For the past three years the Houston Action Changes Things (ACT) committee partnered with Northern Health to put on events, like Winterfest, to support the community and promote healthy living.
This year Winterfest in Houston did not run due to a scarcity of volunteers and the dissolve of ACT.
“As with many organizations in town there was always a shortage of volunteers. With very low membership on the ACT committee and so many similarities in mandate to the [Houston] Community Health, Education and Social Services (CHESS) committee, it was decided that the Partnering for Healthy Communities work that had been previously been done by ACT would be taken on by a sub-committee of CHESS,” explained Sally Sullivan, health services manager at the Houston Health Centre. Funding from Partnering for Healthy Communities financially assists communities like Houston to advocating healthy lifestyles. This partnership from Northern Health will continue to support Houston through CHESS.
“Northern Health is involved in the CHESS committee and will continue this partnership,” said Sullivan. “It will be the decision of the subcommittee [of CHESS to decide] as to what this support looks like.”
“Because this change is very new, there has been no discussion as to what we want to do as a committee thus far,” said Sullivan. For those interested in volunteering for future events or becoming involved with CHESS, contact the District of Houston at 250-845-2238.