Several local First Nations set to receive donations from Ontario charity
A cross-country partnership is about to help a number of people in Onion Lake and surrounding areas. A truckload of food, clothing, sports equipment, toiletries and school supplies will be arriving in the community tomorrow, and distributed to a number of Indigenous communities.
Ken Smid National Director of True North Aid, an Ontario-based humanitarian organization focussed on supporting Indigenous communities, heard about the plight of several people in the area and wanted to assist.
“There are families [in the region] struggling with the basic needs, like clothes and food,” he said. “It was lady in Onion Lake who was confronted with these needs on a daily basis, she talked about wanting to start a food bank and clothing bank where she could help her community. I just offered the suggestion we could buy a BigSteelBox and fill it with supplies and send it there, and she thought it was a fantastic idea.”
Soon after, Smid got in touch with BigSteelBox, purchased a box and placed it in a church yard in Kitchener, Ont. and appealed through social media and various channels for donations. A great deal of hockey equipment was donated thanks to a drive in Brantford, as Smid heard recreation and well-being was an important part of life in the Onion Lake region.