TORONTO — Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health announced $600,000 in funding this year for 15 community partners delivering local initiatives that help improve health outcomes for women across the country.
The organizations receiving funding through the Foundation’s Community Grants Program are addressing a range of needs across the women’s health landscape, including gender-based violence, mental health, access to care, maternal health and menstrual equity. The program supports community-led initiatives that increase access to care, provide critical support services, and raise awareness of women’s unique health needs, with a focus on addressing barriers experienced by underserved and under-supported communities.
Since launching in 2022, the Community Grants Program has provided more than $8 million to over 100 organizations across Canada, helping local charitable organizations address barriers to women’s health in the communities they serve.
The impact of those partnerships can already be seen across the country. Earlier this summer, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s HealthTM joined GlobalMedic and Haleon Canada to mark the official launch of GlobalMedic’s Women’s Health Van, an initiative supported through a $75,000 community grant awarded last year. The mobile program brings essential health and menstrual products, educational resources and community supports directly to women who need them.
“The Women’s Health Van is a great example of what can happen when organizations come together to address a real need in the community,” says Rahul Singh, Executive Director, GlobalMedic. “With support from Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health and Haleon, we can meet women where they are with essential products, trusted information and connections to community resources, helping reduce barriers and make important health supports more accessible.”
Through this year’s investment and ongoing partnerships with community organizations, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health continues to support local solutions that help more women across Canada access the care and resources they need to lead healthier lives.
“This year’s Community Grant recipients reflect the incredible work happening in communities across Canada to address a wide range of women’s health priorities,” says Paulette Minard, Director, Community Investment and Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health. “These organizations understand the barriers women in their communities face and are creating local solutions to help overcome them. We’re proud to support their work and invest in initiatives that are helping advance health equity for women across the country.”
This year’s Community Grant recipients include:
Access to Care
- Nine Circles Community Health Centre - Winnipeg, MB – (Care without Barriers; The Pit Stop Program) - $50,000
- Rethink Breast Cancer Canada – Toronto, ON – (Rethink House Pop Up) – $10,000
- Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation – Windsor, ON – (Dignity Robes – for women undergoing radiation treatment for breast and lung cancer) – $10,000
- Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation – Sydney, NS – (Teal to Heal Fund – Support for gynecological cancer patients) - $50,000
- The Burin Peninsula Health Care Foundation – Burin, NL – (Here for Her: Preventative Screening Clinics) - $39,330
- Native Women's Shelter of Montreal/ Foyer Pour Femmes Autochtones De Montreal – Montreal, QC – (Iskweuat Cabot Square) - $50,000
- S.O.S. Grossesse – Québec City, QC – (Centre de Santé des Femmes de la Capitale-Nationale) - $50,000
- Le Reflet Entraide – Québec City, QC – (Mieux-être, estime et dignité pour les femmes en situation de vulnérabilité) – $50,000
Mental Health
- Ruth's House Society – Calgary, AB – (The Sisterhood Project) - $50,000
- Stop Abuse in Families – St. Albert, AB – (Counselling Program for Women who have experienced family violence) - $20,000
- La Traversée – Saint Lambert, QC – (Specialized, Free, and Accessible Mental Health Care for Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence in Montérégie) - $50,000
Maternal Health
- The Black Women's Institute for Health – Toronto, ON – (Mothering Minds: Motherhood & Mental Health Support) - $50,000
- London Health Sciences Foundation – London, ON – (Shoppers Foundation Women’s Care Cupboard) - $50,000
Menstrual Equity
- BC Society of Transition Houses – Vancouver, BC – (BCSTH Period Equity Project) - $50,000
- Monthly Dignity / Dignité mensuelle - Montreal, QC- (Menstrual Equity in Quebec; Education, Access and Advocacy) - $50,000
