Grand River Community Health Center is celebrating a $130,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The money, received in March, is being used to expand the centre’s volunteer program and provide “social prescribing” services to community members.
Social prescribing is a holistic approach to healthcare that brings together the social and medical models of health and wellness.
Among the services offered through the centre, which opened at 363 Colborne St., in 2009, are those related to food education, exercise, food security, harm reduction, wellness programs, and 2SLGBTQ+ programs and services.
“From their food and wellness programs to mobile and outreach clinics, they are an integral part of the community and our well-being as a whole,” said Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma.
The grant allowed the center to hire a community navigator to enhance the social prescribing program and buy technology to grow volunteerism and engagement.
The center works with a diverse population and aims to reduce barriers, foster a sense of belonging and improve the health and well-being of clients.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Lynda Kohler, program manager of the Grand River Community Centre. “This grant has enabled the center to implement a social prescribing program that assisted clients to make meaningful social connections in the community as we recover from the pandemic.
“This program also supported the development of new volunteer roles and to re-build our volunteer program that supports many programs and services at the centre.”