Help send care packages to Northern Inuit.

Hey everyone,

 

My name is Nanook Gordon from Inuvik, NWT and I am honoured you are taking the time to hear about and hopefully support a very important initiative I started over 6 years ago called “Feeding Canada”. This year my Fiancé, Brianna Olson will be helping me collect items and also with shipping the baby supplies. 

 

Every Holiday season for the past 6 years I have collected and shipped hundreds of boxes of basic necessities to remote northern communities, families and food banks. Last year we had redefinetwenty who is an amazing group of BIPOC women volunteer and helped organize to send 60+ boxes to Arviat, Nunavut!

 

So if you’re wondering why I chose the north to ship essential items to, it’s not because It’s my own people but because there is major crisis’ happening across the North which doesn’t get the attention they need or deserve.

 

Food prices in the north are 8x higher than down south here… EIGHT TIMES. This is very harmful in many ways but because most Inuit living in the north face poverty and with food prices that high, it creates health repercussions with cancer being one of the highest. And the crazy part is there is only one hospital for all 25 remote communities in Nunavut. If they can’t get help there then they must fly to Edmonton or Yellowknife for treatment, away from their families and community.

 

Another issue that Inuit in the North face is overcrowding in mouldy homes, and the government does nothing to help. BUT the government does pay a tremendous amount of money to send workers to go up there and suck up all the natural resources and build brand new buildings for these workers. In 2016 Justin Trudeau told Northern Inuit that they should all just move down south. This is a tactic that the government has used from the beginning - take the Native off their land so they can have a free for all in the natural resources.

 

The last issue I wanted to mention is the Suicide crisis which has affected EVERY SINGLE person in the north. Everything I discussed above has created dire conditions that drives many Inuit to despair. The suicide rates are 10x higher than the national average and the highest in THE WORLD - and they have only been increasing in the last 10 years. Suicide prevention is addressing poverty, affordable housing, food security, destigmatizing mental health, accessible health care, community engagement activities and more.

 

I know since I started this initiative that it’s a bandaid solution, but I am a true believer in the butterfly effect. One small positive vibration can become much more and effect so many lives. Which leads me to say Nakurmiik/Thank you to every single person who has supported the past 6 years.

 

It’s sad to say but Inuit always seem to be the forgotten ones. At every round table across the board. We deserve to have our voices heard. We deserve to be treated like human beings. We deserve to have ACCESS to the resources we need to survive and thrive with our families and community.

 

Please help me help my people. Let’s show Clyde River we care for them, love them and that they have our support.

 

 

This year we will be collecting and shipping:

 

baby diapers

baby formula

new baby clothes

new winter boots

new art supplies

 

 

Our drop off locations in the GTA are:

 

Native Arts Society

115A Church Street

Toronto, ON

Wednesdays 12-6pm

 

House of Bud

1294 Queen Street West

Sunday-Wednesday 11-9

Thursday-Saturday 11-11

(Anyone who brings donations will receive 10% off)

 

 

All proceeds will go to donations and to cover shipping costs. (1 average sized box costs between $100-$150)

Any extra money will be used to buy items to ship.

 

 

Last day to donate is December 15.

 

 

 

 

The Humber team has been a HUGE support throughout the years.

 

 

 

 

 

Over $100 for a case of water in a remote community in Nunavut.

 

 

 

 

 

Donated items from a couple years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

Donated baby clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

Donated diapers & baby wipes.