Blog

MEDIA RELEASE 

COMMUNITY HEALTHCARING KITCHENER-WATERLOO BRINGS

OLDER ADULT ACTIVE LIVING FAIR TO KITCHENER

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ONTARIO (June 20, 2023): Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo will host their first “Older Adult Active Living Fair” at 44 Francis St. S., Kitchener from 10-3:30 p.m., June 21, 2023 to help older adults learn more about improving their quality of life.

“Adults are living longer and enjoying active lifestyles,” said Tara-Groves Taylor, CEO of Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo. “One way that we care for our older adults is by giving them the information they need to be active, prevent illness and stay safe. Today with our community partners, we will share valuable insight and tips on relevant topics to promote health and wellness and build community.”

The event will include sessions on numerous topics that help older adults to live a healthy, active life, including heart health, managing diabetes, brain health, how to avoid scams, emergency preparedness and navigating grief with grace and purpose.  The following community partners are providing information at the fair: 

The Alzheimer Society 
Waterloo Police Services 
Kitchener Fire Department
City of Kitchener 
Service Canada
Kitchener Public Library
Dementia Friendly Communities at Waterloo University 
Heart to Home 
Cure Hearing Centre

There will also be a free lunch while supplies last and raffle prizes. MEDIA welcome.

About Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo

As part of our community, we support your health and wellness and work in unity with our partners to provide you with caring and integrated services. Founded by the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre and Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, we respond to your individual health goals and work to create healthy communities. We offer evidence-informed, innovative healthcaring for anyone facing barriers to health services, including people who are newcomers, refugees, experiencing homelessness or precarious housing and who are challenged by other social influences of health in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

L-R front row: Councillor Ayo Owodunni, MPP Catherine Fife, MPP Mike Harris, MP Mike Morris, Board Chair Rob Howe among  area leaders on hand to speak to the need for Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo.

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ONTARIO (June 13, 2023): Community Healthcaring Kitchener- Waterloo, formerly Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre and Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, is leading healthcaring as a provider of primary health and wellness services to over twenty-three thousand of the region's most vulnerable residents and is one of the largest refugee health centres in Canada. Dozens of local partners, supportive agencies and area leaders attended its official launch at The Museum in Kitchener yesterday.

"We listened to our community, and by building on our shared values and our strengths as caring, innovative and flexible, we now have a dynamic, memorable name that clearly expresses not only what we do but how we do it," said Tara Groves-Taylor, CEO of Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo. "Our team will continue to collaborate with our many partners and share our extensive expertise so that we can lead efforts to advocate for critical resources for the vulnerable people we care for, including people experiencing homelessness, refugees and newcomers facing tremendous challenges to survive and thrive in K-W.”

Community leaders, clients, and team members shared about the organization's impact on their lives. "We feel like they supported us not only in the health system, mental health and our finances… It's like a Welcome to Canada!" said Client Jessica Zarate.

L-R Michelle Buckner, Rachel Romany, Mayada Abou Warda, Tara Groves-Taylor, Kelly Van Heugten and Kylah Blair, part of the team of Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo.

In addition to Primary Healthcare and Refugee Health, Community Healthcaring Kitchener- Waterloo cares for the community through its Outreach Services, Health and Wellness, Breastfeeding Buddies Program, Ontario Seniors Dental Program and more at their two locations and its new fully accessible and interactive website HealthcaringKW.org

About Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo

As part of our community, we support your health and wellness and work in unity with our partners to provide you with caring and integrated services. Founded by the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre and Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, we respond to your individual health goals and work to create healthy communities. We offer evidence- informed, innovative healthcaring for anyone facing barriers to health services, including people who are newcomers, refugees, experiencing homelessness or precarious housing and who are challenged by other social influences of health in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

After a long absence due to Covid, the Breastfeeding Buddies program is thrilled to announce their return to Cambridge Memorial Hospital to provide bedside peer lactation support to all families wishing to give their babies human milk! Families will also have the option of being matched with a trained peer counsellor on discharge who they can text , call or meet to access community resources and further lactation support.

As summer approaches, we all look forward to spending more time outdoors and soaking up the sun. However, it's important to remember that the sun's UV rays can be harmful to our skin if we're not careful. That's why sun safety should always be a top priority, especially for seniors. Here are some tips to help you stay safe in the sun:

1. Wear protective clothing: When in the sun, wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and hats that provide shade for your face and neck.

2. Use sunscreen: Generously applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30 can help protect your skin from UV rays. Reapply every two hours, especially if you've been swimming or sweating.

3. Seek shade: Try to find shaded areas where you can take a break from the sun.

4. Avoid peak sun hours: The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so try to limit your time outdoors during those hours if possible.

By following these tips, you can help protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Remember, its also important to stay hydrated!   sun safety is important for everyone, but it's especially crucial for seniors who may have thinner or more sensitive skin. So, grab your hat, put on some sunscreen, and go enjoy the sunshine!

One of the most crucial aspects of seniors' lives is their social connections. As we age, it's common to feel isolated and lonely, especially if we're living alone or have lost our loved ones. That's why building a community is so important for seniors. It provides them with a sense of belonging, purpose, and support.

