I am writing this newsletter message at the very end of March, and outside my office window there are still piles of snow on the ground. Spring is ‘officially’ upon us, but this past week we have had a (hopefully final) blast of winter. As we anticipate the warmer, and brighter days ahead I feel excited about many of the endeavors that we, the Community Health Centres of Northumberland, are undertaking. We are reminded watching the buds on the trees emerge, and the robins come out of hiding, that spring is a time of renewal, and our teams are busy refreshing our program calendar while our Board of Directors is finalizing our new Strategic Plan.
We are excited to be bringing back Community Lunches, where everyone is welcome to come to the CHCN, to connect with fellow community members and enjoy a healthy lunch prepared by staff and volunteers. These lunches provide a welcoming environment where anyone can comfortably come to meet others and enjoy relaxing and engaging conversation. Our next lunch is on Thursday May 16th from 12:30 until 2:00 pm and we would love to see you there!
We are also pleased to once again be partnering with Northumberland Hills Hospital Community Counselling to provide a Hoarding Support Group for anyone who is overwhelmed with possessions and clutter. This group will be starting up in mid-April and people can register by calling the centre.
Our Board of Directors has been extremely busy developing our next Strategic Plan, which will guide the work of the CHC for the next three years. We very much look forward to sharing this plan with you in the coming months, as we finalize our priorities and strategies to continue to serve the community in the best way possible.
One of the key elements of the Community Health Centre Model of Health and Wellbeing, as well as our Strategic Plan, is to deliver programs and services in a way that confronts barriers to equitable health and helps bring us closer to our vision of Healthy People, Healthy Partnerships, Healthy Communities.
With that in mind, our Board of Directors has undertaken comprehensive Governing for Health Equity training through the Alliance for Healthier Communities, while all staff are also receiving comprehensive Health Equity training through the work of our internal Health Equity Committee. As an organization, we feel that ongoing training for everyone is invaluable in ensuring that we deliver programs and services that reduce or eliminate barriers to receiving health care.
With all of this exciting work occurring, you may find yourself wondering how to become involved! We have many volunteer opportunities available at the CHC including on both our Board of Directors, and our Community, Client and Family Advisory Roundtable (CCFAR). The CCFAR committee is comprised of community members, clients of the centre and family members of clients. The Roundtable provides input to the Community Health Centres of Northumberland leadership on critical issues and emerging trends. It is an excellent way to become involved in your community and provide meaningful input into program and service development here at the CHC. If you are interested in these volunteer opportunities, please reach out to Jill Williams, Office Manager at jwilliams@chcnorthumberland.ca.
In closing, and on behalf of all CHCN staff, I would like to thank our existing roster of volunteers that commit hours upon hours of time helping us run programs, operate our Community Food Market, navigate clients to their appointments in the centre and make friendly check-in calls to clients who need them. We know we couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers, and for that we are very grateful.
Keep watching for news about our upcoming 2023/2024 Annual General Meeting where we celebrate many accomplishments as well as our volunteers!
Wishing you a safe and healthy spring!
Sincerely,
Taryn Rennicks
Executive Director
