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PDG Nancy introduced our guest speaker, Brandy Kowal-Funk, who, for the last 3 years, has been the program manager for the Memengoo Program at Shawenim Abinoojii Inc, serving Indigenous youth in and from Child and Family Services care up to the age of 25. Through this work, Brandy has developed a strong knowledge of the experiences of Indigenous youth aging out of care, which includes a high risk of homelessness. Brandy has lived experience dealing with addictions and homelessness as a youth herself, but has since gone on to obtain her Bachelors Degree in Social Work and to start a family of her own. Brandy has also worked in the area of addictions and youth/adult disability. Brandy’s mom is Metis and her father is Ukrainian; she is from Thompson, Manitoba. Brandy started by giving a background on Shawenim Abinoojii Inc, which has been around since 2005. Child and Family Services (CFS) serve 8 First Nations in Manitoba and they noticed that children apprehended from those First Nations were brought away from their parents, extended family and community to Winnipeg because there were no placements in their home community. Shawenim started out being called “The Four-Bed Unit”; Shawenim Abinoojii means “Nurturing our Children” in Ojibway. Shawenim started as a foster placement organization – and these foster placements were on Reserves, which kept the children connected with their family and people that they know. Currently, Shawenim offers foster homes on and off Reserves, and supports work program, family visits, family enhancement, their own school for Indigenous youth (offering smaller class sizes for young people in care). Initially, Shawenim offered their services to youth from birth up to the age of 18, at which point the youth in care could choose to exit the child welfare system or to get an extension until he/she turned 21. But in 2018, when Brandy was hired, the Memengoo program was formed to provide services to the young people who were 21 to 25 years of age, offering either case management (for youths living in the community) or housing. The first transition home for youths who are aging out of care was opened in 2019 with financial assistance from End Homelessness Winnipeg. Many of the youths that Memengoo is working with right now are struggling with addictions, mental health and lack of a sense of identity, belonging, their family’s history, passion, and directions where they want to go while carrying the trauma of their family breakdown and Child and Family Services experiences. They are experiencing more homelessness, lower levels of income, lower education and exploitation. The Mememengoo Program offers “family support” to at least the age of 25 years. In Winnipeg, over half of the homeless population has been involved with CFS and about 65% are Indigenous. About 80-90% of the youth involved with the child welfare system are Indigenous. The need for resources that understand the young Indigenous people’s culture and history is very important. The average age of Indigenous youths in the Memengoo program in the last year is ~19.5 (versus 20-21 when the program first started). This gives the staff more time to work with the youths so that they can do better when they are on their own. Memengoo offers group programing (life skills, land-based stuff), one-on-one case management, and an employment program. During the pandemic, in-person activities are very limited - staff (three of whom are funded by End Homelessness Winnipeg) have been going out and dropping off kits - food kits, crafts kits (including drum-making), working on preventing homelessness (housed 19 youth and helped 4 of them return to their communities) and providing support to youths with addictions and mental health issues. Most recently, Shawenim has received funding to purchase an old 4 floor (including the basement) derelict building at 126/140 Alfred Avenue (a hotspot for crime, vandalism, break-ins and a shelter for homeless people) and plans to convert it to 3 floors of housing for Indigenous youth in and from care (18 apartments for up to 24 youths – since there are several two-bedroom apartments). On the lower level, there will be resources like the employment program, case managers and a cultural space, offering services not only to the youths living in the building, but also youths living out in the community or who are homeless. There will be a teaching kitchen (for cooking classes), showers and community computers on-site. A question and answer session followed Brandy’s presentation and this is what we learned: - Shawenim has its own security license, which means that they have security personnel checking the premises. In addition, the place has lights all around the house and security cameras all over the place.
- Funding for reconstruction of the new building comes from the Rapid Housing Initiative (a new federal initiative), End Homelessness Winnipeg, and a bank loan approved for Shawenim.
- For the new building, funding for furnishing the apartments may be provided by Southeast CFS (Child and Family Services). In addition, Shawenim has partnered with Oyati Tipi (Winnipeg’s Furniture Bank, which provides free furniture and household items, located at 606 Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg; 204 589 2218). Brandy indicated that she would email PDG Nancy the phone number where gently used furniture can be donated (maybe not until the COVID pandemic subsides?)
- Shawenim Abinoojii has a website: https://shawenim-abinoojii.ca/
- PDG Ed offered a suggestion that Shawenim partner with Red River Community College (which has a facility in downtown Winnipeg) to make trades training available to youths being supported by Shawenim. It may also be possible to set up support for sponsoring such RRCC students. Brandy admitted that was something she hadn’t thought of – and she loved the idea!
- Shawenim’s school works with students who are in care, so 18 years of age and under. They also have mature students up to 21 years old. As of the next school year, their school will officially be part of Winnipeg 1 School Division and providing education to the Grade 12 level.
- Southeast CFS has recently begun increasing its Indigenous cultural supports to the youths in their care.
- Brandy submits monthly reports to End Homelessness Winnipeg, but no reports to Southeast CFS.
Lloyd Talbot thanked Brandy for her informative presentation about Shawenim Abinoojii Inc and the Memengoo program. |
