Youth fundraises for Winnipeg homeless

The community of Sandy Lake pulled together Jan. 22 showing their support for a young woman’s desire to help the homeless people in Winnipeg.

Sheena Rae, a Sandy Lake band member, was inspired to do something for the homeless after she saw a news story during the Christmas holdiay season about a homeless woman who froze to death in a bus shelter in Winnipeg.

“I’m doing this for the people of Winnipeg and for my mother,” Sheena said speaking of a woman she was close with and considered a mother (not the lady who froze in the bus shelter). The lady was at one time a homeless person on the streets.”

When Sheena heard the news story she felt a strong need to do something to help.

“I don’t want that to repeat itself. That’s why I’m doing this,” said Sheena as she spent the entire day at Sandy Lake’s radio station taking donations of money, imperishable foods, and clothing.

Chief Adam Fiddler was among one of several volunteers who sat with Sheena for a couple of hours at the radio station collecting donations.

“There are many homeless people in many cities and towns who don’t have warm clothing or a place to stay,” said Fiddler.

“Sheena knows there are people in our community who don’t have enough money for food or warm clothing too. But what we do have in Sandy Lake is compassion - she sees that all the time. Whenever there is a need in the community, people come together and share whatever they have.”

Sheena was confident that she would be able to extend the community’s compassion to the homeless in Winnipeg.

The Northern Store donated kitchen space so that Sheena’s grandmother Sharon Cudney could sell home cooked food. The community gas station was also taking people’s donations throughout the day.

Even the dogs of the community were calling in donations.

“Don’t shoot the dogs, they’re donating too,” joked Sheena and volunteer Morningstar Fiddler after people called in donations from their pet dogs.

A total of $1,854.35 was raised in addition to the boxes and bags of clothing and food. Chief and council will match this amount for a grand total of $3,708.70 to be donated towards helping the homeless in Winnipeg.

All donations will be shipped by Perimeter Airlines early next week to Siloam Mission in Winnipeg.

“Everything will go to the homeless people”, explained Sheena’s father Rodney Rae. “That’s who we want to give this stuff to.”

“I can’t thank everybody enough for coming together as a community,” said Sheena.

Story and photos appear courtesy of Sandy Lake First Nation ( http://sandylake.firstnation.ca/ )