Lions Security Incorporated held its first Prince Albert Community Connection Day on Saturday, bringing food and conversation together as part of an effort to build trust with stranded individuals in the community.
The gathering was held in the gazebo near the shelter at the Exhibition grounds and included meals and drinks provided by Burger King.
Lions Security president and CEO Leo Ekhaguere said the event was created because he believes people directly affected by life on the streets need to be included in conversations about possible solutions.
“People experiencing homelessness are experts in their own lives,” Ekhaguere said. “If we’re going to have a sustainable solution, we have to develop it with them, not simply for them.”
Ekhaguere said the goal is to create a setting where people feel comfortable talking about the barriers they face and the kind of support they actually need.
He said building those relationships can also improve future interactions between security staff and vulnerable people.
“The meal created an opportunity for connection,” Ekhaguere said.
He said that familiarity can help reduce tension when security workers encounter the same individuals later.
Ekhaguere also described the event as an opportunity to remind people that stranded individuals remain part of the wider community.
“They are not outcasts at all,” he said. “They are part of this community.”
During remarks at the event, Ekhaguere said people need opportunities to be heard and treated with dignity. He said support should be shaped around what people themselves identify as useful.
The first gathering also included about 30 meals and drinks donated by Burger King’s Prince Albert locations.
Ekhaguere later told the Daily Herald that Zabi Ullah of Burger King’s Prince Albert locations provided the food and has committed to donating food for future gatherings.
He also confirmed Community Connection Day is planned as a monthly event rather than an annual one.
Ekhaguere said meeting regularly will allow organizers to build trust over time, learn from each gathering and improve the program as it continues.
He said the first event was a starting point for that work.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
