The Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre got some help in their efforts to keep their homeless shelter open this winter.
The Parish of Notre Dame Catholic Women's League presented a cheque for $500 to the Friendship Centre Friday. On hand was Betty Znack, president of Notre Dame CWL, Marguerite Kovalsky, activities co-ordinator for Notre Dame CWL, and Kathy Whitford, youth co-ordinator at Battlefords Indian Métis Friendship Centre.
This is the third year in a row the Friendship Centre has opened a temporary homeless shelter for the winter months.
Finding the funds needed to keep it open throughout the entire winter has always been a challenge, however. Right now, the Friendship Centre only has enough funds to keep the homeless shelter open to the end of January. The grant they received from the BATC CDC will run out Jan. 31.
The shelter was threatened with closure last January as well, but a contribution from the City as well as a donation from Sen. Herb Sparrow kept it operational through March.
The need is the same this year. Notre Dame CWL wanted to respond to the need for funding to keep the shelter operating.
"We feel we want to support our aboriginal brothers and sisters," said Znack.
The funding is needed in order to pay for the staffing costs associated with the shelter, said Whitford.
Both Znack and Kovalsky toured the Friendship Centre's facility on 103rd Street, which houses not only the temporary shelter, but also other programs they provide to aboriginal people in the community, including young people.
"We would not like to see any of their services curtailed," said Znack. "In fact we would like to see them enlarged so that the children, especially, who are in need of these services have a place to go."
"Our intakes are piling up, so there is a need for it," said Whitford. The number of people who use the facility range from two to three on a weeknight to up to eight or nine on weekends.
The hope is that the $500 donation by Notre Dame CWL will spur more fundraising efforts and donations from others in the community, as well as to get the word out about the urgent need for funding at the shelter.
The Friendship Centre intends to continue to seek funding to keep the shelter open, with the hope they can stay open through March and the end of the winter season.
