THUNDER BAY – While the eyes of the media, and many across Canada focus on the situation in Attawapiskat, it is important to remember that there also other First Nations communities who may need a hand too. Earlier this fall, Lydia Matthews, with Healthy Babies in Fort Severn, Washaho Cree Nation, shared that they are struggling with a shortage of winter clothing for young people in the community located on the shores of Hudson Bay.
What is needed to help, are donations of gentlly used winter clothing, including jackets, snow suits, mitts, toques and scarves. The donations are being sent from Thunder Bay to Fort Severn to the Warm Healthy Babies Children’s project.
There is a neat connection to Thunder Bay in this effort, Lydia’s son Dakota is attending high school in Thunder Bay, and is one of the volunteers helping package the boxes headed home to Fort Severn.
In Thunder Bay, donations can be dropped off at the main office at The Thunder Bay Centre of Change, at 96 North High St; Rainbow on Bay at 264 Bay Street; The Urban Boutique at 1096 Memorial Avenue; and Eat Local Pizza and Pastry on 401 North May Street.
Kicking off the project was an effort of dedicated individuals. The goods donated will be packaged up, and will be shipped north to Fort Severn on Wasaya Airways. The Wasaya team has been instrumental in this effort. Getting materials up to the community could not be done without the help from Wasaya Airways.
The helpers in this effort are many, as in all efforts like this, all of the supporters and sponsors, including Christina Scheibler, Lydia Matthews, Dakota Matthews, and Tina Reed and many more people. The NetNewsledger team ss helping in making sure people are aware of the effort, and helping in packaging the goods for shipping.
One of the unsung heroes in this effort is the Thunder Bay initiated Global Conscience Circle, an umbrella group started by Lakehead University Professor Douglas Thom. Through the GCC, many groups in Thunder Bay seeking to make a better world come together to work to that goal.
