There’s a crisis in women’s health: only 7% of national funding is allocated to women’s health research yet 70% of patients with “medically unexplained symptoms” are women. The disparity in research funding and increased burden of disease for women is leading to a lack of access to high quality care – and putting women’s lives at risk. Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health has invested $1.75 million through its Community Grants Program to help improve the state of women’s healthcare across Canada.
The work of the 27 organizations receiving grants valued up to a maximum of $100,000 this year spans the women’s health landscape addressing areas including improving access to health supports for women experiencing homelessness, gender-based violence, and those in remote or rural communities, as well as initiatives focused on maternal health, menstrual equity, and mental health, it said.
“The funding delivered across Canada through our Community Grants program supports vital local charitable programs, awareness initiatives and improved access to care for women,” said Paulette Minard, Director of Community Investment at Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health. “Working together with these grant recipients, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health is committed to making care more equitable and accessible so that all women in Canada can lead healthier lives.”
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.
Since 2022, the Foundation has supported 99 community-led organizations including The BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) through its Community Grants Program. BCSTH supports an extensive network of member organizations that represent anti-violence workers throughout British Columbia who provide services in women’s transitional housing, safe homes and PEACE counselling programs for children and youth. With a donation of $100,000 from Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health, BCSTH was able to address menstrual education and equity as well as increase support through its BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project, said the Foundation.
“We are proud to partner with Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health to address critical gaps in women’s healthcare,” said Amy S. FitzGerald, Executive Director at the BC Society of Transition Houses. “Violence impacts not only women’s safety and health, but also creates significant financial barriers to equality and well-being. With this grant, we were able to provide menstrual products to nearly 5,000 women, many in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. This initiative has helped ease some of the burdens faced by women and girls living with violence, and we are deeply appreciative of the continued support from Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.”
The full list of recipients of this year’s Community Grants program include:
Access to Care
- Christie Refugee Welcome Centre Inc. – Toronto, ON – (Refugee Women’s Wellness Program) – $14,800
- Malvern Family Resource Centre – Scarborough, ON – (SHE (Support for Health & Equity) Thrives: Expanding Women’s Wellness in Malvern) – $19,900
- Parkdale Food Centre – Ottawa, ON – (Bridge and Bloom: Supporting Primary Care Access for Women in Ottawa) – $40,000
- Alberta Northwest Palliative Care Society – Grande Prairie, AB – (Strengthening the Volunteer Program for Women: Compassion is Contagious) – $50,000
- St. John’s Women’s Centre – St. John’s, NL – (Access to Wellness Equity Project -AWEP) – $75,000
- GlobalMedic – Toronto, ON – (Mobile Access to Care Program) – $75,000
- Ann Davis Transition Society – Chilliwack, BC – (ADTS Mobile Outreach & Connections Project) – $98,746
- Sistering-A Woman’s Place – Toronto, ON – (Breaking Barriers: Equitable Healthcare for Women and Gender-Diverse People) – $99,475
- Street Health Community Nursing Foundation – Toronto, ON – (Pathway to Health & Wellness Women’s Drop-In) – $100,000
- Vancouver Women’s Health Collective Society – Vancouver, BC – (Vancouver Women’s Health Collective: Expanding Capacity, and Inclusive Care in the DTES) – $100,000
- S.O.S. Grossesse – Quebec City, QC – (Centre de Santé des Femmes de la Capitale-Nationale) – $100,000
- Le Reflet (formerly Vide ta sacoche) – Quebec City, QC – (Mieux-être, estime et dignité pour les femmes en situation de vulnérabilité) – $100,000
Gender-Based Violence
- True North Society – Strathmore, AB – (Advancing Women’s Equality) – $20,000
- Stepping Stones Crisis Society – Cold Lake, AB – (Circle of Care: Nutrition, Connection, and Wellness for Women) – $33,500
- North Shore Crisis Services Society – North Vancouver, BC – (The Welcome Program) – $35,000
- Campbell River and North Island Transition Society – Campbell River, BC – (Women’s Empowerment Through Better Health Program) – $58,874
Maternal Health
- First Steps Housing Project – Saint John, NB – (First Steps Residency Program) – $61,790
- Shifra Homes Inc. – Burlington, ON – (Health Supports for Homeless Pregnant Women at Shifra Homes) – $75,000
- Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation – Sydney, NS – (Family Newborn TLC Fund) – $80,000
- The Black Women’s Institute for Health – Toronto, ON – (Mothering Minds: Motherhood & Mental Health Support) – $100,000
- London Health Sciences Foundation – London, ON – (Shoppers Foundation Women’s Care Cupboard) – $100,000
- Strongest Families Institute / L’institut des Familles Solides – Bedford, NS – (Strongest Beginnings: Equitable Perinatal Mental Health Support Without Barriers) – $100,000
Menstrual Equity
- Partageons l’espoir (Québec) – Montreal, QC – (FREE feminine hygiene products for all women at our food bank Initiative) – $13,380
- United Way of Central Alberta Society – Red Deer, AB – (Period Promise in Central Alberta) – $20,000
- Projets autochtones du Québec – Montreal, QC – (Atakaritétshera – Pour la santé et la sécurité des femmes autochtones) – $20,520
- L’institut de l’innovation / Innovation Institute – Montreal, QC – (The Refugee Centre Hygiene Basket Initiative) – $60,000
- BC Society of Transition Houses – Vancouver, BC – (BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project) – $100,000
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