This June, in celebration of Seniors Month, Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo will be hosting our first ever Older Adult Active Living Fair!  The fair will be a full day event with seven presentation sessions to choose from! A free lunch and raffle prizes will be included as well. Topics will include, Heart Health, Preventing Frauds and Scams, Moving Forward with Grief and so much more.

Studies have shown that social connections can have a significant impact on seniors' physical and mental health. By engaging in social activities and building relationships, seniors can combat loneliness, reduce stress, and improve their overall well-being. It is also important ensure seniors have access to the resources, services, and support they need to live comfortably and independently. Join us at Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, Francis St location on Wednesday June 21st for our first Older Adults Active Living Fair!

Pictured right to left: CEO of loca refugee health centre Tara Groves-Taylor, Patient Care Coordinator Suk Yong Jeong, Rgiestered Practical Nurse Kayla Trenholme. The three women stand in the hotel room temporarily set-up as an exam room. They are holding a Voyce tablet, which provides immediate interpretation services at point of care, provided by Grand River Hospital.

The full article may be accessed here.

MEDIA RELEASE 

Sudden Arrival of Afghan Refugees Prompts Emergency Response

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ONTARIO (May 19,2023): The sudden announcement by the federal government of the arrival of Afghan refugees by charter to Toronto and then 45-50 of them being sent to our community this coming Friday, in addition to the 90 who have arrived over the past three months, has prompted an emergency response.

A group of KW4 OHT community health providers, including Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, Centre for Family Medicine, Grand River Hospital, and St. Mary’s General Hospital, have come together for an immediate medical response Monday to Friday next week on-site at the Best Western Hotel where many have been staying with the support of Reception House. “These refugees are coming in with trauma, medical complexity, chronic conditions and acute needs, and our community has no primary care attachment available to support them,” said Tara Groves-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, of Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre. “As such, they end up in our Emergency Departments where they wait upwards of 10 hours, and due to language and cultural barriers, often leave with their needs not having been met.”

“As one of the largest refugee health centres in Canada, we must call attention to this growing and urgent issue in our community: without additional resources, it will only worsen given our 200% plus projected growth in our newcomer and refugee population in Kitchener-Waterloo over the next 5 years,” said Tara Groves-Taylor. “We already provide services to over 6000 patients, and clients represent 84 countries of origin and more than 55 different first languages. We urgently need more resources and call on governments at all levels to provide us with additional funding to address this growing emergency.”

About Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre

The Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre recently integrated as one organization (Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo as of June 12, 2023) to provide patient-centred, evidence-based healthcare for all individuals facing barriers to access, including newcomers, refugees, people experiencing homelessness and precarious housing, low income and who are challenged by other social determinants of health in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. For a full listing of all of our services, please refer to our websites at kdchc.org and sanctuaryrefugee.ca

MEDIA RELEASE

First- Annual Holiday Lunch and Staff Donations Provided Almost

900 Meals to Community

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ONTARIO (January 18, 2023): The Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre’s Community Wellness Team, working in unity with generous partners and donors, welcomed anyone in the community to drop in for some warmth, food and care items this December 22, 2022. The first-annual event provided almost 300 meals for residents of downtown Kitchener.

 “We extended an invitation to our community to join the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre at our holiday lunch,” said Tara Groves-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre. “Thanks to generous donors, we provided almost 300 hot inclusive lunches to eat together or take away as we joined in unity with our community.”

The staff also donated a remarkable 463 pounds (210.01 Kilograms) of non-perishable food items to support The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. That’s the same as 592 meals for people in need in the communities they serve, bringing the total meals served and donated to almost 900. 

“Thank you, Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, for helping community members start off the year with food in their bellies and hope in their hearts,” said Kim Wilhelm, Interim CEO of The Foodbank of Waterloo Region. “Your kindness and compassion are so important during these incredibly challenging times.”

About Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre

The Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre recently integrated as one organization to provide patient-centered, evidence-based healthcare for all individuals facing barriers to access, including newcomers, refugees, people experiencing homelessness and precarious housing, low income and who are challenged by other social determinants of health in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. It recognizes the issues arising from poverty, persecution, mental health, addiction, trauma and supports access to the healthcare system. The organization also works with partner organizations to create a ‘hub’ of services in Kitchener-Waterloo.

The Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre has been providing primary health care and social support services to Kitchener-Waterloo residents facing barriers to access for over 20 years. Sanctuary Refugee Health Care began in 2013 in a church library with 6 clients, with a vision to create a welcoming environment where refugees can heal and fulfill the potential within them. Their shared vision of accessible services that meet the health goals of their clients and communities brought the organizations together In 2021 through a voluntary integration. 

The organization directly provides and facilitates access to a broad range of health and social services in-house, and through referrals and community partnerships. Their services take into account social determinants of health, cultural sensitivities, and offer a range of services that include medical care, health promotion, trauma counselling, illness prevention and settlement and income security support.  Working through a relationship-based lens, clients have a voice in the process and outcomes of their healthcare.  For a full listing of all of our services please refer to our websites at kdchc.org and sanctuaryrefugee.ca.

The organization provides services to over 6000 patients, and clients represent 84 countries of origin and more than 55 different first languages.