#natwin

The walls of the Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag were lined with about 100 boxes Monday, boxes stuffed with clothing, sports equipment, books and toys.

Leaning against them were a few wheelchairs and walkers, plus a couple of bags of sports equipment. All of it was destined for a community thousands of kilometres away.

Mishkeegogamang is a small First Nations community that’s located about 400 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

Its location and isolation makes it difficult for the community’s 900 or so residents to access a lot of what southern Ontario takes for granted, explained Sheila Nabigon-Howlett, chairwoman of Natwin.

Natwin is the program that’s responsible for filling the boxes at Niijkiwendidaa offices. Nabigon-Howlett and a team of volunteers have been shipping the boxes for about 12 years now.

Each year volunteers put the word out and begin collecting items for the Christmas haul. Sometimes, Nabigon-Howlett explained, they’re looking to fill requests, like the walkers and wheelchairs donated by Ennismore Community Care.

Liz Stone, executive director at Niijkiwendidaa, pointed out that there it’s not just the community’s location that makes it difficult to get a hold of every-day items.

Cost is also a big factor. Stone said a board game that sells for $20 in southern Ontario could sell for as much as $40 or $50 after shipping costs.

Northern communities also grapple with larger overhead costs, Stone said, which makes it difficult for organizations to spend money on extras like books and hockey equipment.