Friendship centre finds home, but has no money

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GRAND CENTRE - The beleaguered Grand Centre Satellite Friendship Centre faced last year with eviction and closure, now faces a challenge that seems insurmountable - a total lack of funding and no commitment frpm any quarter to supply the need.

Late last year the owner of the building which houses the satellite had notified the directors he had a pending agreement with a local real estate agent to sign a long-term lease and the satellite, renting on a month-to-month basis, would have to move. The satellite and its parent centre, the Bonnyville Canadian Native Friendship Centre (BCNFC) refused to do so stating there was no space available in their price range. The owner then sent an eviction notice and the satellite started packing. In a last minute, ironic turn of events, the real estate agent offered to move his business out of the main street office he occupied and gave it to the centre. With that reprieve, the satellite moved into a prime location but without its own funds to even pay the rent.

In spite of the lack of money, BCNFC Director, Miriam Youngchief, says "it's turning out to be a good place for them since it's more accessible for referrals and drop-ins." She says a submission was sent to Ottawa recently asking for money but chances

of it being approved are slim.

This is the final year for assured funding for friendship centres across Canada and the national program is being reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness and necessity. In the face of severe cutbacks in all government departments, friendship centres may be a low funding priority.

The National Association of Friendship Centres is negotiating with the federal government for a funding commitment to continue the program. Satellite centres have been a component of the program and the BCNFC is lobbying around the Lakeland area for support in order to justify its continued existence.

Youngchief is hopeful about the positive outcome of a recent meeting between the Secretary of State and a representative of the National Association of Friendship Centres in regards to a satellite submission for 1988 funding.

The Satellite began to run out of money in November 1986 and the BCNFC directors knew they would have to either let go or carry the program. Youngchief says the decision was made to carry them but "we don't have a contingency fund in our own budget to do this and right now we're hurting."

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is creating severe financial problems for the parent centre. "We received an emergency repair grant to fix the roof and repair the floor of the hall here in Bonnyville but after it was done the roof started leaking again and we can't do anything about it because the contractor we hired has gone into bankruptcy. Now there's more damage to the floor and we still have to fix the roof but there's simply no money." Paying expenses for the satellite out of their own core funding, Youngchief pointed out, has forced a cutback in the main office's spending.

"We're going to have to do a major fund-raising and membership campaign before the end of March," she said, "and we're stepping up in public relations work and asking for public assistance."

The satellite has been assisted by volunteers and currently is staffed by two people hired through a Priority Employment Program (PEP) grant. Youngchief believes the satellite could continue to operate on a commitment of $50,000 per year to cover rent, salaries and utilities. One of the PEP workers is working on a fund-raising campaign.

"We still believe we'll receive core funding for the satellite," the director stated, "and even though it won't be enough to operate it as fully as we'd like, at least it'll be there as a service to the people and will be a referral and guidance office for the AVC counsellor who is there once a week for clients. At any rate we'll fight to keep it open."

A reunion of all former staff, volunteers and directors for the BCNFC, planned for January of this year, will lkely be held in conjunction with the annual meeting in either April or May, depending on money developments.