Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC) has seen remarkable progress in 2024, with a focus on youth engagement, affordable housing, and cultural events. Executive Director Mary Kozar shared her excitement about the year's successes.
One of the standout achievements of the year was the completion of the Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) pilot program, which laid the foundation for PCRC's new Youth Hub Project.
"It's been years in the making, and we're very proud of that," Kozar said. The project, funded by Tamarack, aimed to empower local youth by using their feedback and putting it into community programs.
"We've had some youth from our previous youth council join our Youth Hub Focus Group to ensure the programs are truly youth informed."
Another milestone for PCRC was the rebranding of the Portage Urban Indigenous Peoples Coalition, now named Suta Kachicha, which means "stronger together" in Dakota. The partnership supported several community events, including a successful Earth Day celebration and a community round dance for Orange Shirt Day, both of which were made possible with government funding.
PCRC's Reaching Home program also made a significant impact, successfully housing numerous individuals, with most still in stable housing.
"We launched the second phase of our Reaching Home program last year, introducing intensive case management through our Wawa Kia project."
This initiative provides wraparound support to help people stay housed, ensuring long-term stability for community members facing barriers to housing services.
The organization also continued to support Portage's multicultural communities through its Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) program, which organized cultural events like Diwali celebrations.
In addition to these programs, PCRC made strides in affordable housing with the construction of a fourplex on 10th Street NE, a project funded by Manitoba Housing.
"We're very happy to have increased the amount of affordable housing in our community, even a little bit."
As PCRC looks ahead to 2025, it remains committed to making a positive and lasting impact on the Portage la Prairie community.
"Another year is always exciting to plan for, and we're eager to see the difference we can make."