I am one of those people who loves every season, but if I was forced to pick a favorite, we are heading into it right now. There is something about autumn that gives me renewed energy as temperatures get a bit cooler in the evenings, but daytime can still look and feel like summer. (That is, until the leaves start changing colour, and who doesn’t enjoy Mother Nature’s artwork?) As the big and little kids head off to their respective schools there is a buzz in the air that I personally find exciting.
Just like the buzz we had here at the Community Health Centre , with a very successful Annual General Meeting where we launched three incredible short films about three amazing individuals that are clients of the CHCN. We will be inviting you to view these films on our YouTube channel and learn about the unique experiences of each client as they tell their stories. The value of client stories is indescribable, and we hope you will enjoy and appreciate the bravery of Michelle, Vicky and Raymond’s experiences. Please note: a separate email announcing the films will be sent.
We are extremely fortunate to have received a grant from Community Food Centres of Canada that has allowed us to hire a Community Garden Coordinator who is helping to expand upon our garden related programming. We have been able to offer pickling and preserving workshops and hope to expand on our garden related events during the harvest season highlighting the value of growing a garden – large or small scale, as well as garden maintenance. Our Community Garden has been growing in different ways year by year and we want the community to understand the value and purpose of our garden, and the value of enjoying locally grown produce.
Of course, now is the time for a bounty of fresh local fruits, veggies and other locally produced products that you can enjoy from our weekly Community Market, offered in our main lobby Thursday afternoons from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. We are very grateful for our many partnerships with local food growers where we purchase our produce from. These partnerships allow us to offer healthy and fresh options at reasonable prices to make eating healthy more accessible. There is no better time than now to enjoy the “fruits” of our local growers’ labours!
We are very pleased to once again partner with the Brain Injury Association of Peterborough Region, to bring back the Acquired Brain Injury group, an eight-week program for those with acquired brain injuries. The program will focus on symptoms and challenges you may be experiencing, as well as strategies to overcome these challenges while connecting with others with similar experiences Please visit our program calendar on our website for details.
We are once again, humbled and honoured to have been nominated for a Port Hope Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award in the category of not-for-profit. This is our second nomination, and we are very grateful to the community for recognizing the work we do!
Finally, it has been a privilege to work alongside the County of Northumberland team, to help stand up the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic, which launched in August and is located on the second floor at 99 Toronto Road. The County has launched a website for the walk in clinic that provides details such as services provided and hours of operation: Port Hope Medical Walk In Clinic
We love to hear from our community members, what are we doing well? What could we do better? Comments and suggestions are always welcome and ensure that we are serving our community in the best way possible.
To all the summer-lovers who are reading this, enjoy the end of yet another great season, and we look forward to seeing you this fall at the CHCN.
Sincerely,
Taryn Rennicks
Executive Director
