BATC Community Development Corporation funded the Battlefords Indian Métis Friendship Centre for the last couple of years to run an emergency shelter for homeless people.
In a press release the BATC CDC states the organization was the shelter's only funding source this year.
A grant of $22,000 was made in September which is the amount BIMFC indicated was required to run the program through the winter months up to March 31. The program began earlier because of the early onset of winter. That, combined with a higher than anticipated case load, caused a shortfall in funds.
According to the press release, Vivian Whitecalf, BATC CDC general manager, met with Jackie Kennedy, executive director of BIMFC and through their discussions, it was recommended that an application for additional funding be submitted to BATC CDC. The application was presented to the BATC CDC board of directors for review via email and an emergency phone quorum was obtained to approve the application.
"We are very grateful for the sponsorship that will keep our doors open for the temporary emergency homeless shelter until the end of March 2013," says Kennedy. "We understand the community need and BATC CDC is the only funding that we received for this project."
The additional dollars provided to BIMFC to continue the program to March 2013 is $13,000.
"The need for an emergency shelter is evident and as a community we can't be closing doors to a group that will have nowhere else to go, especially in the winter months," says Neil Sasakamoose, BATC CDC board chair.
