The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Camp will be receiving $347,545 in funding from the City of Yellowknife to expand its breakfast program and add resources.
Wilbert Cook is the executive director of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Camp.
“It’s very encouraging and empowering for our friends experiencing homelessness. We do all this for them,” he said.
The on-the-land Indigenous run camp offers counselling sessions catered to the individual’s unique needs.
But one of the most popular programs is its daily breakfast service, something that will be getting expanded as a result of the funding.
The program involves an employee driving around to pick up clients and bringing them back to the camp, where they are served a full meal made by chefs that are up early preparing the food.
Cook says the breakfast program has been so successful, the camp will be offering a lunch service.
“We’ve had some some clients who just choose to hang out at the camp. So come lunchtime, we want to be able to offer them something to eat,” he says.
Cook says the camp will also be hiring someone someone who can work with children that clients or staff may bring. The funding will also go towards buying a propane refrigerator.
The money comes from a $1.2 million fund the City of Yellowknife received from the federal government.
This is called Reaching Home – Canada’s Strategy to End Homelessness as part of COVID‐19 relief funding.
Cook added that he’s grateful the work being done at the camp is being recognized.
“The staff at the healing camp, they’re the real backbone of the healing camp. Absolutely, they make the camp,” he said.
He says he encourages anyone interested to check out the camp — all are welcome.
The breakfast program runs Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
