At the Health Centre we aim to build stronger and more resilient communities. Our community development workers build community capacity by:
- Enabling community leadership
- Fostering community identity and sense of belonging
- Developing community skills and resources
- Building and utilizing structures and relationships
These methods and approaches have been acknowledged as significant for social, economic, cultural, environmental and political development. We are currently focusing on the following five areas: food security, health equity, community vitality, financial empowerment, and digital literacy.
Food Security
London Food Coalition (LFC) is a coordinated alliance that rescues high-quality fresh food and redistributes it to London organizations that work with individuals and families experiencing poverty. The Health Centre is a proud member of LFC, supporting the goal that all Londoners have access to fresh food in our city. LFC’s objective is to capture the abundance of at-peak produce from local grocers and connect it back into community through organizations that can utilize it. For More information, visit: www.londonfoodcoalition.com or view this news article.
The London Good Food Box is a neighbourhood-based food distribution system that provides a variety of seasonal delicious, and nutritious vegetables and fruits at an affordable price. The London Good Food Box is committed to creating socially, and economically sustainable neighborhoods by offering affordable, fresh vegetables and fruits through collective purchasing and making them available throughout London. Due to the impact of collective buying power we are able to offer the box (which would normally sell for $15) for only $10.
Health Equity
Health in Housing Initiative is a weekly program in partnership with London and Middlesex Housing and the London Community Chaplaincy, focusing on health promotion, health services and a sense of community belonging. Our goal is to increase overall health and wellness outcomes of residents in select housing complexes. Our vision is that residents in housing complexes will have increased control over, and ability to improve, their health.
Community Vitality
Old East Village Community Exchange Project was created in partnership with the Old East Village Community Association and Ontario SEO to further weave the social fabric of a vibrant, connected, and active community, and to further build on the wealth of skills and assets in the Old East Village neighbourhood. This project resulted in the development of both a web-based tool and the accompanying concept of Block Connectors – real people in the community – who will facilitate connections between neighbours and to the web-based tool, and will help identify the skills, gifts, and capacities of local residents.
The four main goals of the project are to:
- celebrate community assets
- increase resources available to community members
- nurture relationship-building across the community
- contribute to local economic development
Furthermore, while the intent of this project is to foster and support neighbourhood-based connections and exchanges, our hope is that this project and the tools developed will act as models or blueprints for other communities looking to similarly celebrate and build community capacity. To learn more click here http://www.oevcommunityexchange.ca/
Financial Empowerment
Services/programs such as Income Tax Completion Support, DIY Income Tax Coaching, Financial Literacy, Benefits Screening to:
- increase access to reliable financial information, education and counselling
- increase uptake of income-boosting benefits and tax credits
- increase savings and asset-building knowledge and opportunities
- increase access to safe and affordable financial products and services
Digital Literacy
Services/programs to support individuals to access and effectively use the technology necessary to participate in modern society.