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IMAGINE Community Grants: An opportunity to connect with your community

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Group of kids and elder standing outside on a house deck in winter.

With the launch of the final cycle of 2017 IMAGINE Community Grants, this time of year has me waiting in anticipation to see what exciting ideas will be submitted, and reflecting on some of my favorites from past cycles.

Don’t get me wrong- all projects selected for grant support are excellent ideas, and we love the work the groups and organizations do to promote healthier communities. The things they can accomplish with just a bit of seed money is truly amazing! However, there are a few that just stick with you because they're a bit different from the rest.

Impact of IMAGINE Community Grants

One such project that comes to my mind when thinking about IMAGINE came to us from Kispiox last fall. In this application, a local youth basketball team asked for supplies to provide weekly visits to Elders in their own homes throughout the winter, where they would chop and stack wood, and shovel their driveways and walkways for them. The youth and their chaperones engaged in physical activity to support the Elders, but the main focus of the project was creating those inter-generational linkages that promote and support social connectedness and positive mental wellness. A true benefit for everyone in the community!

"IMAGINE grants believing in our project gave us the confidence to start connecting with our community. It gave our children self-esteem and filled their hearts with how good it feels to give back to the community without expecting anything in return. The feedback and support we received from our community members was unreal. It was the perfect time to share with a boys under 12 basketball team, (it's) such an important and tender age to have such an experience.” – Serita Pottinger, IMAGINE Grant Applicant

The original application request was to purchase gloves, axes, and snow shovels for the project. To incorporate an injury prevention lens, we proposed that they also purchase safety glasses to protect the youth and the group agreed with the recommendation. Now that they have the supplies, the group plans to continue this work for years to come.

Kids helping elders cutting wood beside a house during winter.
These kids sure know how to help!

For me, this project is a great example of prevention in action, and shows how a small amount of grant funding can improve and impact the health of an entire community. The IMAGINE Community Grants is just one of many ways that Northern Health demonstrates how we care for communities and can support others with the same goal.

Help make Northern communities healthier

IMAGINE Community Grants provide funding to community organizations, service agencies, First Nations bands and organizations, schools, municipalities, regional districts, not-for-profits, and other partners with projects that make Northern communities healthier. We are looking for applications that will support our efforts to prevent chronic disease and injury, and improve overall well-being in our communities. The deadline for the next cycle of IMAGINE Community Grants is November 30, 2017.