HomeMy WebLinkAboutSHCAC Minutes - 2019-07-11
The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date July 11, 2019, commencing at
4:00p.m.
Present: A. Monteith, B. Wilson, J. Legg, G. Achim, L. Roberts, A. Venner, G. Albert
Staff: M. Hildebrand, Director, Neighbourhood Programs
J. McKenzie, Administrative Coordinator, Neighbourhood Programs
L. Palubeski, Manager, Program and Resource Services
1. SHORE introduction Robin Schwarz, Alicia Langill
SHORE Centre is a pro-choice organization that supports all pregnancy options. Growing larger
to include clinic care etc.
SHORE (Sexual Health, Options, Resources, & Education) was invited to the meeting to see if
there were any gaps that the committee could help out with and include on the work plan. Part
work focus is now being directed to prenatal care for those with unplanned
pregnancies as there seems to be a gap in the system finding family doctors and if one is found
the fees that are sometimes associated with a practice i.e. missed appointments are not
affordable for some clients.
Proposal for the committee from SHORE:
They are hoping that a list of doctors accepting new patients could be created. Many of their
clients do not have family doctors, and they do not know of any existing list of family doctors
accepting new patients. At our June meeting, our group discussed the potential of a list like this
already existing. If we can find such a list, then we can provide SHORE with the list and also
help publicize it throughout the city. If no such list exists, we can reach out to all (or most)
practicing family doctors in the city and create a list. We can also potentially advocate for family
doctors to accept lower-income pregnant clients of SHORE.
They brought up the fact that the facility currently running a prenatal water yoga class every few
months, but that the class fills up before any of their clients can register for it. SHORE provides
several pre-natal classes on child-care, nutrition, and other educational topics, but have few
options for fitness. Most private fitness locations offer prenatal yoga classes or other types of
prenatal fitness classes, but those tend to be prohibitively expensive for clients of SHORE. At
our June meeting, our group discussed providing space in community centres to SHORE so that
they can run fitness classes. We also discussed setting aside a certain number of spots at each
prenatal water yoga class at the facility currently running the program, saving those spots for
SHORE to distribute amongst its clients. Yet another option discussed was to contact private
fitness locations and inquire about lower-cost pre-natal fitness classes made available to clients
of SHORE, or the community at large.
Questions from the committee:
1. How easy it to find another location for more prenatal water yoga
Certificationisrequired to teachand alsodependent on what the facility wishes to run and
whether or not it is economically viable. City of Kitchener Aquatics testing out new programs
maybe contacting Manager of Aquatics who is open to new programming ideas. Looking for low
cost prenatal fitness programming. Committee could potentially reach out to yoga studios to
provide space if SHORE can find an instructor.
2. What is their client base?
Numbers fluctuate
Next Steps:
Still building the work plan for the committee, SHORE will be included in the
plan.
2. Work plan
M. Hildebrand distributed a synopsis of the emerging themes from the ongoing work plan. What
Mental health seems to be too big a topic for this committee and it was discussed whether it
should be removed from the work plan? It was decided that instead of removing it from the list
that it be top of mind when in any future work done by the committee.
The committee approved the list and prioritized a couple of items to move forward. It was
decided when those items were completed then the committee could move onto the next items
on the list if time allows. The committee chose SHORE and the Rainbow Coalition as the work
this committee wishes to work on first.
Sub committees:
SHORE G. Albert, A. Monteith, G. Achim, J. Legg
Rainbow Coalition A. Venner, L. Roberts, B. Wilson
Sub committees broke off into two groups for discussion
3. New Business
No new business
4. Adjournment
On motion, the meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
J. McKenzie
Committee Administrator