Katimavik house in Winnipeg gives a helping hand to people in need
Katimavik house in Winnipeg gives a helping hand to people in need
Long before pandemic Katimavik started to work together with Winnipeg’s Bear Clan Patrol Inc, a community organization of Indigenous origin, providing help, support and security to vulnerable communities concentrated in inner Winnipeg city neighbourhoods. When a pandemic started, we at Katimavik realized that people need our help even more.
“Because of COVID so many organizations have shut their operations, and we at Katimavik have felt that we need to fill in this gap and help people”, says Johannah Brockie, a 25-year old young Katimavik participant from Ontario.
“It is so easy to get down during the pandemic and say, that everything is closed, everything is shut down – we can’t do anything. But there is always something we can do. There is always a meaningful change we can make”.
Johannah is one of 9 Katimavik participants, who spent last weekend gathering, assembling and delivering around 100 boxes packed with essentials to vulnerable communities of Winnipeg. Each package contained sanitizers, masks, home-made meals and bagels, hygiene and personal care items for men, women and kids, as well as warmth, care and hand-written words of support.“Community is very important. In times of COVID it is so important to help people who need it. If I were in place of these people I would like to see my friends caring for me in this way”, say Kenneth Castillo, a 23-year old Katimavik participant.