An Open Letter to various Not - For - Profit Organizations and Health Care Providers in Halifax Nova Scotia

By Kendall Worth!

 

Copy to /MLA Candidates

                Other Individual Advocates and Advocacy groups this may concern;

Dear Organization/Agencies/Advocacy Groups, and Interested Individuals;

 

My name is Kendall Worth and I am writing this letter because as many of you as my BLOG readership already know, I have on the dates of September 26^th and September 27^th 2024 attended the Social PrescribingConference in Toronto  and learned a lot about how these type of organizations work. 

I am writing my letter today because I have strong belief that with proper collaboration, community interest, corporation from other organizations, and appropriate planning, this type can up and running right here in Halifax Nova Scotia wish is where I live. As you will see closer to the end of this open letter I believe their are many different Not for Profits Organizations, Agencies, MLA's, Ect  can make as to why according to them this Social Prescription/Social Prescribing organization is needed right here in Halifax.

The Main#1 Principal reason behind all reasons why is because we have a large population here in Halifax of people living in poverty and some, if not of not many within this large population of people living in poverty suffer from social anxiety. I have learned what these organizations have to offer in different jurisdictions that already have a social prescription and social prescribing organizations. I am writing this letter today because if you fallow my BLOG regularly you will see I am advocating to get a Social Prescription/Social Prescribing Organization up and running here in Halifax. See https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20prescribing and https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20prescription

For period of time here in Halifax, we had a project called All TogetherLink  and even-know this was not exactly a Social Prescribing or Social Prescription Organization, the work of this Project was very similar because it brought a community of people who live Day – To – Day life with the same challenges that come with living in poverty and who have mental health issues together. 

 If you look at my BLOG post dated  March 18th 2024 I reported on then the fact that All Together Link started this new project Every Wednesday Morning from 9:30am till 11:30am we are offering a Coffee, food and conversation, at the Halifax North Memorial Library on Gottengin St. And After we did not experience the same results from other events that All Together Link hosted, this weekly event brought a community of People who have these things in common together. So we Kept this project going right until June 9th 2024 when all together link came to an end. Therefore we saw evidents through the results of this project that this type of Bigger Organization could work in Halifax.

I invite you to click on all of the above links to see more about the Projects/Organizations I am advocating for, and see the past work of All Together Link. Their is a lot in all BLOG posts linked above that explains volumes as to why this is needed in Halifax. The next thing we need is evendients that we can get community support for this project.

However, from what I learned while attending the Conference in Toronto a Social Prescription is when a doctor writes you a note saying you need to have Socialization in your life. A doctor writing a note is one thing. The next step is however an Organization to take that doctors to needs to becomes available. This BLOG post here points out the need to this in Halifax and explained a business case behind why. One thing I do not want to the Halifax Organization opened up limited to those who have Doctors notes to access. I want to see the Halifax Organization open to everyone in need. 

However I feel that the Halifax model of a Social Prescription/Social Prescribing Organization, it should be open to everyone, not just those who can get Doctors Notes. Why? 

Well I recommend looking at the fallowing Questions and you will know why.

Note: The below statements also provides examples of what types of arguments different organizations in Halifax can provide about why this is needed in Halifax.   

•  Is it fair that here in Halifax we have a large number of People who are depending on food banks and Soup Kitchen not only for the free food they offer, but also for affordable simply getting out and Socializing with people?

• If you look at this article here I written in the now Folded Nova Scotia Advocate, you will see a list of activities of Simply Getting out and Socializing with people cannot afford. My BLOG post of September 20, 2023 says lots that elaborates on the points. Do you agree that people living on what the income assistance rates in Nova Scotia have been for years, and with only small increases here and their are a major cause of anxiety in Halifax?

• One case of why I believe places like Employment Agencies and Labour Unions can make for why this organization is needed is because many persons with disabilities who are unemployed and cannot work because of their disabilities are missing the social aspect of going to work every day. Also in cases where some Income Assistance Recipients are going to work making the first $250.00 or if they are approved for supported employment then being allowed the keep the First $350.00 a month. They end up having jobs where they is no socializing at their work because they work alone by-themselves. The question here is do you agree that people should be living lives where social isolation is encouraged? Here is An article which elaborates on this argument. 
  

• And I believe that mental health and disability organizations can make their case by talking about the how social isolation can have impact on mental health. What is you overall opinion in the mental health importance of people having Social Connections? For one example of what Mental Health professionals needs to bring into their arguments about why according to them this organization is needed is talked about in this article here  where I report on how many income assistance recipients here in Halifax had experienced friendships end when they first got themselves on Income Assistance.  Then here is an article that elaborates on how it feels to have friendships end when you are an income assistance recipient. 
  

• Also while writing this letter think about answering this question “Should people (meaning all human beings feel like they should be within their right to be able to afford things like paying Registration fees for places like Fitness Centres and Health Clubs, (By the way if you see here Here I once wrote about the benefits of being able to afford Health and Fitness Centres in the Now Folded Nova Scotia Advocate).  Anyway  being part of Social Groups afford to eat out at Restaurants, Go see a movie at Cineplex and engage into other social activity here in Halifax that Cost Money?

• All of the above statements illustrates some arguments as well as raises examples of arguments that can be made toward why this organization is needed in Halifax.
  

In the meantime got gathering evidence I would moving forward be interested in wanting to Interviewing different Organizations and Community Individuals for my BLOG. I am now interested in wanting to explore next steps to getting this type of organization up and running here in Halifax. 

Yours Truly;

Kendall Worth!