Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Jul 10/98) - Those who are scraping by in Inuvik will soon have somewhere to turn with a soup kitchen and second-hand store set to open Sept. 1.

Town council passed a proposal for the Slim Pickings multi-faceted community centre at their June 24 meeting, ensuring $34,000 for a building as an in-kind contribution in return for the centre installing a boiler.

Counsellor Derek Lindsay had previously questioned expected salaries of $35,000 for a trainee and $45,000 for the Slim Pickings manager at the June 22 committee of the whole meeting, but council passed the proposal with little discussion two days later.

Slim Pickings staff will train people with special needs to help them find jobs mending, laundering, sorting, displaying and pricing clothes.

The centre will also house a community craft room for elders and craftspeople to use as they share skills and knowledge to encourage people now on income assistance to make productive choices.

"There's been an increase in people who live on the street," said department of Health and Social Services area supervisor Sandra Mayers who has lived in Inuvik since 1994 and before that in 1987 and 1988.

"I wouldn't say there's a large increase but it's steady."

Many of the people who require additional assistance are already on income support but no longer receive a seasonal clothing allowance.

"A few years ago, they were able to have seasonal clothing to get coats, boots and those kinds of things. When they cut out that benefit, people at that time were struggling," Mayers said.

Many children were going to school last year not well clothed, so social services held a coat drive which Mayers called a tremendous success.

Slim Pickings' second hand clothing store will relieve the current outlet, the Next to New Shop, which operates once a month for two hours on a Saturday afternoon.

Clothing at the Next to New Shop is not laundered, mended or displayed due to lack of space and resources according to the Slim Pickings proposal.

Both Slim Pickings organizers, Sue Clarkson and Marja van Nieuwenhuyzen are out of town for much of the summer and were not available for comment.

"There is a need for affordable, quality used clothing in good repair which is available in a pleasant and organized setting on a daily basis," the proposal reads.

The only homeless shelter in Inuvik is at Turning Point for about two weeks around Christmas time. Turning Point is an amalgamated drug and alcohol counselling centre and a halfway house for inmates.

"A lot of people do have a place to stay but they want a place that is alcohol free for the holidays," said interim executive director Dennis Inglangasuk.