A Prince George Indigenous organization has been recognized by the federal government for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association (PGNAETA) was a recipient of the Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF), which provided $291,173 to support community-led responses to the pandemic.
“We are very happy and thankful we were able to provide supports to many of our people and though we were able to help many people, and I think we did a great job, we must not forget there is still a lot of work to do in our community,” said PGNAETA president Barb-Ward Burkitt during a virtual conference with the federal ministry.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PGNAETA administered the funding and began working with the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC), Prince George Native Friendship Centre (PGNFC), Central Interior Native Health Society (CINHS) and Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) for a coordinated approach.
This helped identify at-risk urban Indigenous people and provided them with the necessary pandemic supports such as food, accommodations, cultural supports, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.
“PGNAETA is a true success story of this work,” said Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller.
“Specifically, this funding has assisted vulnerable community members, Elders, and youth, as well as low-income families with necessities.”
CSTC Chief Mina Holmes says she’s seen life-changing results because of the funding as they were able to remove barriers to basic needs like food and housing.
Holmes says they were able to help 56 people at risk of homelessness with housing, deliver 314 food boxes and hand out PPE.
“Some of our community members were brought to tears as this funding could help them,” said Holmes, who shared the story of an elder who was homebound and had no way of getting groceries herself during the pandemic.
“When she found out we could support her by bringing her food that was a lifeline”.
Mary Teegee, executive director for CSFS, shared how the funding helped her organization open the Sk’ai Zeh Yah Youth Centre during the pandemic, which in English means Children of Chiefs House.
“We have been able to provide advocacy, showers, food, clothing to at least 30 young adults a day aged 15 to 29,” said Teegee.
She said as the pandemic worsened the opioid crisis, frontline staff were also able to provide outreach to youth struggling with addictions.
“We were able to utilize these dollars and get them into hotel rooms, and that gave them just enough time and breathing space to clean up and now they are in stable homes and it was just that little break they needed to get themselves together again.”
Teegee says they were also able to provide cultural supports for individuals who, because of COVID-19, had to isolate in urban centres away from their home communities.
The organization also provided safe places for women who’ve been impacted by domestic violence during the pandemic.
Shoba Sharma, executive director of CINHS, said COVID-19 created barriers for clients that were neither culturally or trauma-informed.
“It created greater isolation and a breakdown of community interconnectedness which was a trigger for many of our clients,” said Sharma. “Through ICS funding we were able to mobilize and create a response to these challenges.”
She says they were able to increase their waiting capacity, creating a safe, warm, and welcoming space.
They also created a virtual room for primary care visits, as many health supports moved online during the pandemic, and many of their clients did not have access to computers.
Since March 2020, including Budget 2021 investments, the Government of Canada has announced over $1.8 billion in total ICSF funding to give Indigenous leadership flexibility to address the needs of their communities.
“A community is known by how they care for those most in need and in Prince George there are many hands working toward providing support and comfort to our community members who need it the most,” added Karin Hunt, executive director of PGNAETA.
“I have seen the heart of our community today.”
