeless. There’s no place right now for them to eat,” McLean said in a presentation to the Iqaluit City Council on Dec. 11.

The pair wants to start serving food on Dec. 19 and continue through the winter months until May.

The winter food program will provide homeless people with two meals a day, seven days a week. With about 40 homeless people in Iqaluit, the program will serve 520 meals a week.

But before the cooking begins, Lem and McLean need thousands of dollars to purchase the food. In their presentation to council, they asked the City to pitch in and help out.

“We’d like financial support from council to purchase food, and volunteers to help serve the food,” McLean said.

Buying enough food to make 520 meals a week for five months will cost about $75,000.

Lem and McLean are also canvassing organizations, the Nunavut government and local businesses to help them pay for the food.

McLean asked council if its Niksiit committee, which funds social programs in Iqaluit, could find money for the winter food program.

Once the money comes through, Lem said, the program should fall into place.

Instructors and students at Inuksuk High School’s cooking class have already volunteered to cook the meals. During the Christmas holidays, while students are out of school, the instructors will do the cooking.

Just an hour before their presentation to council, Lem and McLean learned that they had secured a location for their program. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association agreed to let them use its blue dome building, located across from Northmart.

Initially, the program will run in the winter, but Lem said they might expand to serving meals all year.

“The homeless situation isn’t going to go away. As with other cities, the problem is likely to get worse,” Lem said.

Iqlauit Mayor John Matthews and councillors praised the pair for their initiative. He said before council can agree to help them, members have to review the budget to see how much money, if any, is available.

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