Reaching Home - Pgnaeta

Marie-Josée Houle, the Federal Housing Advocate (pictured with our team: centre-left, wearing a black top & green skirt) visited Prince George in August 2022 for the purpose of gathering information about the human right to adequate housing in Prince George. PGNAETA hosted a group discussion with frontline agencies and people with lived experience to discuss Indigenous housing issues, the financialization of housing, and encampments and homelessness. We then coordinated a visit at the Moccasin Flats encampment for residents to have the opportunity to share their experiences with the Federal Housing Advocate, and we provided bagged lunches for folks there.

The findings from these discussions will guide the Federal Housing Advocate's recommendations to the federal government to advance the right to housing for all in Canada. This week she launched a formal review of encampments in Canada. Keep an eye out for further reports from her office!

Did you know? PGNAETA administers three streams of federal funds for homelessness through the Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy program:
◾️ Designated Community,
◾️ Indigenous Homelessness
◾️ Rural & Remote

Check out the map to see where we currently fund projects all across BC through the Rural & Remote stream!

A few extra dollars left over at the end of the 2021-22 fiscal year resulted in a huge box of Narcan Nasal Spray in one of our staff's offices. Thank you to Third Avenue Pharmacy for ordering it and giving us a good deal! We distributed it between three shelters this summer: AWAC, ASAP, and Ketso Yoh.

Did you know?
▪️ Naloxone saves lives - there are no negative side effects from using it and is safe for everyone
▪️ Nasal naloxone can be easier to administer, especially for folks who have a fear of needles
▪️ Community agencies have reported that some people experiencing an overdose need up to 7 doses of naloxone to reverse the overdose

Check out https://towardtheheart.com/naloxone-training for a free online training on how to administer naloxone, and information on where to get a (free!) injectable naloxone kit for people likely to witness and respond to an overdose.

This warm weather is reminding us of summer! 🌞 PGNAETA was grateful to be able to provide potable drinking water for the Moccasin Flats encampment through a private donation from July-September 2022. Thank you to Grandview Water Hauling!

Water is considered a human right by the United Nations. Minimum basic survival water needs according to the Sphere Handbook recommend 7.5-15 litres of water per person per day! 🌊

PGNAETA is excited to partner with White Goose Bistro for a second year to distribute gift bags during their delicious Christmas turkey dinner! White Goose provides Christmas dinner free of charge from 11am-2pm for people who are experiencing homelessness and poverty, or who simply may not have somewhere to go on Christmas Day. Thank you to White Goose Bistro for allowing us to partner with them during this special day! Stay safe and warm, everyone.

Brrr it's cold out there! ❄️ The City and Emergency Management BC are providing extra funding to multiple agencies to expand hours, provide snacks & host overnight warming spaces through this current cold snap. See this post for more information about where folks can go to stay warm and dry.

The City of Prince George , with the support of Emergency Management BC, has been working with service agencies in the downtown to increase their capacity to provide warming centres. The following table shows the agencies that are increasing operations and their extended hours.

This list is not exhaustive as it only includes those agencies the City has partnered with. There are other agencies that also providing these services.

It's warm out there! Thank you to the City of Prince George for coordinating with the province to fund three locations to extend their hours and provide extra snacks and water during this heat wave:
🌞Central Interior Native Health Society 1100 4th Ave, (8:30am-4pm Tues/Thurs/Fri, 1-4pm Wed)
🌞The POUNDS Project, 1126 3rd Ave (7-11am, 12pm-3pm and 4-10pm Tues – Sun)
🌞PG Schizophrenia Society, 1131 6th Ave, (10am-4pm, Tues – Fri)

Multiple other community agencies are working hard to make sure houseless citizens have a place to go:
🌞Fire Pit, 1120 3rd Ave (1pm-4pm) (they have air conditioning!)
🌞Ketso Yoh, 140 Quebec St (open 24/7 for adult males only)
🌞Active Support Against Poverty, 1188 6 Ave (9am-12pm, 1-3pm) (they have air conditioning!)
🌞Association Advocating for Women and Community, 144 George St (10am-6pm) (they have tents and misting fans!)

Thank you to our community for looking out for folks in need!

City of Prince George to assist with 3 cooling centres during heat wave PRINCE GEORGE - Three cooling centres in the downtown core will be open to assist vulnerable populations in th...

The weather is heating up in Prince George and across BC, see these tips from Canada.ca on how to stay healthy in the heat!

If you see someone in distress in Prince George, call the Outreach Team with Association Advocating for Women and Community's (AWAC) at 236-423-2922. Call 911 if the individual is in an emergency situation.

Let's look out for each other!