$3-million health centre coming here
[attach]1260[/attach]The Bathurst and Finch community is getting a brand new health centre, thanks to the efforts of the United Way, Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill.
The partners are spending $3 million to build the new facility, to be located next to Northview Heights SS.
The area is one of Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods which are high needs but is underserved in terms of health and social services.
Non-profit agency New Heights Community Health Centres will be the primary agency operating the new Bathurst-Finch community hub on behalf of the United Way.
“The new centre will focus on new immigrants, seniors and youth,” said Julie Callaghan, program director at New Heights. “We provide primary health care and health promotion, which is anything on issues from education to housing to immigration.”
Anyone living, working or going to school in the area between Bathurst, Keele, Wilson and Steeles can apply to become a client of the hub andreceive free services without a Health Card.
If residents want the same free services now, they have to travel to New Heights Community Health Centres in Lawrence Heights.
Or they could visit a small temporary site with limited staff at Bathurst and Rockford Road. It’s been set up to serve the community until the new community hub is completed at the end of 2011.
In addition to providing access to doctors and social workers, local agency staff and volunteers run a newsletter, manage a community garden and provide diabetes education services.
Having services for youth at the community hub is also vital, said Frances Lankin, president and CEO of United Way Toronto.
“If we don’t provide them with positive engagement opportunities then there are others in the community that will prey on youth by recruiting them into gang opportunities,” she said.
Services will be geared for all ages.
“In communities where families are really struggling to survive and keep the rent paid they often become isolated,” said Lankin.
“Part of the work in engaging residents in their communities is … people taking back their neighbourhood.”
Until the community hub is built, residents can contact the current Bathurst-Finch office at 647-436-0385 or visit [url]www.newheightshealth.org[/url] for more information.
