Funding announced as part of the federal government’s investment readiness program will help make more services accessible on Denman and Hornby islands.
The funding is part of $525,000 awarded to the Victoria Foundation, to be broken up and distributed to organizations across the Island.
Hornby and Denman Health is getting $35,000 from the foundation. Executive director Lori Nawrot says the health centre going through a large transition in their care for older adults and they wanted to look at potentially building a social enterprise.
“With the goal of expanding the range of services we can offer within our communities but also making them more accessible,” said Nawrot. “Being able to deliver them on a sliding scale, with more of those services for free.
“But also, when we do need to charge fees, doing in it a way that’s sustainable so that we’re not always entirely reliant on funding from outside sources to continue to deliver.”
Nawrot says they are trying to do housekeeping, grocery pickups, outdoor tasks such as moving firewood and other services in the community to support those who want to live in their own homes as they age.
“On Hornby and Denman, our ability to access some of these services like HandyDart or Meals on Wheels is not possible,” said Nawrot. “That’s why these community-based services are so essential.”
Nawrot adds these home support services were more accessible at one point, but are now very limited to mostly personal care and they want to expand them once again.
She adds some of the services will have a fee, but on a sliding scale where they can change the rate based on income. The health centre adds they want to make the fees as low as possible for the islands’ residents.
The health centre is one of 18 organizations getting funding through the Victoria Foundation, with funding also going to the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society and the Cowichan Green Community.
More information can be found on the Victoria Foundation’s website.
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