Native Friendship Centre to purchase new facility

News — 08 February 2011

The Dryden Native Friendship Centre (DNFC) has received funding from the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs through the Friendship Centre Infrastructure Program to purchase a new facility.

Having a steadily growing membership, and offering a wide variety of different programs, the DNFC has found itself without the space needed to operate sufficiently. Executive Director Sally Ledger says the transaction should be complete by the end of the fiscal year, which is March, and relocated by June 2011.

The DNFC has a location chosen, but until the final paperwork is in place, the location will not be disclosed to the public. The facility will be purchased through the grant allocation, but upgrades and furnishing will still be required through fundraising, for the completion of the new location.

The Centre offers many services to the public, including hall rental and catering services, which is growing daily as well as a drop in centre and computer lab for public use.

The organization also offers a Life Long Care program which ensures the development of community support services with particular attention to the needs of Aboriginal elders and seniors, the disabled and the chronically ill with special needs.

DNFC also offers a number of programs for youth, including the Akwe:go: program and the Wasa-Nabin program which are designed to provide urban Aboriginal children of various ages with education on healthy choices and improving their quality of life through the delivery of culturally appropriate services and programs.

Some health education programs the Centre offers include a health outreach worker, a diabetes prevention and awareness program, a healing and wellness worker, the urban aboriginal healthy living program and a student nutrition program.

The DNFC also offers volunteer and on-the-job training opportunities, as well as a community cupboard to help families in need who cannot access food from other sources.

In danger of shutting down in 2007, Ledger says the Centre has come a long way since then. With the help of government grants, various fundraisers and community support and donations, as well as an affiliation with Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres, the membership is growing profusely.

The DNFC has a current annual membership of approximately 65 adults, and a regular usage of approximately 250 to 600 people on a monthly basis.

Clarification: In the February 2 Issue of the Dryden Observer, it was written that the Dryden Urban Aboriginal House Group has been meeting with representatives from The Ontario Women’s Association (OWA) via Sioux Lookout’s Meno Ya Win Health Centre. It has since been clarified that the OWA is via the Mindemoyag Women’s Group.

By Ally Dunham

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