From health cards to haircuts, the Gizhe Waa Tii-Si-Win Service Expo is bringing dozens of service providers to Winnipeggers in need– all in one place.
Friday marked the third edition of the one-day expo, organized annually by End Homelessness Winnipeg, and hosted at N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives Place.
“We want to make life easier for the people that are out there seeking resources, and bringing resources in a centralized place so that they don’t have to navigate the streets of Winnipeg, or Downtown Winnipeg,” End Homelessness Winnipeg CEO Jason Whitford said. “They can come to one place.”
Removing barriers, one booth at a time
Finding a safe space to stay is one of many barriers people experiencing homelessness face.
Sometimes, it’s an overdue eye exam.
“We know that vision affects learning, development, job opportunities,” Carmen Reckseidler of the Manitoba Association of Optometry said. “It really can be a barrier that can inhibit someone from being able to get that next level of success.”
Throughout the day, optometrists from the association are offering free vision tests and ready-made glasses.
Lacking an ID can also pose an obstacle to accessing services. On the upper level, staff at a Manitoba Public Insurance booth are helping people get their cards.
Across from them, Connect 2 Voicemail is spreading the word about their free messaging service.
“What we provide is a phone number with a unique extension for each person that they can use as their phone number,” Jessica Audy explained. “They can give it to their employers, their landlords, their doctors, whoever.”
Indigenous overrepresentation in homelessness
Sixty-eight per cent of people surveyed for End Homelessness Winnipeg’s 2022 Street Census were Indigenous.
They represent nearly 89 per cent–of those who slept outdoors or unsheltered.
N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives Place, where the expo is hosted, is an Indigenous-led 24/7 shelter. Executive director Frank Parkes said there’s a consistent demand for space.
“We hit capacity every day of 200 folks,” Parkes said. “So, essentially, we’re trying to respond to the needs as we see them, and we continue to grow and evolve as our homeless community evolves in the city.”
For Whitford, that means meeting the community’s diverse needs.
“It’s connecting to the right resources, where they have expertise of working with the population that you might be most comfortable with,” Whitford said. “A person that might identify as two-spirited might identify with a resource that specializes in supports for people that have faced barriers in that area.”
A network of care
When asked what N’dinawemak would do with more resources, Parkes spoke of the need for employment services.
“I want to employ [and] see more of our relatives and our homeless folks starting to get engaged with employment,” he said. “You know, if I had a wish, I would probably start allocating a lot more resources into vocational training, resume development, things like that.”
While the expo runs once a year, the 211 phone line is available 24/7. Managed by United Way Winnipeg, it connects callers to various services across the city.
“[Say] your kookum needs help finding medical attention or services. You can call 211 and we’ll find those resources within the area,” Bonnie Sinclair said. “If you see somebody on the street having a hard time, call 211.”
With hundreds of smiles and helping hands throughout the grounds, Gizhe Waa Tii-Si-Win lives up to its Anishinaabemowin name: “working with love, kindness and generosity for others”.
