Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health™ Funds WCYR's Wellness Workshops
Women’s Centre of York Region provides women in York Region access to wellness workshops aimed to improve women’s mental health with support from Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™
Newmarket, Ontario, November 1, 2023 – There are serious health inequities facing Canadian women that have gone unnoticed or ignored. In fact, women in Canada are almost twice as likely as men to experience depression and anxiety. Women’s Centre of York Region is helping to change this with free Wellness Workshops funded by the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ Community Grants Program.
Wellness Workshops focused on journaling, mindfulness, art, and socialization, supports women's health equity by providing them with a safe space to express themselves creatively, along with tools and resources to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Furthermore, the workshops provide the opportunity for women to build social connections, network, and access free resources, support, and information from WCYR and community partners that help improve their health and well-being.
“WCYR is thrilled to partner with the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health to provide free wellness workshops for women in our community. Wellness workshops are proven to support individuals experiencing PTSD, depression and anxiety. At WCYR, 54% of the women we serve self-report struggling with mental and emotional health. These wellness workshops will provide women the opportunity to improve their mental health by learning new coping strategies, connecting with others, and accessing local mental health services. Thank you, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™, for making women’s health visible!” said Allison Hermann, Director of Development, Women’s Centre of York Region.
“We’re honoured to support organizations like Women’s Centre of York Region to find new ways to provide better access to care and health services for women,” said Paulette Minard, Director, Community Investment, Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health™. “We are on a mission to make women’s health visible. The Foundation is doing this by investing $50 million by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities women encounter and our Community Grants Program is one example of how we are helping to bridge the gap to make access to equitable and inclusive care for women in Canada possible.”
For more than a decade, Shoppers Drug Mart has supported women’s health charities across Canada. Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ aims to build on this legacy by reducing health inequalities women face. This year, 24 charitable organizations have received grants of up to $100,000 from the Community Grants Program to ensure women can access the care and support they deserve.
While this is not a solution to the complex issue of women’s health inequity, this funding is an important step to support the system changes needed to help women and families across Canada and contributes to the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ ongoing commitment to advance women’s health equity.
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About Women’s Centre of York Region
Since 1977, the Women’s Centre of York Region (WCYR) has offered a safe place where women can get the support to build self-esteem, the tools to develop a plan of action, and the opportunity to build the skills they need to help themselves and their families. WCYR serves women experiencing gender-based violence and intersecting socioeconomic barriers with free, evidence-informed programs that build personal assets and support their journey toward a sustainable livelihood. Through a diverse range of programs, from counselling to life skills, financial literacy to career exploration, we empower women to not only survive but thrive, free from abuse. Our mission is using a strengths-based, trauma-informed feminist approach, we provide opportunities, support and resources to all persons who identify as women on their journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
About Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™
Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart – is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at shoppersfoundation.ca.
About Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart® (Pharmaprix® in Québec). With almost 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart® and Pharmaprix® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 47 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy® (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé® in Québec). As well, the company owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart™ stores and an ecommerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the company owns the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ online platform for the sale of medical cannabis, Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities and Lifemark Health Group, Canada's leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.
For more information please contact:
Women’s Centre of York Region
Phone: 905.853.9270
Email: info@wcyr.ca
Visit us: 16775 Yonge St., #207, Newmarket, ON