Community development is a key approach to health promotion, working in partnership across sectors and alongside coalitions, networks, and communities to identify and address local issues in the diverse areas of Kanata, West Carleton and Goulbourn.

Community Developers collaborate with staff, residents, businesses, organizations and at all levels of government to develop and advocate for services, policies and projects that take action on the social determinants of health, for example, food security, access to transportation, early childhood development, housing, feeling safe, and being engaged.

Community Developers weave together the work at the grassroots, in neighbourhoods and communities, and at organizational level in policy, planning and service delivery to ultimately increase equitable access to quality health and social services when they are needed. Community Developers act as catalysts, fostering community engagement, social capital, local leadership, and overall capacity-building.

Increased community vitality and democratic engagement is a key outcome of the cross-sectoral work of Community Developers. Aligning community needs with opportunities across levels of government, such as Ontario’s emphasis on strengthening home and community care for our aging population and Ottawa’s plans for older adults are examples of Community Development initiatives.

Other local examples include:

West Carleton Seniors – Community Support Services – engagement project
Community gardens in Kanata-North, Kanata-South, Stittsville, Richmond
West Carleton Good Food Community Market
West Carleton Rural Health Living Root Cellar project
Richmond Residents for Community Space
Kanata-North Sustain-Your-Community initiative
Co-operative housing, Ottawa Community Housing, and other non-profit and private low-income housing outreach and health promotion
Chinese and multicultural community outreach and health promotion
Making Voices Count Where We Live – deepening democracy initiative
Advocacy alongside and on behalf of the communities we serve, addressing barriers of exclusion
Organizational strategic planning and health equity
Organization-wide safe, affordable housing approach
Organization-wide response to Syrian refugees and other emerging issues
Youth- and Children-focused community development
School-based bullying prevention and Internet safety

Community Developers are specialists in collaboration, engagement, and capacity-building. They work with a variety of population groups and sectors across diverse geographies, languages, and cultures to foster increased community health and well-being in the areas of Kanata, West Carleton and Goulbourn.

Please email lorusso@wocrc.ca for further details.