Community steps up to assist those in need

For Jolee Sasakamoose, lending a helping hand to her Indigenous elders and vulnerable community members as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in Saskatchewan is simply part of her DNA. “Indigenous people always take care of their people. Always. It doesn’t matter if you’re addicted, you’re in poverty,” she said in an interview Tuesday.

Sasakamoose is part of a growing movement where people have begun offering support and supplies to elderly and vulnerable people who should not leave their home in order to protect themselves from the virus. On offshoot of the Matriarchs on Duty Facebook group, she has started the REGINA_COVID_Volunteer_community_ response Facebook group to connect people who have help to offer those who need it.

“Right now we’re at Stage 1, getting the list of people who are going to need help and getting a list of volunteers,” she said. “One of my counterparts Chasity, she’s out there collecting goods.”

Still in early stages, she said she’s out of her element and learning every day how to move forward and although the group has good intentions of collecting supplies and cooking for those who need extra help, she’s worried how empty shelves in local grocery stores will affect their efforts.

“We’re trying to put a call out to urban hunters or hunters in the Treaty area that maybe can give us wild meat,” said Sasakamoose.

Rebecca Granovsky-larsen has started a similar Facebook group called MUTUAL-AID TREATY FOUR as a way to support Regina’s most vulnerable populations — those living paycheque to paycheque who will be most affected by the measures being taken to stop the spread of COVID-19.

With more than 200 members since its inception on Monday, people have offered things such as going grocery shopping for those who can’t leave the house, social networking and technology help to decrease feelings of isolation, and sewing menstrual pads and reusable cloths to use instead of toilet paper.

The group has developed a stringent protocol for getting people the help they need while still respecting social distancing practices.

“You see a lot of stuff about the scaremongering that’s happening around the pandemic, so it’s also nice to see this movement of caregiving and the fact that people are really willing to step up and help their neighbours and communities,” said Granovsky-larsen.

Businesses are also stepping up to make things easier for those more at risk. The No Frills in the Rosemont/ Mount Royal neighbourhood announced on its Facebook page that effective March 19 it will open one hour early to allow seniors and people with disabilities to come in and shop in a “less crowded, more calming environment.” Ukrainian Co-op has a similar plan.

“For all our elderly and for people who are vulnerable to this virus because of poor heath we will open our doors early so you may shop without coming into contact with so many people,” said a Tuesday morning Facebook post.

Customers are asked to call the store at 306-569-9510 the day before so they can make sure to be there. They are low on toilet paper and pasta, but have an order coming in Friday. The post also says they deliver groceries if people prefer not to leave their house at all.

People are even taking to Reddit to offer help, including rolls of toilet paper, a hot commodity at the moment.

Angela Mclean and her family are focusing on making sure their neighbours are taken care of by making packages to leave on doorsteps.

“My kids and I are pretty close to some of our neighbours and we know that not everyone is able to get out and about. We just wanted to do what we could to check in and make sure everyone’s doing OK,” said Mclean

She said making the care packages, which includes things such as tea, soup mix and toilet paper, have helped keep her kids busy and calm.

“We can’t get through this without community and without supporting each other,” said Mclean. “So, I think it’s important for anyone who is able to help, to offer what they can.”