Iqaluit, Nunavut – December 11, 2020 – The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is rolling out a third round of COVID-19 initiatives aimed at helping Inuit on Income Support, school-aged children, and impacted communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These initiatives are designed to help feed Inuit children in schools and assist families in need with the cost of groceries,” says QIA President P.J. Akeeagok, “we are doing our part to ensure that no Inuit are left behind as we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The third round of QIA’s COVID-19 initiatives includes:

• $731,250 for the Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Grocery Vouchers for families on Income Support.
• $663,665 for the COVID-19 impacted community support initiative – for Sanikiluaq
• $311,970 for the Qikiqtani COVID-19 school food program initiative
• $301,215 for contingency and administrative fees

QIA’s new COVID-19 initiatives will be made available to Inuit in 2021. Further details on each initiative will be publicized in January.

The funds for QIA’s COVID-19 response plan come from the phase three of the Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF) announced by the Federal Government. QIA’s share of that fund is $2,008,101.

QIA received $6,132.544 in the first phase during summer 2020, and another $4,311,793 in fall 2020 from the Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF). Those funds were used to deliver: Emergency Grocery Vouchers for Elders, the Harvesting/Social Distancing On-the-Land Initiative, and the Qikiqtani Family Support Initiative.

For more information, please contact:

Sima Sahar Zerehi,

Director of Communications,

Qikiqtani Inuit Association

szerehi@qia.ca

867.975.8413 or

1.800.667.2742