Jule Asterisk of the Slave Lake Homeless Coalition was making the rounds last week, seeking support for the Mat Program. You might think; ‘Hasn’t that been taken care of?’ Yes, but only temporarily, thanks to a generous donation of rooms for one month by the Hotel Northern Star. A space for the rest of the winter has been offered by St. Peter’s Ecumenical Church, but this requires approval from the Municipal Planning Commission, and ultimately, town council. It’s temporary too – just for this one season. So the search for a permanent location continues.
The Mat Program expects about 1,000 person-stays over the winter, made up of approximately 100 people.
What can you do to help? Donate money as an individual or a business. Mittens, gloves, hats and scarves are also welcome. These can be donated at the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre.
Organizing housing for homeless people is the ultimate goal. It is a big, big challenge, for all sorts of reasons, ranging from the limitations of the people themselves, all the way up to the fact government support for the Housing First program runs out before it gets to the eighth-biggest town/city in the province.