Downtown, Point Douglas Public Health Nurses and Direct Service Staff
For some people in the Point Douglas and Downtown community area, home is one of the numerous hotels along, and adjacent to, Main Street. These sources of short and long term housing can present challenges in connecting to and providing health care outreach. In many ways, COVID-19 has heightened this challenge, but has also provided an opportunity to reach out in a new way.
In response to this ongoing challenge, Downtown and Point Douglas Public Health Nurses and Direct Service Staff (DSS) have been bringing food and health outreach directly to those in the hotel community.
These staff deliver meal kits provided by the Ma Mawi Centre’s Community Emergency Services program - consisting of a sandwich, fruit, juice and cereal bar - to five hotels, Monday to Friday. Public Health Nurses Theresa Janzen and Crystal Vandal use this opportunity not only to offer a meal, but also to check in with residents to briefly discuss health concerns, and offer referrals and connection to much-needed health and social services.
Home Care DSS staff are important part of this effort, helping to deliver hundreds of meals, while taking the time to offer a caring smile to tenants and note any health questions or concerns that they may have. These concerns are promptly relayed to the Public Health Nurse for follow-up.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 1,000 meal kits have been provided to the hotel community.
In the photo: DSS team members Jacob Thiessen and Malgorzata Dziedzela.