NUNAVUT
One Victoria woman's rallying cry to get food to hungry Nunavummiut exploded in January and what was supposed to be a Band-Aid solution has ripped the dressing from the wound that is food insecurity in the territory, exposing it to Canadians everywhere.

Leona Apsaktaun helps unpack 13 boxes of food sent from the Edmonton chapter of Helping Our Northern Neighbours to the Kugaaruk Food Bank. - photo courtesy Sharon Krejunark

Jennifer Gwilliam created a sister Facebook group to Lessee Papatsie's group, Feeding My Family, in August. While Papatsie's page focuses on political and social action, Gwilliam's goal with the Facebook page Helping Our Northern Neighbours is to feed the hungry who cannot afford the harsh Northern prices as demonstrated on Papatsie's page. She is pairing up Northern people in need with people in the south who can afford to buy and send food.

In early December, when Nunavut News/North became aware of Gwilliam's effort, the group had reached 1,000 members.

"People from all over are coming together to help the Northerners. It is good for now, it is a Band-Aid solution to the bigger problem," said Papatsie at the time.

By Dec. 31, there were 2,200 members on the page and 430 families and individuals on the list to receive help. Gwilliam estimated well over 200 boxes had been sent out to approximately 150 to 175 individuals, elders and families, both small and large. All but five recipients were located in Nunavut.

After national media outlets picked up on the effort in January, Helping Our Northern Neighbours ballooned to an incredible 12,000 members.

"The number of families that are being sponsored is 550," said Gwilliam's friend Jennifer Paul on Jan 29. "There is no way to know how many are still in the message queue. Jennifer thinks there is at minimum another 500."

Chapters of Helping Our Northern Neighbours have sprung up across the country. At last count there were 45 separate groups representing almost every Canadian province, one in the United States, of which Paul is a member, and one in Australia. Help is headed beyond Nunavut, to communities across the North that experience similar food insecurity.

But food banks were always the target in Gwilliam's sights. She knew from the beginning that the most sustainable and dependable way to get food to those in need would be to engage with organizations in place in the communities.

"That's very much still a focus," said Paul.

Food banks in Nunavut are not easy to maintain, said Eloise Noble, community economic development officer for the hamlet of Whale Cove. Communities have limited resources.

"The food bank has struggled in the past for many reasons - lack of volunteers and lack of support being the main reasons," she said. "Local organizations and businesses are the main source for donations for all committees and organizations that require support for their fundraising efforts. The support can only be carried so far."

Whale Cove now has a sponsor - the Helping Our Northern Neighbours Nova Scotia chapter.

"The food bank effort doesn't have a definite amount of people as here in Nova Scotia we have decided to group all food together and send two boxes out at a time, one for a family and one for the food bank," said Elora Gehue.

"We are planning a few fundraising events but mostly have a database set up from our chapter members who have agreed to either a monthly, quarterly or a one-time only monetary donation and/or food donation."

Gehue says she plans on continuing her efforts for as long as she can.

"We are planning on sending a box a month, more than that once our venture here in Nova Scotia begins to become something more."

Gehue adds, "I am First Nations from Indian Brook, Nova Scotia. The thought of helping our Inuit people up North is very dear to my heart considering we share in similar cultural backgrounds. I am also a mother, and knowing that I am also feeding lots of children in the process is an amazing feeling."

Noble said the Nova Scotia donations could only be beneficial.

"Broadening the range of support will allow more community members access to support. It will mean that more families will have access to nutritious food and supplies."

On Jan. 29, 13 boxes reached the Kugaaruk Food Bank from the Edmonton chapter.

"We chose a food bank because it's a way to reach more people quickly with help," said Kristin Hihn, Edmonton chapter administrator.

"My original sponsor family, who I still support, is from Kugaaruk and me and the matriarch spoke about it because she is on the committee. Then when Jennifer Gwilliam posted that it needed assistance getting up on its feet, I presented it to the Edmonton group and all (four other) admins were on board."

Lucy Immingark was on the ground in Kugaaruk to receive 13 boxes last week.

"We unpacked the food today. We called the people who were expecting food to come," she said. "It sure helps the community. Even the people in the community that didn't receive food because they didn't need it were happy for those that received food. If it wasn't for (the Edmonton chapter) a lot more people would not have food for their family and their children tonight."

Immingark says the food bank in Kugaaruk was struggling.

"We recently started this food bank. We asked for donations, we did bingos and sold Nevada tickets, but couldn't keep up because of the cost of the food at the store."

She adds that she is grateful to all the Canadians who are helping out, not just in her community but all Nunavut communities.

Helping Our Northern Neighbours, which is applying for charitable status as a not-for-profit organization, also helps out with emergent situations.

On Jan. 28, Gwilliam posted, "If any of you wonder why we do this ... a baby in one of our communities had to be airlifted out today due to malnutrition. The poor mother who had no formula was doing the only thing she could think of to do, and feeding the baby Coffee-Mate. If that doesn't have you all in tears like it does me, I would be surprised. This is why we are here! There are going to be no more hungry little babies and families in Canada's North. Not if we have our say!"

The next day, she informed the group, "Arranging to get food to the rest of the family and formula waiting for when they get home. Someone is going to let me know when there is any news."

Formula, in fact, has proven hard to come by in communities - very expensive and sometimes not available. It finds its way onto most wish lists on the group page.

There is now a dedicated group intent on sending formula to all food banks.

The group also helped a family in Rankin Inlet which lost its home to a fire. While the community rallied to help them with essential items, Helping Our Northern Neighbours provided food to get them started.

Yet, despite these valiant efforts to get food to the North, one inescapable reality remains: the cost of shipping.

"People have been creative, they pool together, chapters have PayPal accounts to collect money for shipping. They're very creative," said Paul.

"It is a reality, with not having access by road."

It's a constant topic on the group page - a panic-inducing, daunting problem, one that will take great power to change.

One of the rules on the page is that it must remain apolitical and neutral. That's a condition to receive its not-for-profit status.

But elsewhere outrage is expressed freely toward the government, both on the Feeding My Family group page and a variety of off-shoots that are springing up.

One person, who started one such page called Food security in Northern Canada - Discussing a Solution notes, "There is absolutely no reason for people to pay three-to 20-times the cost of food in Southern Canada when these people protect our sovereignty and environment up North, and have been the victims of forced resettlement and residential schools."

Canadians and, increasingly, people all over the world, are expressing their outrage, many in the form of letters to political leaders.

What remains to be seen is whether the high cost of shipping and the resulting high cost of food can be addressed.

Food banks and sponsors

Here is a list of Nunavut food banks and the Helping Our Northern Neighbours chapters as of Jan. 29.

• Baker Lake Food Bank: Ottawa chapter
• Cambridge Bay Food Bank: Region of Waterloo chapter and for occasional support the Red Deer chapter
• Clyde River: occasional support by Red Deer chapter
• Tukisigiarvik Society, Iqaluit: Grande Prairie chapter
• Kugaaruk Food Bank: Edmonton chapter
• Naujaat Food Bank, Repulse Bay: occasional support from London and Sarnia, Ont.
• Mittimatalik Food Bank, Pond Inlet: Chatham-Kent (Ont.) chapter
• Qikiqtarjuaq Food Bank: Calgary chapter
• Sanikiluaq Food Bank: Barrie and area chapter
• Taloyoak Food Bank: Kamloops chapter
• Whale Cove Food Bank: Nova Scotia chapter

Source: Helping our Northern Neighbours

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