HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FOR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
A Guiding Change
Change begins with a single idea. For Marie Keeshig, a member of Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation in Ontario, her commitment to tackle youth addiction and homelessness in her community began after her niece passed away from a drug overdose.
Stories like this are not rare, especially in remote Nations facing barriers to critical mental health services.
There is an endemic of Indigenous youth struggling across Canada who need lifesaving safe spaces to turn to.
With Marie leading the way, the Neyaashiinigmiing shelter is already in development. It will include a sacred storytelling fire pit with seven stones representing the Seven Grandfather Teachings and a community memorial garden for those who wish to honour and remember loved ones. Essential land-based healing programs and teachings will be available on-site to guide youth in their healing journeys.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is honoured to provide funding to renovate the shelter and establish necessary resources and community programming. The shelter will provide meals, transportation and counseling, and offer a safe space for at-risk youth to gather and share openly with those who understand their struggles. These youth are vulnerable and affected by loss of identity, addiction, homelessness, disruption of family relationships, lack of education and more. By building a physical base for them to call home, they will always have access to a community committed to helping them find their way.
Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation is located on the Bruce Peninsula surrounded by Georgian Bay. It is incredibly rural with no access to major urban resources or care facilities. The shelter and its programming are critical to the region and will bring the community together through a shared passion to protect their youth, heal from intergenerational trauma and promote a brighter future for everyone in the community.
Diocese of Hamilton
