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March raises awareness for homelessness

Oct 17, 2013 | 5:11 PM

Drums, singing, signs and a march to City Hall were all part of day four of Prince Albert’s Homelessness Action Week.

About 50 people met at the Indian Métis Friendship Centre on Thursday afternoon and marched west along 15th Street and then north on Central Avenue until they reached City Hall.

The main goal was to raise awareness, said Indian Métis Friendship Centre executive director Connie Farber. “It’s just sort of to remind people that most of us are very fortunate to have a home to go to, but many in our community still do not have that luxury.”

INLINE IMAGE – marching

With the weather turning colder and the recent closure of Homes for the Homeless, a local organization specializing in helping people find affordable housing, it’s a perfect time to bring the issue to the city’s attention, continued Farber.

“Our community lost some very good people last year due to the cold and as winter approaches we forget that there are still people in our community without housing.”

The message was heard loud and clear at City Hall as Coun. Don Cody came outside to greet the group as they arrived on the front steps.

He thanked them for bringing the issue to the city’s attention and said he agrees that more needs to be done to curb homelessness in Prince Albert.

Cody was introduced to the crowd by Rose Bird, a long-time employee at Our House who was instrumental in organizing the march.

Her passion for helping homeless people comes from an intimate understanding of the issue, “I do this because at one time I was like these people that are on the streets … but I got tired of it, I went back to school, got my education, and started working for the YWCA.”

Helping to organize the march allows her to use this passion and raise awareness for homelessness in Prince Albert. “Doing this is a big project for different organizations and myself, and it’s just to get the community to realize that this is an issue in [Prince Albert], too many people are homeless,” she said

Homelessness Action Week wraps up with two more events. On Saturday a food drive is being held at the Share-A-Meal Food Bank and on Friday the Métis Friendship Centre is holding their annual fall supper.

sleslie@panow.com

On Twitter: @_seanleslie