Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre

The Indigenous Community Wellness Program focuses on improving the health and well-being of Indigenous individuals, families, and children. It emphasizes health promotion, illness prevention, and family violence prevention through a variety of services. These include client and participant-based support, health workshops, community events, sharing circles, drumming, and access to traditional ceremonies. The program is community-driven, tailored to address the specific needs and concerns identified by the community, and aims to nurture self-sufficiency and strong contributions to personal and collective wellness.

Objective:

To strengthen Mino Bimaadiziwin (the Good Life), supporting urban Indigenous people to be self-sufficient, strong contributors to their own wellness, their families, and their community. This is achieved through health promotion, family violence prevention, and community-driven wellness initiatives.

Program Services:

• Health Promotion & Illness Prevention: Workshops on improving overall health and preventing illness.

• Family Violence Prevention: Addressing the impacts of family violence and promoting community attitudes that work towards ending violence.

• Community Wellness: Organizing community events, sharing circles, drumming, and traditional ceremonies.

• Program Accompaniment & Transportation: Providing support with transportation for appointments or services.

• Circle of Care Development: Facilitating the creation of support circles or integrating clients into pre-existing circles of care.

Participant Services:

• Peer-to-Peer Support: Facilitating connections among individuals for shared experiences and support.

• Appointment Accompaniment: Offering transportation and support for attending medical or wellness appointments.

• Goal Development: Assisting participants in creating and achieving personal goals.

• Safety Plan Development: Supporting individuals in creating safety plans for themselves and their families.

• Self-Development Workshops: Offering workshops on topics like healthy relationships, self-care using medicine wheel teachings, and financial literacy.

• Crisis Navigation & Avoidance: Providing soft referrals and resources for individuals in crisis or at risk.

Outreach Services:

• Family Violence Advocacy: Supporting individuals impacted by family violence through advocacy and connection to resources.

• Screening & Assessment: Assessing eligibility for other programs and connecting participants to additional supports.

• Community Involvement: Participating in community committees, steering committees and events

Program Activities:

(Programs are developed and provided based on the current community needs and requests)

• Cultural Access: Facilitating access to cultural activities such as wellness fires, drum circles, and traditional crafts.

• Cooking & Baking: Offering cooking and baking sessions to promote healthy living.

• Currently offering: Book Club, Tea and Talk, Healthy boundaries & Relationships, Self-Care using Medicine wheel teachings, Wellness Social Fires, Empowerment Circle.

This is an Indigenous Specific Service. This is an Out-of-Home Service

• Abuse / Assault - Child Abuse Services
• Abuse / Assault - Counselling for People Experiencing Abuse
• Abuse / Assault - Crisis Lines for People Experiencing Abuse
• Emergency / Crisis - Crisis lines
• Emergency / Crisis - In-Person Crisis Services
• Indigenous Peoples - Traditional Indigenous Healing and Wellness
• Mental Health / Addictions - In-Person Crisis Services

• Peterborough
• Peterborough (County of)