Nunavut Adopt a Family

Hello! My name is Sarah Cramer and I am the founder of the Facebook group Nunavut Adopt a Family, created to help provide temporary help to those in Northern Canada who are struggling to feed their families due to the outrageous price of food.

The Canadian territory of Nunavut was incorporated in 1999 and is one of the most remote, sparsely populated regions in the world. It sits largely above the Arctic Circle and is inhabited almost entirely by a native Inuit population of about 30,000.

The arrival of Western culture has had a profound impact on the traditional way of life of the Nunavummiut people. Regulations and bans on traditional hunting and gathering, a lack of well-paying jobs, and the outrageously high prices of store-bought food has caused food insecurity to become the norm for many Northern families.

Angered and outraged, the people of Nunavut have a taken a stand against the pricey stores and the so-called government food assistance programs. Petitions have been signed. Protests have been staged across the Territory. People have come together to help change legislation and get food banks started. There are remarkable changes on the horizon for the people of Nunavut - but change takes time. Until these policies change and the food banks open their doors, the families of Nunavut need your help.

I started a group on Facebook to help those families in need in Nunavut by matching families with individuals who would like to help. So far we have over 700 members, and have successfully matched 30 families with donors from all over the world who are helping by sending care packages of food and supplies. My hope would be that by sending diapers, formula, warm clothes, baby food, toiletries, etc. it would free up some money in these families' budgets for them to be able to stock up on household staples - flour, sugar, meat, etc. This would give them many more options to be able to create healthier meals for their families as well.

However, despite a grassroots campaign to spread the word as much as possible, at this time I have more needy families than I have donors to help them. I am committed to helping these people any way I can, and I genuinely do not want to turn away any family who is asking for help. This is where this donations page comes in. If you would like to help me help the people of Nunavut, please consider making a small donation to support my cause. I pledge that every penny will be used to help send food, diapers, formula, and much needed supplies to families who are struggling to feed their children. Shipping costs are high, sometimes as much as $100 per package, and I need all the help I can get.

Even $10 can put a pot of soup on the dinner table or help clothe a newborn baby against the Arctic chill. Please consider making a donation to help me fight hunger in the Great North.

Want to learn more? Check out these links to learn more about the situation in Nunavut, and what is being done to help:

Nunavut Adopt a Family page on Facebook

Feeding My Family page on Facebook

BBC article about food prices in the North

CBC article about Nunavut Adopt a Family

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity!! If you have any questions or would like to adopt a family, please contact me via Facebook or email me at [email redacted]

-Sarah Cramer :)