Community Health 15

For more than 20 years, the Fort McKay Wellness Center, a non-profit organization in Fort McKay, Alberta, has been helping children and youth in Indigenous communities and from low-income families. When COVID-19 became a global pandemic, the Center was forced to close its doors. Despite these challenges, they managed to keep in contact with the community through a variety of creative ways.

DIG is one of hundreds of non-profit organizations across the country that has received funding from the Canadian Red Cross through the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund.
This grant has allowed DIG to not only keep its gardens growing during COVID-19, but to expand operations, providing an opportunity for those facing food insecurity to access sustainable, local food during the pandemic.

A recent national survey of LGBTQI2S communities found a higher rate of reduced employment and higher rates of an anticipated negative impact on mental health as a result of COVID-19 when compared to the general public. With these stark findings in mind, UR Pride Centre for Sexuality & Gender Diversity formed a collaboration with OUTSaskatoon and Moose Jaw Pride to better serve their most vulnerable members across the province.

Potentially reaching 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians during COVID-19 is no mean feat. But, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is hoping to do just that, with funding received from the Canadian Red Cross, thanks to the Government of Canada. During this time when people can feel isolated, the UCC is using the funding to help bring people together.

Women of First Light is a not-for-profit organization led by Indigenous women in the Maritimes that seeks to heal communities, families and society by remembering and returning to the traditional ways of their ancestors. The group has reintroduced land-based learning activities, such as community gardens in several communities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as a tool for education to support food security for Indigenous communities.

Tom Jackson loves you.
You might think that’s funny or that he’s just being smart but he’s not. It’s his promise to you. And for Jackson, who has been part of the Canadian consciousness through his work in television, film, and music for decades, love is what we need right now.

Content note: This story contains discussions on domestic violence that may be upsetting to some.
Elizabeth (not her real name) is a survivor. Of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. By her former boyfriend. It’s people in situations like Elizabeth’s that “Violence Prevention Avalon East” in Newfoundland and Labrador is trying to reach. An alliance of community and government agencies, it is dedicated to ending violence in homes and communities.

The Canadian Red Cross has been mandated by the government to provide vital support to long-term care facilities (CHSLDs). The organization has been hard at work to recruit a humanitarian force, which now counts Wilson Restrepo among its ranks. Here’s his story.