The new group has a name, and soon it will be out on the streets providing services for hungry and homeless citizens of Fort St. James.
The group has decided on the name Stuart Lake Community Connections, and they are going to start off with some initiatives over Hunger and Homelessness Week from October 10 to 16.
There will be a winter clothing, blanket and non-perishable food drive on October 13 in Spirit Square from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will also have public health nurses offering flu shots during this time.
While hunger and homelessness are issues across the world, the group hopes to have an impact locally, where there has been an increase in demand for the shelter, with the reduction in available rental housing, according to Brandi Hanterman of the Fireweed Collective Society which runs the women’s shelter.
People can get involved by donating items for the drives and educating themselves about what is happening with different people in the community.
Stuart Lake Community Connections hopes to create different partnerships within the community.
They will be handing out some items at the Breakfast Program and will also target some service providers to try and get the items out there to families as well in other non-threatening environments.
The group aims to develop poverty-reduction services for our communities, to coordinate food security initiatives within our communities and to educate our communities about the systemic issues of poverty.
Food security is meant to ensure access to food, so for some it is as simple as access to fresh vegetables and milk.
“There’s a broad spectrum of what we would be able to do,” said Hanterman. “It’s time to sort of put it on the table and start addressing some of the issues.”