SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY SPECIAL FEATURE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND RECREATION
LITERACY, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
COMMUNITY
RESPONDING TO EMERGENT COMMUNITY NEEDS
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hange is a constant in life and Emergency Response Grants allow The Winnipeg Foundation to respond to community needs quickly. The murder of the Azfall family in London, ON earlier this year was an exceptionally difficult moment for the Muslim community. In response, The Foundation provided a grant for the Manitoba Islamic Association and the Islamic Social Services Association – two organizations providing counselling and support to community members who felt the impacts of this devastating event. In June 2021, 215 unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops were reported. Within a month the number had risen to more than 1,300 across the country Following the findings, members of the Indigenous community came together to host a Sacred Fire to Honour the Children, to offer tobacco and prayers, and receive support. The Winnipeg Foundation provided a grant to Indigenous-led organization, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre to help make the space safe and comfortable. Burial site recovery at other former residential schools is ongoing.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) was inaugurated in 2016. Three years later, in 2019, the final report revealed “persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence” against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people.
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Helen Betty Osborne.
Launched June 3, 2021, the National Action Plan aims, in part, to support the delivery of programs and services by Indigenous organizations, keep families and survivors at the centre of the healing process and offer support, and address the broader root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people. After consulting with the MMIWG Manitoba Coalition and City of Winnipeg Accord office, The Foundation made grants to five local Indigenous-led organizations – Ka Ni Kanichhk, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Indigenous Women’s Healing Centre, Ikwe, and Clan Mothers Healing Village. Each received a $75,000 grant to help support their work. Together, the organizations offer mental health and wellness supports for Indigenous women and victims’ families, within a culturally safe and supportive environment While this funding helps address immediate needs in the Indigenous community, The Winnipeg Foundation is committed to continue exploring how philanthropy can address systemic racism and the broader causes for violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people.
