‘Such positive news’: Food, clothing programs a boost for Kimmirut kids

What started out as an assessment of the community’s needs has turned into food and clothing programs to help the children of Kimmirut.

“It just brings tears to my eyes that I’m hearing such positive news,” says Anke Krug, a nurse who supervises the community’s health programs and has lived in the hamlet for the past seven years.

Since September, when the school year started, children in Kimmirut have received a breakfast, lunch and two snacks each school day.

It’s done through a food program for which Krug was able to obtain nearly $1 million in support from the non-profit organization Indigenous Kids Network of Canada.

The initiative actually started in 2023 after Krug had a community needs assessment carried out.

While she was aware of the challenges in her community, working with the mental health organization Edge Wellness Solutions provided her a physical document to show in applying for funding.

For the assessment, Krug and others went out in the community and asked people what could be done to help them live better lives.

Having a secure access to food was a top priority for them, she said.

“We needed to prove what was required and a needs assessment was the only way I could prove it,” Krug said.

She added: “The community has a voice, but it needs to be heard.”

Soon after, she received funding from the Indigenous Kids Network of Canada to provide a weekly meal each Friday to Kimmirut children in need.

The school identified the 30 children most in need, Krug said, and the hamlet helped run the program during the summer months.

That program ran for six months, from July to the end of December 2023.

Its success led Krug to apply again, and in August, the food program received a million dollars in support from the Indigenous Kids Network for Kimmirut schoolchildren to get meals throughout the 2023-24 year.

It didn’t take long to see the difference that having good, regular meals made in the children.

“The teachers themselves have noticed such a dramatic change,” Krug said.

Children progressed through teaching modules more quickly and there was higher attendance at school.

Krug added she’s noticed kids don’t not need to access the health centre as often, either.

She points out she’s not working alone on the initiative, and says the whole community is behind the work being done.

Specifically, she credited the people who work with her, such as her community health representative and the rest of her front staff, whom she describes as her “everything.”

The front staff do everything from arranging appointments to speaking with the community about health initiatives.

Jaajji Arlooktoo poses with his new winter clothing that came as part of a program to help children in Kimmirut. (Photo courtesy of Anke Krug)

“If it wasn’t for everybody’s help with that, there’s no way we would have been able to get it done,” Krug said.

With the success of the two food programs, she said the Indigenous Kids Network of Canada was keen to continue helping.

Through the charity, Krug and her staff were able to get funding for winter clothing for the children. Each child in Kimmirut aged 18 and under received $850 worth of clothing including hats, mitts, boots, parkas and pants.

“It was amazing … they were so happy,” she said of the children.

Krug said she believes initiatives like these can prevent more serious problems, such as suicide, from occurring.

Without healthy meals, children are less able to go to school which limits future opportunities.

“There has to be something that stops the cog in the wheel,” Krug said.

At this point, the school breakfast, lunch and snack initiative does not continue into the next school year.

“I am hoping to continue the project, but there is no guarantee,” Krug said, adding it will take funding as well as workers who are able to pitch in.