Polar Promise: Sustainability Report (2019)

Food Bank — Pond Inlet The Mittima Food Bank, based in Pond Inlet, provides a grocery drop to over 400 families every two weeks. The Food Bank was founded just last year. The total cost of each food drop averages $4,500 CAD and includes a package of healthy groceries to families in need. Food security in Nunavut is a real and alarming faced by all residents of the territory. A program such as this puts several healthy meals on the tables of families in need. Elders Tea — Pond Inlet The Elders Tea is a community-led weekly gathering for elders where they can come together, enjoy a meal, tea and activities. The atmosphere of the gathering combined with the access to country food, such as char, seal, whale and caribou, makes this a positive and powerful recurring event for the elders of the community. Ilisaqsivik Society Incorporated as a non-profit, community- based Inuit organization in 1997, Ilisaqsivik Society is dedicated to promoting community wellness. Ilisaqsivik strives to support community development and wellness in a way that maintains respect for traditional Inuit teachings and learning, and is accountable to

the community. Founded, led, and staffed by Inuit residents of Clyde River, the society offers a wide range of culturally based programs that support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of all community residents from infants to Elders. Ilisaqsivik Society serves many communities by dispatching Inuit counselors to communities in crisis, and their land-based programs will soon be part of a territory-wide rehabilitation program. Ilisaqsivik holds several multi-day, land-based healing and cultural retreats throughout the year to promote intergenerational healing from past traumas associated with settlement and rapid socio-cultural change. The retreats also offer the chance for families, elders, and children to form strong bonds on the land while sharing skills and knowledge. These programs require a significant amount of funding, equipment, and gear to continue to operate.

To learn more about Ilisaqsivik Society visit ilisaqsivik.ca/

2019 Sustainability Report |

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