Hunger helpers survive rough patch
Thousands of pounds of food continue to be delivered to Northern families in need
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, August 31, 2015
NUNAVUT
The Helping Our Northern Neighbours Facebook group that was formed a year ago to send food to Nunavut families in need continues its work despite a few setbacks.
"Things slowed down a bit because we lost quite a few sponsors," said page administrator Jennifer Paul on the telephone from Glendale, Wis. "And, unfortunately, with good comes bad, and we had some abuse of the system. Mainly because maybe the guidelines were not set as they should have been. Anybody could apply. Therefore, even if you made $90,000 a year, people were still applying. We had self-matching, which is just a plague. People were selling their stuff on swap and sell sites. So it kind of hit a bad patch there."
A key administrator disappeared from sight. Paul and two other administrators "pulled up our boots" and decided to keep going.
"There were people with legitimate needs," said Paul.
Individual sponsorship applications closed March 31, so anyone who had applied was instructed to take a screenshot of their application and send it to Paul.
"I added those to my file."
To draw in new sponsors, the group launched Shoebox Challenges, "where you could fill up how much stuff you could put in a shoebox." Those were sent to Nunavut families who had not yet received anything.
"And we had envelope challenges where we had people take a manila envelope and fill it with soup mixes and oatmeal, things they could get fairly decent postage on. And those went off. I would get five of those to a family or two shoeboxes to a family.
"So little by little we got the interest back. We're just keeping it real positive."
The group did enjoy an influx of new sponsors. As well, old sponsors returned. Instead of sponsors waiting to be matched, Paul immediately sends them two or three options. With the more humble possibilities of sending small boxes, freight cost is also much less overwhelming.
"Since May we've matched over 75 people. So, little by little."
Paul has paired herself up with community liaisons.
"They are a blessing because they're really the pulse of the community. So, if I get a message from someone saying there's a single mom that needs help, I know this is really true."
Despite the growing pains of a largely ad-hoc group of people that suddenly grew to 10,000 members from a couple of hundred, Paul has an ongoing, ever-growing list of heartwarming stories.
"There was a store owner in Arviat who mentioned a special needs man who didn't have a winter coat. I thought, 'I can fix that.' We put out a message and half an hour later he not only had a new winter coat, he had a complete new wardrobe. He had two hockey hats from two different hockey teams."
"People are generous and loving when they know that they're doing good," said Paul. "We just got an offer today. They come out of the blue. A woman's husband works for Calm Air. Anyone who gets the food to Winnipeg, they'll get it on a plane."
Cheryl Stock, the wife of a Calm Air pilot, offered 100 pounds of free shipping to Naujaat from Winnipeg on a regular basis - a deal she worked out with the airline's president.
"We have individuals jumping on that. We have chapters jumping on that. That saves so much on shipping," Paul said.
Another example is the Winnipeg and eastern Manitoba chapter.
"They raised $6,300, then it was matched by Sarvaq Aviation."
Tereina Neubauer is one of the administrators for that group, which organized a Bud & Spud Fundraiser on June 13.
"We raised an impressive $6,316. At the event, attending representatives of Sarvaq Aviation of Iqaluit stepped up with an unexpected and most generous donation of $6,400, matching what was already raised by those who attended that evening."
Neubauer says that with the collaboration and support of Tudjaat Co-op, Arctic Co-operatives Limited, Sarvaq Aviation, the Hamlet of Resolute Bay and community resources employees, hampers consisting of frozen meat packs and bagged potatoes would be delivered on a monthly basis beginning July 15 to families in need for 12 months.
"This program will provide for every family on social assistance and others in need. In addition, Tudjaat Co-op will donate a portion of the proceeds to support the local food bank," said Neubauer, adding the group also created an emergency fund to be administered locally and made a generous contribution to the local food bank.
In addition, Calm Air committed $600 bi-annually to support the effort.
"We support the 10 families on assistance in Resolute Bay, one family in Gjoa Haven, one in Arctic Bay and we are shipping boxes to the food bank in Naujaat," says Neubauer.
Her chapter also ships to the isolated northern Manitoba community of Tadoule Lake, to the food bank and to a family.
Other chapters across the country are teamed up with Northern communities on similar joint efforts with food banks and schools.
"It's grassroots but it's getting the job done," said Paul, adding there are still 50 families left on the list from the original sponsorship drive that ended in March who have not received boxes.
"It's still a Band-Aid but at least it's something instead of nothing. Will it ever come to an end? I hope so, yes. I'm hoping Canada's government will step in and do something. But in the meantime it's still a little flicker of hope."
