The Strathcona Community Health Network (SCHN) is looking at some grant funding from the federal government to help with the administration of Hama?Elas Community Kitchen.
At their Nov. 8 meeting, the Strathcona Regional District board agreed to be the fiscal host for the funding, in the event SCHN is successful in its application. However, the application has not been made yet.
“The 2023-2024 federal budget committed a total of $359 million to support a renewed Canadian drug and substance strategy, building on previous efforts to develop community-led approaches,” said SCHN Coordinator Madison Stewart during the meeting.
The grant Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program, or SUAP, has recently opened a request for proposals to help fund projects related to substance use and prevention.
“Through the SUAP, the SRD could support community-led initiatives such as the Hama?Elas Community Kitchen to better support people with lived or living experience, or PWLLE,” Stewart said.
Originally, the idea behind Hama?Elas was that people with experience being unhoused and/or using drugs could work in the kitchen “as the main service providers not only eating a meal at the kitchen, but serving meals to their peers,” Stewart said.
However, without a peer coordinator position, this proved unsustainable. The grant funding would go, in part, towards that position.
“There would be significant impact to having a peer coordinator with specific specific skills and training to have a presence at the kitchen most evenings,” Stewart said. “A successful application could address some key needs and enable the SRD to hire a peer coordinator to ensure a regular presence at the kitchen and provide some structure to the PWLLE and assist with kitchen operations and daily operations.”
The grant is not limited to a maximum amount, but Stewart said they were looking at roughly $707,000 over four years.
“We believe that this funding would assist us in providing support to the Hama?Elas Kitchen and not only with operations but, being a fiscal host would give us some sort of oversight over what happens at the kitchen over a four-year term as well as helping to plan a path forward for the kitchen in the future,” said Senior Manager of Community Services Aniko Nelson.
Campbell River Director Ron Kerr spoke in favour of the SRD hosting the funds, saying that “the issue is a regional issue. As much as it happens in downtown Campbell RIver, it draws from the whole region. I think this will give stability and structure to Hama?Elas Kitchen’s operation.”
SCHN will be moving forward with the application to the SUAP.
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