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health & wellness team

The Health & Wellness Team helps Innisfil residents be healthy, well, safe, and resilient. On our small and mighty team, we have a Health & Wellness Leader who drives the Workplace Wellness initiative forward, works with community partners to implement the South Simcoe Community Safety and Well-being Plan, participates on the Barrie and Area Ontario Health Team and local physician recruitment committees, and represents the Town on other collaborative and broad reaching tables like the Poverty Reduction Task Group.

The team’s Health Associate, plans and facilitates programs in the Horodynsky Community Kitchen for priority populations, and coordinates a team of volunteers that work alongside her to implement programs. This position also coordinates the Troy Scott Community Fridges project to increase residents’ access to nutritious food.

Our Health & Wellness Project Coordinator, coordinates the Town’s Building Safer Communities project, a multi-year, community-based, gun and gang violence prevention project focused on providing Innisfil’s children and youth with the supports and services they need to thrive. This role actively leads the health and wellness, community safety, community development, and project management activities involved in the project.

The Youth Project Coordinator, develops and implements youth-focused initiatives under the Building Safer Communities Project. This includes Teen Nights, leading the charge on youth outreach, and supporting the Youth Connex Committee (YCC).

Here are some exciting things we’ve been working on recently:

  • In 2023, we welcomed 504 participants during 57 in-person program sessions, launched the Fill the Fridges Campaign, and received over $26,000 in donations for the Troy Scott Community Fridges.
  • In April 2024, we launched Teen Nights in collaboration with the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library and YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka to provide free and safe drop-in spaces for teens to hang out, meet people, and have fun. In the first six months, Teen Nights were accessed over 1300 times.
  • Over the summer, we partnered with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board to offer 2 free Mental Health First Aid Supporting Youth courses to staff and community partners.
  • We’re working with the Child, Youth, and Family Services Coalition of Simcoe County to launch a new Innisfil-focused collective action table that will facilitate local collaboration and create coordinated, community-driven initiatives to enhance the safety and well-being of Innisfil’s youth.

What’s coming up:

  • Developing a package to recruit and onboard external program instructors to help us expand the reach and impact of our community programs.
  • On October 10, we are hosting Speak Your Mind: Let’s Talk Youth Mental Health with our Sport & Recreation department to provide mental health education to youth and their caregivers, and increase awareness about community mental health resources
  • In November, we are hosting Crime Prevention Week activities in partnership with South Simcoe Police and community partners
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