The Prince Albert Indian Metis Friendship Centre used World AIDs Day as a springboard to serve clients and others with food and health information.
Anna Stene, program director for the Prince Albert Indian Metis Friendship Centre, said the event was a group effort.
“We rely heavily on our partnerships within the community to bring different services to our clients here at the Friendship Center, so with our partnership with the health authority, with (SHA Prince Albert Regional HIV coordinator) Paulette (Martin), and her connections, we are able to host an event like this today,” Stene explained.
“We’re bringing in stew and Bannock, (and) making sure they (attendees) have a hygiene pack. Our main goal here is to service our clients.”
World Aids Day officially took place on Sunday, Dec. 1. However, Stene said they wanted to host something two days later to help clients who felt uncomfortable.
“Part of what wo do here is we try to make people as comfortable as they can with while providing services, so clients that are uncomfortable going into different health services settings,” she explained. “For us to host an event like this, I think it only benefits our clients and the services that we offer.
Stene said it was important to have a day to raise awareness because of the AIDS/HIV rates that exist across the province. Saskatchewan has the highest rates of HIV infections, with 19.4 per 100,000 people. Manitoba is second with a rate of 193. All figures are from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Stene said World AIDs Day helped to let people know that there are services available at the Friendship Centre. Last year the event also had HIV testing.
“There was testing being done last year, which is easily accessible for them and that that was the idea. We wanted to be accessible for them,” Stene said. “When we talk about them not wanting to go to health centres, health facilities, whatever, them coming here, where they’re already comfortable coming, it’s a benefit for them. It’s a benefit for all of us as a community for them to kind of start looking after their health a little bit.”
Stene emphasized that the Friendship Centre is built on partnerships like those with the Saskatchewan Health Authority that serve to benefit clients.
“That’s something we like to focus on, especially like I said with the SHA. She (Martin) has been pretty good at bringing us services that we need for our clients,” Stene said.
According to Stene the original plan was to include COVID and Influenza shots along with HIV testing but due to staff shortages at providers those events could not take place.
Stene said the Friendship Centre sees anywhere from 50 to 100 vulnerable clients a day depending on what services those clients use.
The Centre serves as an ad hoc warm-up shelter during the day offering coffee at 8:30 a.m.
“When it’s –30 C or -40 C out, they’re waiting to come in to have their one cup of coffee. They can sit for a few minutes, relax, warm up and then they go on their way, and that’s throughout the day,” Stene said.
“Having these types of things at our Centre that is focused around our vulnerable population here, it’s important. That’s part of our Friendship Center. We need to make sure that we are servicing our clients that need it.”
