July 7, 2000
VALERIE G. CONNELL
Nunatsiaq News
IQALUIT — The on-again off-again children’s meal program at the Sailivik Centre may be on again, says Jay Wisintainer, the executive director of the Iqaluit chapter of the John Howard Society.
Iqaluit’s John Howard group is re-applying to the Town of Iqaluit’s Niksiit Committee for a $50,000 Brighter Futures program grant that would be used to run a year-round children’s breakfast and lunch program.
"I now understand that the Niksiit committee is committed to programs that are meant to assist children," Wisintainer said. "I have reconsidered the grant proposal and suggest we apply for the $50,000 suggested by your committee.
"[The money] would be allocated to the children’s breakfast and lunch program," he said. "We will search elsewhere to find the adult soup kitchen [funding]."
The Niksiit Committee withdrew its recommendation that the $50,000 Brighter Futures grant be given to the Iqaluit chapter of the John Howard Society to run the soup kitchen and thrift shop at Sailivik including a children’s breakfast and lunch program.
The withdrawal came after "their executive director made it very clear it [John Howard Society] needed more and it was non-negotiable," said Paul Fraser, the Town’s acting SAO.
In addition to the $50,000 that the John Howard Society is requesting, they are also asking for an additional $5,000 to cover the cost of a new program called "Project Self Esteem."
Under the proposed program, "competent" hunters would take clients of the Oqota Emergency Homeless Shelter out on the land hunting for traditional food. The food would be used for the children’s lunch program, Wisintainer said.
The $5,000 would be used to provide ammunition, gas and other supplies for the hunters.
Wisintainer said the traditional food harvested could be used in the adult food program as well.
"The John Howard Society believes that both of these programs are essential in helping to deal with... serious social problems... we have in Iqaluit," Wisintainer said.
Wisintainer said he has applied to the National Crime Prevention Centre for help in funding the soup kitchen program "so that they will not resort to crime in order to eat."
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