The Airdrie Health Foundation has been able to fund multiple programs over the years, read more below on each of these.
Pregnancy & Beyond
The isolation new mothers experience can be challenging to overcome. Pregnancy & Beyond is a free monthly group for pregnant women and new mothers to come together to learn and create community.
Pregnancy & Beyond is accessible and inclusive. All mothers are welcome if they feel they need support and want to join the program.
This group supports women and children in Airdrie, Crossfield, Beiseker, Irricana and surrounding areas. Pregnancy & Beyond fosters healthy child development, teaches postpartum coping skills and creates social supports to educate and empower mothers in our communities to increase quality of life for mother and child.
Expectant moms, new moms and their babies meet to:
Build friendships
Access information on parenting
Learn nutrition information and how to cook healthy, affordable meals
Make connections to resources in the community
At this group mothers get access to:
Dietitian
Public Health Nurse
Community Support Worker
Free child care during the sessions
To register for the Pregnancy and Beyond Program, please call Airdrie Public Health at 403-912-8400 ext 4
AHS/RCMP Mental Health Liaison Team
Early intervention is essential for the care of mental health concerns. This is why the Airdrie Health Foundation committed to fundraising $60,000 to facilitate the AHS/RCMP Airdrie Mental Health Liaison Team.
“This kind of program is extremely important for the health of the community,” Connie Korpan
Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the RCMP recognize the importance and effectiveness of working jointly to assist and serve persons experiencing mental health crises in Airdrie. This partnership proactively provided an integrated response to individuals and their families facing a mental health crisis with the goal to divert them away from the criminal justice system and into mental health treatment or community services that address the underlying cause of their presenting behavior(s).
Proven Success Grande Prairie launched their crisis response unit in 2015 and studies show that for every dollar put into the program $2.40 is returned. The liaison teams de-escalate about 60 per cent of the situations they respond to which prevents these patients from being taken to hospital or the cells at the RCMP detachment.
“This kind of program is extremely important for the health of the community,” said Connie Korpan, principal investigator for the research study “They’re not just helping the individual involved, they’re also helping the community at large through not (unnecessarily) tapping into resources, making it a safer community, making it a more healthy community.”
Patients received:
Supportive counselling
Assertive outreach
Case management
Collaboration with partner agencies and supports
System navigation
Referrals to appropriate supports and follow-up
Chill Zone
Youth Group for Stress and Worries
Outreach Program
The Outreach program helps clients with mental health concerns enhance their skills and ability to function out in the community.
Other Impacts
CLINICS SUPPORTED
The Airdrie Health Foundation supports multiple clinics in Airdrie and supports services to them through fundraising initiatives. This help gives the patients the best care possible and increase positive health outcomes.
The Airdrie Health Foundation has raises funds through donations and events to purchase integral equipment that would otherwise NOT BE FUNDED, to help increase positive health outcomes.
The Pregnancy and Beyond Program runs fully on donations – it simply would not exist without donations to the Airdrie Health Foundation. This program is integral to supporting new mothers who need help through the challenging times of pregnancy and the early years.
“The first time I went to a meetup and staff showed us so much compassion that it felt like I was home back East again, like I was surrounded by family.”
