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"Who's going to feed the homeless?" - Barsalou
Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
Despite reductions in programs and staff, the High Prairie Friendship Centre will continue to operate for youth and the homeless.
“Who’s going to help the homeless if we close?” says executive director Vicky Barsalou.
The choices were very hard, but she decided it was necessary to lay off two staff, the full-time janitor and a part-time youth worker.
After attending a quarterly meeting with the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association in September 2009, she knew cuts or delays could occur in 2010 and told her staff at the time. However, it’s not just the local centre feeling the pinch, as friendship centres across Canada are going through the same problems, she adds.
But Barsalou has received one piece of good news. High Prairie town council has agreed to provide a letter of support to the centre for the Common Ground Initiative. The letter is required for Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association’s grant application for the provincial government.
Beyond the financial constraints, Barsalou is upbeat about the programs the centre will provide in 2010, including more culturally relevant programming.
“We’re going to look at more of a cultural focus, such as teaching the protocols,” says Barsalou.
She has a degree in archaeology, specializing in North and South America, which will come in handy when she teaches history. Other programs will include leadership development for youth, community engagement and organic gardening.
The centre will also continue offering its soup kitchen for the homeless, the homework room and social evenings. The police cadet program will continue as well, but it has been renamed the High Prairie Police Cadets, eliminating Native Friendship Centre from the name to make it more inclusive.
The Summer Eagle Day Camp will also be offered, but children will have to bring their own lunches if the centre cannot get money to run the lunch program.
Also, eight youth from High Prairie and the area will have the opportunity to go to Hinton in July 2010 for the annual general meeting of the National Association of Friendship Centres.
Barsalou always welcomes ideas and for more information, please call her at 780-523-4511.
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