Health equity is this year’s focus of health centre awareness week
KITCHENER — Sheri Walker doesn’t want to be on a disability pension anymore, and she’s hoping the skills she learns at the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre will help her get a fresh start.
“It’s a hard thing to break free from that security net,” said Walker, 49. “I just don’t want to settle for where I am anymore.”
The Waterloo woman recently discovered the centre when she saw a posting about its skills for self-advocacy program and signed up. Next week, she starts another program there focused on chronic disease self-management.
“I think it covers so much of the whole person,” Walker said of the centre.
This week is Community Health and Wellbeing Week, marked every year by members of the Association of Ontario Health Centres. Health equity is this year’s theme.
“We’re pretty passionate about ways to promote community wellness for everybody,” said Eric Goldberg, the Kitchener centre’s executive director.
Some people face numerous barriers to accessing health care. Walker, for instance, worries about losing the benefits that come with a government pension.
“Medication is one of my barriers,” she said.
The Kitchener centre, which serves about 5,000 people a year, focuses on eliminating barriers to accessing healthcare services, in particular for new immigrant families, people on a low-income, the homeless, Indigenous people, youth and seniors, through its tailored services and advocacy.
“We don’t have any fees for any of our services,” Goldberg said.
Child care and interpreters are available for those who need that added support while at the centre, and fundraising helps to pay for prescription medications people otherwise couldn’t afford. Centre staff also do outreach, such as at St. John’s Kitchen.
Health and wellness programs cover a range of topics: healthy eating, gardening, life skills, replacing identification cards, and physical activity. Some are an opportunity to join others in an activity, such as the walking group.
“These programs are also added to the medical services,” said Gebre Berihun, health promoter. “It’s like a package.”
Health is largely related to social determinants, including income, education, food security and community belonging.
“Feeling like you’re part of the community really has an impact on your health,” Goldberg said.
The centre has about 240 volunteers in various roles, from working at the reception desk to being on an advisory group or helping with a program. Many also access services at the centre.
“Participation is very important,” Berihun said. “Participation also helps to advance health equity.”
Inequity affects a person’s health and longevity, he said, and that’s why the whole community should be interested in ensuring everyone can get the care they need.
“If some groups are left out from this high-quality health care access, we all are not healthy,” Berihun said.
Walker hopes to start her own business because her mental health issues make it difficult to work in the community, and instead she currently volunteers.
She is looking forward to taking more courses at the centre, and plans to use what she learns in the self-advocacy program to help others.
“It’s going to give me a lot of information that I can use to push people in the right direction,” Walker said. “I know a lot of people that just can’t speak up for themselves.”