$200,000 grant from TELUS Friendly Future Foundation to help support Indigenous education and health
Toronto (July 28, 2021) – The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has donated $200,000 to Women’s College Hospital Foundation to support the development of The Centre for Wise Practices’ Virtual Hub at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. The first of its kind, the virtual hub hosts trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive health information and tools for Indigenous communities from trusted Indigenous sources.
“We are so grateful to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation for this gift,” said Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO of Women’s College Hospital Foundation. “This support will accelerate the urgently needed development and delivery of trauma-informed, culturally safe practices, spaces, activities and knowledge within Women’s College Hospital and allow our hospital to share what we learn provincially and nationally.”
The pandemic has disproportionately impacted Indigenous communities, exacerbating existing barriers to healthcare. Leveraging technology, the virtual hub will help remove these barriers, improving access to vital resources to support the health and well−being of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities through the harmonization of Indigenous, traditional and western healthcare practices that respect the unique needs and strengths of all Indigenous peoples.
“Women’s College Hospital is committed to equity and removing barriers for diverse groups, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis community members,” said Heather McPherson, President & CEO of Women’s College Hospital. “We are grateful for this support, which will help the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health’s critical work in providing culturally-safe care where Indigenous worldviews are recognized and valued, as well as forging the trust and building the relationships crucial to reconciliatory transformation within our health system.”
“As we reflect on the past year of the pandemic and on our reconciliation with Indigenous communities, we are proud to support our community partners like the Centre for Wise Practices at Women’s College Hospital, which responds directly to the needs of Indigenous communities, directing funding where it is needed most,” said Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. “This investment will help to ensure the Centre for Wise Practices’ Virtual Hub is a beacon for Indigenous healthcare staff, learners, and patients, with leading educational initiatives that share and amplify Indigenous worldviews and approaches. The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation commends the Centre for Wise Practices for its impressive work and for providing support to Indigenous communities across the province.”
The Centre for Wise Practices’ Virtual Hub will directly support healthcare practitioners, hospital staff, learners, students, patients, partners, and as many as 10,000 community members through direct partnerships and at least 50,000 indirectly (including the children and family members of participants).
To learn more about the Women’s College Hospital Foundation, visit womenscollegehospitalfoundation.com, and for more information on the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation visit friendlyfuture.com.
About Women’s College Hospital and Women’s College Hospital Foundation
Women’s College Hospital is Canada’s leader in advancing health for women and a global leader in conducting groundbreaking women’s health research. As the first and only fully independent hospital focused on women, Women’s is building on its 100+ year history as a trailblazer in identifying and addressing women’s health gaps and delivering pioneering firsts for women, the vulnerable and the underserved.
Women’s is also the only fully ambulatory, academic healthcare institution in Canada, with a provincial mandate to lead the way in improving the health system for all people. Women’s achieves this by addressing the most pressing health system challenges facing Canadians today and proactively confronting the gender and social inequities that threaten people’s health.
Women’s College Hospital Foundation fuels the hospital’s excellence in research and health care by connecting donors, partners, advocates and volunteers to its mission. It works to bring healthcare equity to the diverse communities in which we all live and serve and, together, create a healthier and more equitable world for women and their loved ones.
About TELUS Friendly Future Foundation
Founded in 2018, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation funds programs, services and technology for registered Canadian charities helping communities, particularly youth, who need it most. The foundation supports over 500 charitable grants annually in Canada and helps over 2 million at-risk Canadian youth every year.
Last year, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation announced a $10 million commitment to urgently support and enhance public healthcare capacity and community response across Canada including funding to help purchase new medical technology and equipment, such as ventilators, as well as increased support for food security, outreach to isolated seniors, virtual education programs, and mental health initiatives. The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation’s current priorities include supporting charities that offer health, education and technology programs that help at-risk youth thrive.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Saara Rahikka
TELUS Public Relations
saara.rahikka@telus.com
(647) 465-4596
Jen Brailsford
Manager, Corporate Communications, Women’s College Hospital
jennifer.brailsford@wchospital.ca
(416) 710-7365
