A community service is being rolled out in Portage la Prairie that will attempt to provide support for individuals affected by the incoming closure to the community shelter.

After operating for the past 15 months, the local shelter will be closing its doors at the end of August. The Portage Community Revitalization Corporation will be coordinating the Ask Auntie project locally and aim to provide additional resources for members of the community who face multiple barriers, including those related to housing. Robbie Longclaws will serve as Portage's 'auntie'.

"We are based on culture, advocacy and outreach," explains Longclaws. "The Community Auntie helps by providing programs and services for our youth, families and vulnerable population - with activities that support wellness and by sharing relevant information. We give direction and help in areas such as housing, transportation, health care, attaining identification, education and employment, outreach, and more."

The Ask Auntie project will be working closely with the Portage Urban Indigenous Peoples Coalition, Reaching Home, Wawokiya, PCRC, and other community supports in order to better reach individuals that would benefit from these resources.

"We received word a couple of weeks ago that (government) funding would no longer be extended past this September. Despite our best work, PCRC has not found sustainable funding for the shelter, which costs approximately $500 a day to operate," says Victoria Espey, PCRC executive director. "PCRC acknowledges the overwhelming support of both city council and our citizens throughout the Coldest Night of the Year campaign. However, without significant provincial and federal financial contributions, the shelter cannot operate."

Espey notes that while municipal and public donations have been vital for the success of the shelter, the dollars aren't sufficient to fund a full-time enterprise. Instead, there will be a shift to a client-based model to address housing insecurity. The PCRC will use the remaining funding to maintain two employees from the shelter who will provide rapid case management services while implementing a housing-first approach to care.

Other community organizations are also rallying to support Portage's unsheltered population. The Bear Clan, in partnership with the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network, will be offering free laundry and shower facilities for anyone in need.

The Ask Auntie progject was developed in Brandon, Man., in 2001 through the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and provides direct support and advocacy to vulnerable Indigenous populations.