The ceremony for outgoing Uquutaq Society executive director Laurel McCorriston was held on Dec. 31. The final day of the year was also used to celebrate the achievements of McCorriston who, in the words of incoming executive director Kevin Eaton, has SA国际影视传媒渄one nothing less than amazing things for this community.SA国际影视传媒�

The Iqaluit organization provides services to the homeless community, including low- and high-barrier shelters (high barrier being sober and low barrier accepting people in all states), transitional housing, affordable housing, inclusive in-house services such as food programs (serving three meals a day at the high-barrier shelter, and meals from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the low-barrier shelter located across from the hospital). Recently, a new warming centre that operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at Building 1079 has been offering food, games, connections to services and a visiting doctor and clinical team on Tuesdays.

Eaton says McCorriston was instrumental in spearheading the renovations and development of Building 1079 SA国际影视传媒� the offices of the Uquutaq Society SA国际影视传媒� and Building 1077, which houses 30 high-barrier shelter beds and 17 transitional housing beds, with help from the City of Iqaluit, over the six years of her tenure. These developments SA国际影视传媒渟ignificantly increased the capacity of what Uquutaq could provide and serve the community in need,SA国际影视传媒� says Eaton.

McCorriston took the Uquutaq Society from humble beginnings in what is now the Piviniit Society building. As her successor, Eaton has been preparing to fill her shoes since his move to Iqaluit from Vancouver in early September.

A member of the Ahousaht Nation, located on Vancouver Island, Eaton was contacted by a recruiter to fill the position.

SA国际影视传媒淚 love [the North] so far,SA国际影视传媒� he says. SA国际影视传媒淚 love small towns. I love community. I love connections. There is nothing about the experience so far that has left anything but an amazing taste and vibe of energy with me.SA国际影视传媒�

He added that his wife and child will join him later this year.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have an amazing volunteer board of directors... and all of the operational staff... ISA国际影视传媒檓 honoured to be in Iqaluit doing this needed and amazing work, and I feel blessed about how welcomed ISA国际影视传媒檝e been so far,SA国际影视传媒� says Eaton.

In addition, SA国际影视传媒渨e will be launching an outreach team, likely closer to the end of January,SA国际影视传媒� he says, SA国际影视传媒渞eaching to our low-barrier shelter and warming centre.SA国际影视传媒� The outreach team, which just received funding approval a few weeks ago, will "serve the unhoused community that werenSA国际影视传媒檛 able to access our services specifically, and needed gear: clothing, access to food, access to services, access to medical appointments, access to job services, interviews and so forth. Connecting them with the basics means to connect those with items that they may need in their walk or journey, removing barriers in their way.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 just a matter of removing barriers,SA国际影视传媒� elaborates Eaton. SA国际影视传媒淧roviding transportation, assisting folks in coordinating and setting up appointments with [care providers]... resume do-ups... basically itSA国际影视传媒檚 just gap-filling... in the next three weeks weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to hash out the specifics of this program... with the understanding that weSA国际影视传媒檝e got limited beds... and we turn folks away on a daily basis at our low-barrier shelter, and people still come a-knockinSA国际影视传媒� on our high-barrier shelter, the turnover there is few and far between.

SA国际影视传媒淪o there is a homelessness population that is not able to access UquutaqSA国际影视传媒檚 services simply because we donSA国际影视传媒檛 have enough beds. So thatSA国际影视传媒檚 what they focus is SA国际影视传媒� targeting, for lack of a better word, the street homeless.SA国际影视传媒�

Regarding prospects in 2025, Eaton says, SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 anxious and excited on what and where and how Uquutaq will grow to service those in need.SA国际影视传媒