Public Health Champions
Get to know our past Public Health Champions...
About:
A Public Health Champion is more than just a title; it's a tribute to those who tirelessly work to safeguard and elevate community health while championing equity for all in Algoma. Whether they're leading, collaborating, innovating, or creating new opportunities for a better community, they are champions for putting public health in action.
2022
(L-R) 2022 Public Health Champions: Deron Barlow, Harvest Algoma & Connie Raynor-Elliot, SOYA
Connie Raynor-Elliott (SOYA)
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A little over 13 years ago, Connie Raynor-Elliott founded Save Our Young Adults (SOYA), a non-profit, grassroots organization that provides real-time support services and direction to people and their families living with addiction in Algoma.
For years, Raynor-Elliott has been on a crusade both online and in real life to rescue young people from the throes of addiction and get them to treatment.
SOYA consists of a group of volunteers — including mothers of children who have overdosed — help to feed, clothe, drive people to doctor’s appointments, get into rehab, and find housing. SOYA becomes an adoptive family to those in desperate need. They collaborate with many social services, forms of government, treatment centers, anyone willing to help in the battle against addiction.
Connie and SOYA are strong advocates for increasing the presence of local services with an emphasis on stigma reduction.
Harvest Algoma (United Way)
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Harvest Algoma is a hub for food rescue, preparation and production. Established in 2018, it is a center that not only gathers food donations and distributes them across our community to over 70 partner agencies, it also offers a Community Commercial kitchen for food preparation, large freezers and refrigerators for food storage allowing fresh foods to be processed and saved as a healthy food source for the needy in our community.
Harvest Algoma works closely with local soup kitchens and food banks, distributing food to these vital community organizations as required. Harvest Algoma provides food to several organizations which require food for their clients. The Food Resource Centre promotes public health goals with activities that address food insecurity and access.
Access to healthy food improves the health of people in our community, protects our environment, and makes us better prepared for the future.
2021
PUC Services Inc.
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When the Algoma Vaccination Support Council was created, PUC Services Inc. was involved from the very beginning. A PUC employee was the transportation committee's chair, and the company offered financial support to the council.
When the clinics at GFL first started, PUC was the first business in the community to step up and buy lunches for every volunteer at the GFL Memorial Gardens. PUC paid for the first two weekends of meals.
Shortly after the clinics started in April, management at PUC learned there was a transportation issue. Many citizens who wanted to get vaccinated had no way of getting to their appointments. PUC organized and paid for taxi rides for anyone who needed one to get to and from their vaccination appointment. (In total, PUC has paid for more than 130 rides.)
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Lisa Vezeau-Allen (Grocer 4 Good)
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We honour Lisa in her work with Grocers 4 Good (G4G).
G4G is a community-centered charity that was started in order to address two key gaps: one being the lack of paid employment opportunities for those with disabilities and barriers, and the second being the lack of food access in the downtown area for those on a fixed income. Using the model of a grocer store, G4G is a program that gives job skill training, paid employment or volunteer work to those who face barriers, or who are chronically underemployed.
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Beau Neveau (Non Dway Gamig Healing Centre)
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Beau has worked tirelessly to assist Batchewana First Nation Health Centre staff and the community in providing assistance in all things related to COVID-19.
From booking and confirming who is eligible, to registration and setting up vaccine clinics, Beau was there. Once 2nd doses, boosters and pediatric clinics became available he had no problem assisting with this change, thus providing a smooth and effective transition. Batchewana First Nation has three communities and two of them require careful planning with thoughts around barriers like transportation, weather (winter) and other really important details that need to be kept in mind for a smooth operation.
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2020
Mental Health & Wellness
Our Mental Health & Wellness Champion was a person or organization that helped combat isolation and stigma by prioritizing the wellbeing of those at risk.
Algoma University (Student Success & Advancement Team)
Health Protection
Our Health Protection Champion was someone who helped community members stay safe and healthy during this pandemic. They worked to protect the vulnerable members of society.
Leila Macumber (Kenabutch Health Centre)
Re-Open Safely
Our Re-Open Safely Champion was someone who demonstrated extraordinary efforts (beyond provincial requirements) to ensure that Algoma workplaces were safe for re-opening
Sault Ste. Marie YMCA
Town of Blind River
Amplifier
Our Amplifier Champion was someone who shared credible information in order to increase awareness, motivate people to follow public health recommendations, and combat misinformation.
Dr. Cathy Groh (Elliot Lake Family Health Team)
Wawa Family Health Team
City of Sault Ste. Marie
2019
Elizabeth MacMillan
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(L-R): Lee Mason, Board of Health Chair, Elizabeth MacMillan, Public Health Champion, Dr. Marlene Spruyt, Medical Officer of Health
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She accepted her award at Algoma Public Health’s Board of Health meeting on Nov. 27.
Elizabeth is doing so much in the community to promote gardening as a way for citizens of Sault Ste. Marie to have access to sustainable healthy food options. “Elizabeth developed Algoma Educational Gardening (AEG) that works with local schools and daycares to teach children about how to grow vegetables and why it is important. This year, Algoma Educational Gardening worked with HM Robbins, Kiwedin, Tarentorus, St. Mary’s French Immersion and local daycares, including Waabinong Head Start.”
Through networking, sharing knowledge and teaching skills, AEG can steer our community towards healthy habits and a more sustainable way of living. Elizabeth is also registering a new non-profit called SKILLS that is aimed at developing urban agriculture in the Sault – getting greenhouses built in unused spaces, especially downtown. Every resident should have access to healthy foods regardless of their income and teaching the skills needed to cultivate and maintain those greenhouses.
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2018
Andre Riopel
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(L-R): Ian Frazier, Board Chair, André Riopel, Public Health Champion, Dr. Marlene Spruyt, Medical Officer of Health, Algoma Public Health
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The 2018 Public Health Champion was awarded to André Riopel.
“When you hear Andre’s name in the community, it is often attached to cycling. He has passionately advocated for safe and active transportation,” said Ian Frazier, chair for the board of health. “He regularly promotes creating low or no cost opportunities for people to be active no matter where they live or work.”
He is also well aware of chronic disease and poor health outcomes when people are not physically active. He is all about creating a community supporting opportunity for people to stay active and be safe.
André is one of the original members of the Sault Trails Advocacy Committee (STAC) that advocated for and worked with numerous partners to get the John Rowswell Hub Trail built. He was also instrumental in the Pump Track at Esposito Park.
Other advocacy work includes working on the Sault Ste. Marie cycling master plan, signage along the Lake Huron North Channel cycle route and creating a plan for Mountain Bike Trail development, including numerous hours volunteering in the community.
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