DATE ISSUED: July 6, 2020

EVENT: QIA’s Emergency Grocery Vouchers for Elders

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s initiative to help Elders impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has been expanded and extended.

The Emergency Grocery Vouchers for Elders is now available until August 18. The initiative is now also available to Qikiqtani Inuit who are 60 or older living outside Nunavut.

This initiative is designed to provide short-term financial support to Qikiqtani Inuit Elders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

QIA is delivering this program through Arctic Co-op stores in your community. In Iqaluit, the program is running through Arctic Ventures.

Here is how this works:

• Under this program, a Qikiqtani Inuit Elder is someone who is 60 years and older, from the Qikiqtani Region, registered with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
• Each voucher is worth $250
  • You get the voucher as a grocery card
• Each Qikiqtani Elder can get four additional vouchers for a total of $1,000
• You can go to the Co-op store in your community to pick up a grocery card
• The cards can be picked on the following dates:
  • July 7                     July 21
  • August 4              August 18

Qikiqtani Inuit who are 60 or older living outside Nunavut will receive this initiative as a one-time payment of $750 in form of a cheque which will be mailed in mid-July.

In Clyde River Elders can get four additional grocery hampers instead of a grocery card.

Someone from the Ilisaqsivik society will deliver grocery hampers to Elders in Clyde River.

You DO NOT need to register for this program.

All Qikiqtani Elders, registered with Nunavut Tunngavik, are automatically enrolled.

This emergency support is for Elders.

QIA has asked the stores and the Ilisaqsivik society NOT to give out cards or hampers to someone who is not on the list.

We want as many Elders as possible to benefit.

For more information on this program you can e-mail: COVID-19@qia.ca or call: 1-867-975-8383.

Please visit the QIA website at qia.ca for more information and daily updates.

You can also get the latest news and updates from QIA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

For more information, please contact:

Sima Sahar Zerehi,

Director of Communications,

Qikiqtani Inuit Association

szerehi@qia.ca

867.975.8413

1.800.667.2742