NationTalk: On February 17th, an important milestone was achieved for the Inuit community in the Ottawa area as Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) celebrated the grand opening of their new modular building for the Food Security Program at 297 Savard Avenue in Ottawa. The event was attended by local MPP Lucille Collard who expressed her delight in the vital support the program provides to those in need. Thanks to the $65,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), the Food Security Program can now meet the varied needs of urban Inuit by exploring their current and future food security requirements.
The pandemic has caused significant disruptions to many communities, including the Inuit, who have faced increased food insecurity. The Food Security Program at TI has been in constant flux since March 2020, and the current model only provides a small section of the community with food support. However, the OTF’s grant allows TI to engage with Inuit across Ontario and gain specific knowledge about their food security needs, which will guide future program and infrastructure development.
Rhonda Huneault, Manager of Food Security at TI, emphasized the importance of this project, stating that the varied needs of Inuit throughout Ontario will be explored to better strategize the best way forward. “The opening of the food security centre has allowed TI to continue its mission of providing Inuit-specific programs that contribute to the health and well-being of Inuit in the community. Funding such as the OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund, will allow us to explore the varied needs of Inuit throughout Ontario and be able to strategize about the best way forward.”
“I am really pleased that this grant has allowed TI to open its food security centre here in Ottawa— Vanier. Programs like this one are vital for the health of our community, and it is so important that food security programs meet the needs of the communities they serve,” said Lucille Collard, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier. “I want to congratulate Tungasuvvingat Inuit for being resilient and providing such a significant resource for the urban Inuit community here in Ottawa.”
The support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) has been crucial to this project’s success, and it has made a lasting impact on many communities in Ontario. The OTF invests heavily in community projects and partnerships, and its 40-year history of grant-making has helped shape and develop many communities throughout the province. Visit otf.ca to learn more about their work.
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It is the Mission of Tungasuvvingat Inuit to broadly provide Inuit-specific programs that contribute to the health and well-being of Inuit and to encourage and support similar programs for Inuit across the country. TI offers 20+ highly integrated, front-line programs and services to urban Inuit in Ontario. Visit online at www.tiontario.ca. For more information contact: communications@tiontario.ca