How Vancouver's First United centres Indigenous healing

An organization named FEAST! in London offers a high-quality meal once a week in a homeless shelter using excess food from supermarkets. Not only does this tackle the issue of food waste, but it also aims to fill in the nutritional gaps left in the diets of those who are homeless and provides some dignity in a conversation over a community meal. The program has been running since 2015, and both the volunteers and recipients testify to the impact it has had on their lives.

Alcoholism affects homeless people around the world, a condition that makes them physically and mentally dependent on alcohol to maintain stable functions. The Oaks shelter in Ottawa serves free daily pours to severe alcoholics in order to stabilize their physical and mental states, and to help them control the amount of alcohol they intake. These measures in Ottawa have proven cost effective, humane, and offer specialized aid to those suffering from alcoholism.

Hundreds of thousands of indigenous people in remote regions of the Amazon have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in part thanks to programs that send indigenous vaccinators with non-mRNA vaccines to remote villages. There, they meet with community leaders and work to gain the community’s trust before vaccinating those who are willing. Non-mRNA vaccines are used due to the refrigeration needed for mRNA doses, but they also make it easier to address misconceptions associated with the new and unfamiliar mRNA technology.

Diné College, the first tribally-controlled accredited college, provides over 1,300 students with opportunities to learn cultural traditions and the Navajo language, alongside traditional academic subjects. The school helps preserve the Navajo language, arts, skills, and customs by teaching it to younger generations. Learning Navajo traditions and language helps students make stronger connections with elders and they find the Indigenous philosophies that the school was founded on useful for overcoming obstacles, like finding ways to continue their education during the coronavirus pandemic.

Waadookodaading is an Ojibwe immersion school that meets state and federal academic standards but does so entirely in the indigenous language by connecting children to their cultural heritage. The school goes through 8th grade and uses the forest as its classrooms where traditional ceremonies and practices are used to teach lessons. For example, students learn math while harvesting maple sap and wild rice and biology through practicing sustainable fishing and hunting. Community elders play an important role in passing on their knowledge to students and the 100 graduates provide hope for the language’s future

The Penobscot Nation's Healing to Wellness Court is a drug court, diverting people charged with drug offenses from possible fines and jail into therapy. But it has an added cultural element, providing traditional healing approaches alongside mainstream behavioral therapy. The cultural piece recognizes that Native Americans' historical trauma and disconnect from their culture can contribute to the problems that lead to addiction. The court is far less expensive than jail or prison, and its participants have not been jailed for failing treatment in more than two years.

Food bartering helps families during times of food insecurity, which is often exacerbated by crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Families with lower incomes have bartered for food for a long time but the pandemic has brought diversity to the families exchanging food with friends and neighbors. Food bartering is part of the cultural fabric of different groups, such as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, which hosts workshops on cultivating gardens. Food bartering is an inclusive and community-building practice but when bartering is the only way to get food, the communal reliance can be an emotional drain.

Across England and Wales, over 5,000 individuals experiencing homelessness have found temporary accommodations in hotels. Paid for by the government as part of it’s COVID-19 relief efforts, hotels are working with social services to help provide housing, food, and other basic necessities to those going through housing insecurity. Not without challenges, the initiative has seen zero deaths from the pandemic but those working to help this initiative worry about the long-term.

A growing number of cities are creating formal camps to mitigate housing problems for those experiencing homelessness. The camps feature basic accommodations such as a three-walled structure under which a tent can be pitched - partly protected from cold, rain, and wind. The major draw is the around-the-clock security patrols in addition to portable bathrooms, trash collection, and on-site kitchen. The camps can also provide a place where people can leave their things while working temp jobs.

To fight food insecurity—especially with those experiencing homelessness—Chicago has created a network of programs and organizations across the city to support those who need it in many different ways. One example is the Homeless Outreach Luncheon at Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, offering a meal, sleeping bag, a coat/clothing, a doctor, podiatrist, lawyer, and more. This article takes a look at a few of these responses and details how they work.