Rusty Beardy

A message from the Executive Director

I am pleased to present the Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba's website. This website highlights the tremendous efforts of our staff and the challenges and successes of our collective work to provide services for the communities we serve as our services grew as we focused on prevention initiatives.

With support from our funding partners, we expanded our services for youth aging out of care by further developing and expanding the Post Majority Support Services (PMSS) program. The PMSS program has enabled us to provide more services and care than was previously possible.

We continue to focus on recruiting staff from our member Keewatin Tribal Council (KTC) nations to support the work needed in the communities we serve, including cultural and land-based programming. Accessing people within the community is crucial to our work. However, we face challenges finding the right people, as we often compete with other local and regional programs for the same resources.

The Awasis Agency has remained steadfast in our commitment to supporting the Keewatin Tribal Council in developing a law with its member nations. We are nearing the end of this process, and we are preparing to present and discuss the draft law with the citizens of the KTC nations. This is a significant and exciting initiative that will have far-reaching implications for everyone. We are fully committed to supporting this process. Despite the uncertainties surrounding our activities, particularly regarding the collective approach to this process, I have advocated for this initiative since we began more than three years ago. I will continue to call on all leadership to form a collective response and voice as we work toward finalizing the KTC nations law.

Despite the many uncertainties, our agency's staff have continued to provide services to the best of their abilities, often in challenging environments. Their unwavering resolve is a testament to their dedication, as we strive to meet the needs of the children, families, and communities we serve.

I want to thank the Board Chiefs for their continued support and the staff of the agency for their hard work and successes.

• Michael Yellowback, God's River - Board Chair
• Richard Hart, Oxford House, Vice Chair
• Betsy Kennedy, War Lake - Board member
• Jordna Hill, Shamattawa- Board Member
• Morris Beardy, Fox Lake, Board Member

Ekosi,

Rusty Beardy, BSW, RSW
Executive Director
Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba