How YOU can help Food Insecure Indigenous Households!

People often think of Canada as a wealthy nation that stands for justice and equality. We're the peacekeepers. We're multicultural. We support diversity. However, the dark history between the Canadian government and the Indigenous peoples of this land are a stain on our reputation that often gets forgotten in the minds of Canadians. Unfortunately, Stephen Harper's 2008 apology for over a century of Indian Residential Schools and genocide of Indigenous culture cannot alleviate the lingering consequences that Indigenous peoples are still facing.

It is well documented that Indigenous peoples disproportionately suffer higher rates of poverty, food security and health conditions than the general Canadian population. Fortunately, there are things that we can do as the general public to help.

Here are some AWESOME Canadian NGOs that you can donate to or get involved with:

True North Aid

True North Aid is an organization that serves Northern Indigenous communities in Canada and manages a diversity of projects related to education, housing, food, health, water and more! You can support them by donating or becoming one of their invaluable volunteers.

Helping Our Northern Neighbours

This is an amazing organization that allows you to donate food an Indigenous family in the North! Stores in Northern communities have a very limited supply fresh produce due to perishability, as well as the high cost of transportation which leads to EXTREMELY over-priced produce. By applying to be a sponsor, this organization will partner you with a recipient in need and help you send 4 boxes of supplies a year!

*Supplies may depend on specific needs of the recipient.

Speroway (formerly Feed the Children)

Speroway is an organization that focuses on food, education and health around the world. They work closely with the North-South Partnership for Children based in Toronto, where they collect and deliver boxed items native communities twice a year.

Water First

Water First is dedicated to tackling the 20% of First Nations communities (40% in Ontario) that don't have clean drinking water. You can help by fundraising, donating or volunteering.

Sew on Fire

Sew on Fire is a humanitarian aid organization that also sends gift bags to those in need all across Canada, including northern communities. Click on the link to see ways you can donate, what supplies they are looking for or how to volunteer!

Moon Time Sisters - Partners of True North Aid

Completely unrelated to food - but a cause worth mentioning! Moon Time Sisters gather donations of female menstrual products for Indigenous communities where poverty rates are higher than average and the price of a package of tampons can range from $16-$18 (Moon Time Sisters ONT, 2018). Click the link to check out their Facebook page if you're interested!

You can find more charities and organizations on the True North Aid website.

Let us fulfil our responsibility as Canadians to do what we can to begin making amends with our First Peoples. Let's challenge ourselves to close this inequality gap! Of course charity does not solve any underlying problems, it's a helpful but short-term band-aid solution. Inevitably, we need to fight for equality by raising awareness, pushing our politicians and demanding change. We need bring the challenges and disparities faced by Indigenous peoples into the public consciousness. It is time to treat Indigenous peoples the way the deserve to be treated; the way they should always have been treated. Let us live up to our Canadian reputation.

Information sourced from: https://www.truenorthaid.ca/first-nations-charities.html