‘It’s my heart’: Hope House provides much-needed service in Inuvik
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/07/2023 (897 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
INUVIK, N.W.T. – Several people wander into Hope House at lunchtime for a warm bowl of caribou stew, fresh baked bread and reprieve from the early July heat in Inuvik, N.W.T.
The drop-in centre, which serves underhoused and disadvantaged people in the western Arctic community, offers a washroom, food, mental health supports and a space to relax. People can also use a laptop to search for employment and get basic home supplies.
Sharon Rogers, the senior front-line community worker at Hope House, said it bridges the gap between the two shelters operating in Inuvik. The town has a homeless shelter, which does not allow people who are intoxicated to stay, and a warming shelter, which is open to those under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“This was kind of like the in-between if they need somewhere to go,” Rogers said, noting the region experiences harsh winters.
“It’s very well needed.”
The centre, which opened in October, was developed by Peggy Day, Susan Peffer, Veronica Kasook and William Hurst. The team was awarded $495,000 for the project by the Arctic Inspiration Prize in 2022.
Since November, Rogers said Hope House has served close to 1,600 people. She noted many of those employed by the centre have experienced homelessness themselves.
“It’s my heart,” she said of the centre. “I would love to be in this role forever. I enjoy serving people and I love seeing their expressions.”
Rogers’ sister is among those visiting Hope House on this day. She’s emotional as she explains her appreciation for the drop-in centre and said it offers support for people who want to stop drinking.
Others say they are happy to have somewhere to go and get a meal.
Rogers said Hope House is also a place where women can bead, get art supplies and play nutritional bingo, where the prizes are boxes of food items.
The centre also offers cultural programming, such as traditional games and a fish hook-making workshop, she said. It now has two newly constructed tent frames in the backyard where she said people can come to carve and summer programs can be held.
In February, the centre hosted a parka sewing course where several men experiencing homelessness cut out the materials and sewed their own winter coats.
“They had never touched a sewing machine,” Rogers said. “Now they know how to switch the bobbin if it runs out of thread. They know a little bit more about sewing, which they never did before.”
A traditional harpoon-making workshop set to take place this month has been postponed to a later date because the town was under a heat warning. Rogers said the hot weather has made working outside difficult.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2023.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.