With the Nanatowiho Wikamik Homeless Shelter, or Thompson Homeless Shelter at 115 Churchill Dr., as it is also known, last September facing a "grave" situation, in the words of Paullette Simkins, with a projected $206,595 funding shortfall, we argued in this space that "this is not a problem we can kick down the road" until - 40 C /F temperatures arrive.
The Thompson Homeless Shelter exists as its own legal entity, managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Thompson Inc. branch and has its own funding stream, and its own budget, which is separate from anything that CMHA has. Simkins is executive director of both the local CMHA and the Thompson Homeless Shelter.
It is now mid-January and the - 40 C/F temperatures are near upon us. Fortunately, thanks in part to additional money put forth by the province last fall and private donors, along with operational savings on such things as food and manpower while the shelter was operating on reduced nighttime-only hours for 2 1/2 months, the shelter is more stable financially through its fiscal year-end March 31 and daytime operations have resumed. But it shouldn't take a crisis to be in that place.
The shelter is also fortunate to have Owen Settee in its corner. Settee, a 12-year-old Deerwood Elementary School student, who is a big mixed martial arts enthusiast, spent his Christmas season looking out for those less fortunate than himself, demonstrating himself to be a generous and upstanding young humanitarian and philanthropist. Settee serves as a good example to all of us that one person can make a difference.
Settee stepped up to the plate and started a Christmas food drive for the homeless shelter by putting out food donation boxes in locations such as his school, Smook Contractors, Laban where he trains in mixed martial arts, and as far away as Cross Lake. His mother, Sandra Buck, drove Owen to the different locations to drop off the boxes, and could not be more proud of the work her son put in. Settee began his food drive on Nov 14, and delivered the goods on Dec 20. "I wanted to try to do something special for the homeless shelter at Christmas time," said Settee.
The majority of goods collected were non-perishables, such as canned or boxed foods, though two hams and three turkeys were also donated, ensuring that all visitors to the shelter would be fed a Christmas dinner. Owen plans to continue with what he has started and make it a yearly tradition to help out the homeless shelter during the Christmas season.
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Inc. Grand Chief David Harper also signalled in November MKO was taking the initiative to prepare a strategy on the issue to take responsibility for its own people and its urban networks to support them including the development of business practice off-reserve towards capacity building within First Nation enterprises with off-reserve client base. MKO hosted meetings including the various stakeholders in mid-November on the search for solutions.
The Thompson region of the Manitoba Métis Federation at those meetings expressed its support in principle for opening up its hall on Cree Road as an overflow emergency cold weather shelter if need be.
We encourage you to support the shelter's first ever "Surviving the Cold" fundraiser Jan. 28. The event will take place in the City Centre Mall parking lot by Mark's Work Warehouse between noon and 3 p.m. Participants will have to stand in the cold for the three-hour duration and will be unable to purchase food or beverages, but may ask community members to purchase these items for them, to simulate the conditions of being homeless. Members of the RCMP, Mayor Tim Johnston and other members of city council, including, John Donovan from the AFM, Penny Byer and Ryan Land from Vale, are all scheduled to take part, along with many others from MKO, Ma Mow We Tak Friendship Centre and University College of the North (UCN).
