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Island Health issues wellness grants

Biosphere institute, Parksville job-opportunity society receive program funding
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Island Health has awarded Community Wellness Grants to two Parksville Qualicum Beach area organizations.

The Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Research Institute and Parksville’s Central Vancouver Island Job Opportunities Building Society were among the recipients of Community Wellness Grants from Island Health, the health authority announced this week.

The grants were among 50 distributed to organizations across Vancouver Island, and followed a call for applications issued by Island Health in October, 2016. The program is designed to fund local governments, community groups, First Nations and stakeholders in partnerships that address the health and wellness of their populations.

“These groups play an important role in the health of Island residents and these grants will help us work together to address priority areas, including supporting frail seniors and people living with mental health and substance use challenges,” Health Minister Terry Lake said in a written release.

The biosphere institute received funding for its Snaw-Naw-As Garden of Spiritual Healing project. The Parksville job opportunities society was awarded a grant for its Self-Care for Job Seekers program.

Individual amounts for these two mid-Island recipients were not published, but up to $800,000 has been allocated by Island Health for wellness grants across the Island, up to a maximum of $12,000 for individual program grants.

— Submitted by Island Health