The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre has received a $44,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The funds will enhance infrastructure through building repairs, mould removal and the purchase of an HVAC system.

Katherine Sarazin is president of the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.

She says repairs will be made to the building which is next to the main Indigenous Friendship Centre building.

“We have workers that are 2 or 3 to an office. We have 6 workers in the new building and we have 2 new programs coming in,” she says.

She says they have 2 workers who are dedicated to finding places to stay for an estimated 300 homeless clients per night.

“They don’t have a home or they’re couch surfing or they’re in danger of being homeless. It’s not just individuals but families as well,” Sarazin says.
There is a proposal to build a structure to support the homeless.

But for now Sarazin says they work with hotel owners and landlords to help.

Sarazin says there are many clients who sleep outside.