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Update on Christmas Miracle in Attawapiskat
December 22nd, 2011
The holiday season is almost here. The season will be a little brighter for the citizens of Attawapiskat this year, thanks to the outpouring of support by many Canadians who responded to the crisis around housing in their community. The problems will not go away but at least there is more awareness of what is needed and I truly believe that Canadians will not continue to tolerate third world living conditions that exist in communities like Attawapiskat.
As you know, we at BMG, along with the Toronto Business Development Centre, had partnered with Payukotayno to give something back to the community, days before the news hit the paper about the housing crisis. Our initiative this holiday season was our way of showing the community that they are not alone and that we care. The plan was to support Payukotayno Child and Family Services as the agency continues to build strong relationships in the community in order to support the community in providing services and protecting children where necessary. The idea was to ask for gifts of games and books that all could share, along with some money to provide for a community feast. In addition we asked that people write a personal letter to the community, which would demonstrate their commitment and caring.
We may be hundreds of miles apart and feel the separation not only through distance but also through our cultures, but the one thing we all share is the human bond that unites us. If we can build connections, to begin to understand each other and allow trust and goodwill to develop, together we can make a difference in the lives of each other.
Well the response to this request was wonderful. Gifts of the games and books have arrived in the community and close to $5,000 has been raised to be used to provide a community feast. We have fallen short a little since it takes approximately $12,000 to provide enough food for the whole community to share a communal meal. We will continue to do what we can to collect a little more but my heart and sincere gratitude goes out to those who have so generously donated to this project.
I am working with my colleagues at Payukotayno to coordinate the feast in January. It will be a wonderful opportunity for people to gather on a cold winters night and share a meal with their partner, Payukotayno James& Hudson Bay Family Services. Through this relationship, the community will benefit by building trust and exploring new ways of delivering services to their most vulnerable families.
The agency is working in partnership with the First Nation’s Caring society to launch Touchstones of Hope See link: http://www.reconciliationmovement.org This community gathering will support all the work that needs to happen over the next few years as they engage in this important work. It has been and will continue to be a privilege to be connected to this work moving forward.
So once again, I thank you for your support and caring as we work together towards finding solutions to complex problems that face all of us. If we work hard at truly listening to each other, we can make a difference.
David Barnes
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