St. Vincent de Paul in Windsor is collecting donations for a community on King William Island in the Arctic Ocean.
About 1,200 residents live in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut and St.Vincent de Paul President Ib Fynbo says he was shocked to learn about their living conditions.
"There were houses built [when the population was relocated from inland], but not nearly enough, so people end up living 13 or 14 to a house," he says. "They have no running water. They have no drainage. It is a situation that we would have said exists in Africa."
The cost of groceries and basic toiletries is astronomical, so Fynbo says his organization and others are filling a 20 ft shipping container with items on a list compiled by the Gjoa Haven residents. There are 27 conferences associated with St. Vincent de Paul, and each one is collecting a few items on the list.
The shipping container is expected to leave Windsor on May 24, and from there travel to Montreal and then it will be shipped to Rankin Inlet. From there, the container will travel across land. It is expected to arrive in Gjoa Haven in October.
Anyone who wants to help fill the container is asked to call St. Vincent de Paul first to coordinate efforts. The number is 519-253-7480. Linda is coordinating the effort because different groups are collecting specific items.
Fynbo says St. Vincent de Paul has made a ten-year commitment to send a shipping container annually.
"If we are to help them, it has to be a sustained effort," he says.
