Celebrating wellness in action
Yarmouth County Community Health Board presents wellness funds
Nine groups received wellness funds this year from the Yarmouth County Community Health Board, which granted a total of $ 17,700 to support a variety of local projects.
The recipients include a program that fixes old bicycles and puts them back on the road, a community garden project and an initiative looking to address the stigma of mental illness.
Each year community health boards present funds to nonprofit groups engaging the community in wellness activities. The Yarmouth County board held its annual wellness funds celebration April 10 at NSCC Burridge Campus.
“More than just diet and exercise, wellness is truly every aspect of our life,” said Heather MacDonald, co- chairwoman of the Yarmouth County Community Health Board. “Wellness funds support projects that address our local community health plan priorities and the social determinants of health such as income, education, social supports, early childhood development, etc.”
The funds come from the Nova Scotia Health Authority. How much each community health board gets is based on a formula that considers population, geography and other factors. The grants range from $ 300 to $ 3,000.
MacDonald said the Yarmouth County board again will be doing the wellness funds liaison program, an effort to create and maintain supportive relationships between the board and the groups receiving wellness funds.
“Mainly, this is an opportunity for community health boards to see how they can become more involved in the wellness funds process beyond handing out funds,” MacDonald said.
The following is a look at the recipients of wellness grants from the Yarmouth County Community Health Board, followed by their project and the amount of money granted:
• Bike Again Yarmouth ( Project: Educating and Connecting Community, amount: $3,000)
• Camp Peniel ( Low Ropes Challenge Course Program, $ 2,825)
• Hebron Baptist Church Community Playground Committee ( Access to Wheelchair Picnic Table & Playground, $ 3,000)
• HOPE ( Seniors Winter Social Card Gatherings, $ 1,660)
• Laughing Brook Creative Arts Studio ( Seasons of Life, $ 3,000)
• New Attitudes ( Ending Stigma of Mental Illness While Engaging Community, $500)
• Yarmouth Community Health & Wellness Group ( Yarmouth Community Health & Wellness, $ 300)
• Yarmouth County Learning Network ( Food for Thought, $ 400)
• Yarmouth Food Bank Society (Yarmouth Roots Community Garden, $ 3,014.20)