October, 2007 - Glebe Report

NEWS Glebe Report October 12, 2007 19
Centretown Community
Health Centre: your
community resource
BY JEFF MORRISON
Many people in Centretown, Glebe and Ottawa South are unaware of the
valuable services offered by the Centretown Community Health Centre
(CCHC), located at 420 Cooper Street in downtown Ottawa. CCHC provides
a wide array of high demand services to the residents of Central Ottawa, and
advocates for a number of key health and social policy objectives with every
order of government.
Over the coming year, we will be profiling a number of the key services and
issues of interest to the residents of the Centretown, Glebe and Ottawa South.
However, to give people a sample of the many services offered by the CCHC,
we have included a list below of just some of the programs that CCHC has to
offer.
• Diabetes education program: With over 7 nurse-dietitian teams, CCHC
offers group education and individual follow-up in many languages to individuals
with type 2 and pre-diabetes. A new service begins clients on insulin
upon referral by their physicians.
• Primary care: There is a full primary care centre within CCHC staffed by
physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses. There are a range of appointment
types and walk-in services available to our clients, as well as obstetrical care.
Additional services include physiotherapy, foot care, addictions counseling,
nutrition counseling, needle exchange and weekly health clinics in two high
schools in the catchment area. Home visits are provided to seniors who are
housebound.
• Counseling services: Individual counseling and groups, as well as a daily
walk-in service are offered by a group of highly trained counseling professionals.
• Pre and postnatal care and children’s programs: CCHC offers both pre
and postnatal care, including home visits, parenting and wellness programs. A
parent-child drop-in is available to families with children 0-6 years of age.
Other programs include school readiness programs (such as kindergarten
expectations), reading programs and a homework club for older children.
• Community health promotion: CHP offers programming and support to
increase the health of individuals, groups and communities. There are a number
of programs available to residents aimed at encouraging an overall healthy
lifestyle. For instance, the Fun with Food and Fitness program encourages participants
to become more physically active while improving eating habits. The
Good Food Box program allows anyone to buy fresh fruits and vegetables collectively
at a greatly reduced cost. Other available programs include smoking
cessation, seniors exercise and stress reduction. Community initiatives include
support to community gardens, development of a laundry coop, work with
local groups to ensure safer communities, and community mobilization for
increased involvement in civic affairs.
• Seniors programs: CCHC offers assistance and one on one counseling
for a number of seniors’ related issues. For instance, CCHC, through the
LESA program, offers services dedicated to assist adults 55+ with gambling,
alcohol or drug problems. In collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health
Association, LESA also offers help to homeless seniors with concurrent disorders.
Therapeutic recreation activities are other important components.
This is just a partial list of the services offered by CCHC. For more information,
call 613-233-4443 or visit www.centretownchc.org. In the months
ahead, we will provide more information on specific programs and issues
being pursued by CCHC and its community partners.
Discover hidden treasures on
Give Away Day, Sat., Oct. 13
Ottawa – get ready to be on the look out for more hidden treasures this fall
because Give Away Day returns on Sat., Oct. 13 (rain date: Sun., Oct. 14).
Don’t put your unwanted household goods in the garbage. Set them out at
the curb on Give Away Day with a sign or label indicating that they are free.
For you treasure hunters, tour your neighbourhood, community and city to
find those hidden gems. Remember to reuse – one person’s trash is another
person’s treasure.
Treasures could include
• books, CDs and DVDs
• old furniture and small appliances
• construction materials - including drywall and hardware such as nails,
bolts and screws
• kitchen gadgets, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans
• unwanted gifts
Rules for Give Away Day
• Place items at the curb.
• Place stickers or signs on items with the word “FREE.”
• Ensure any items that you want to keep don’t get mixed up with your
“give away” items at the curb.
• At the end of the day, bring any uncollected items back into your home.
Remember, items not picked up can be donated to charitable organizations,
or placed on used-item web sites, such as the Ottawa Freecycle Network.
Give Away Day etiquette
• Respect other people’s property, don’t walk on lawns and gardens.
• Take only the items marked free.
• Don’t discard previously picked-up treasures on another person’s lawn.
We wish you best of luck in finding treasures. It’s another way to help the
city RETHINK GARBAGE and maximize landfill space, protecting our most
precious treasure – our environment.
ILLUSTRATION: GWENDOLYN BEST
Jeff Morrison is a board member and chair, Advocacy and Communications
Action Team, CCHC.
Rain or Shine, Celebrate
JC Sulzenko’s rhyming story for kids
Wear your rubber boots to the party
Saturday, October 20 at 11:00 a.m.
Mother Tongue Books, 1067 Bank St.
INFORMATION: 613 730 2346
Refreshments
Also available from:
Nicholas Hoare Bookstore, Kaleidoscope Kids Books, Leishman Books
www.bluepoodlebooks.ca