Mental health, healthy relationships, seniors, inclusivity and housing are among the focal points of projects supported by grants from the Yarmouth County Community Health Board, which held its annual wellness fund celebration March 5.
The event – held at NSCC Burridge Campus – was a chance for grant recipients to get together with representatives of the community health board and others and talk a bit about their projects.
“It’s one of our favourite activities of the year,” said Tony Dorrian, community health board co-chair.
It’s a view shared by Lisa Garand, manager of public engagement and community health board support with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, western zone, who was on hand for the Yarmouth event.
“It’s the highlight of my job,” she said. Her experience attending events like Yarmouth’s is that “there’s always a new project, a new idea.”
Some examples of projects on this year’s list of wellness fund recipients from Yarmouth County:
--A wellness program for seniors at the YMCA of Yarmouth. This is a six-week program that covers, among other things, cardio exercise, low-impact exercise, nutrition for heart health and strengthening with light weights.
--Affordable housing symposium. The idea, in part, is to connect stakeholders and municipal leaders to help address rural housing and homelessness issues across the western zone.
--"Healthy relationships plus,” a program promoting wellness, social inclusion and how to develop and maintain healthy relationships while educating participants on various issues.
--A “consent” film festival for students in grades 7-9 in which participants will develop short films/videos as part of an effort to increase understanding with regard to consent and promote respectful and healthy relationships.
--A “slow cooked dreams” project, an education and empowerment program that uses food as an incentive to promote inclusivity.
--A project that uses Mi’kmaq traditional teachings to take positive action on violence against female and male youth.
--"Leaving kids home alone,” a program that teaches basic skills and safety procedures to stay home alone. Topics also include: healthy eating, fighting boredom, overcoming fears, fire safety.
--Senior days at Ellenwood Park. This is a chance for seniors to reconnect with nature, themselves and others in a safe natural environment.
--“Know your own mind.” This project at the Yarmouth County Learning Network is meant to provide students with a “whole body” approach to health, with a goal of promoting and enhancing mental wellness.
There were 16 projects all told on the Yarmouth County Community Health Board’s list of wellness fund recipients.
The funding is provided by the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Speaking at the Yarmouth event, Lisa Garand of the NSHA tipped her cap to the people involved in the various projects.
“A shout-out to all the volunteers who are doing amazing work in the community,” she said.
