Housing and Community Development Minister Awards Nine BUILDINGFoundation Bursaries: Back Row (left to right) Tania Lerat, Ali Almaleki, Honourable Kerri Irvin-Ross, Holly Aho, Wenjun Zhu. Front row (left to right): Walter Tewelde, Emily Lou Friesen, Amy Crate, Patricia Pohl, Jacob Ajiith.

 

BUILDINGFOUNDATIONS BURSARIES GIVEN TO NINE MANITOBA STUDENTS

Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross today announced the nine recipients of 2010 BUILDINGFoundations bursaries.

 

“I’m very honoured to recognize the commitment of these nine students to their communities.  These bursaries honour their current accomplishments and anticipate their future successes,” said Irvin‑Ross.  “An investment in education provides outstanding returns both to individuals and to society.”

 

Manitoba Housing has partnered with the Winnipeg Foundation to offer these bursaries.

 

“The Winnipeg Foundation is Canada’s first community foundation.  Established in 1921, its mission is to be a catalyst for strengthening community well-being, now and for future generations, by promoting philanthropy, creating partnerships and supporting diverse charitable organizations,” said Rick Frost, chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Foundation. 

 

Irvin-Ross noted the BUILDINGFoundations bursary program is part of HOMEWorks!, government’s larger long‑term strategy and investment plan to renew Manitoba Housing and support tenants and their families.

 

The bursary is open to post-secondary students who are attending college or university, who are Manitoba Housing tenants or who live in subsidized housing associated with Manitoba Housing.

 

The 2010 BUILDINGFoundations bursary recipients are:

·         Wenjun Zhu,

·         Holly Aho,

·         Jacob Ajiith,

·         Ali Reza Almaleki,

·         Amy Crate,

·         Emily Lou Friesen,

·         Tania Lerat,

·         Patricia Pohl, and

·         Walter Tewelde

 

Nine $1,000 BUILDINGFoundations bursaries are awarded each year.  Applications are reviewed and evaluated based on a combination of academic excellence and volunteer work in the community. The bursary program began in 2007 and has provided 27 recipients with bursaries of $1,000 each. 

 

HOMEWorks! the province’s long-term housing strategy, supports a vision to create stronger communities through housing solutions.  More information about the province’s BUILDINGFoundations Bursary Program and long-term housing strategy is available at www.manitoba.ca/housing.

October 30, 2008

NEW HEALTH-CARE TEAMS TO PROMOTE WELLNESS, CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION ACROSS MANITOBA: IRVIN-ROSS

More than $2.8 million in new funding will be invested to create teams of healthy living professionals to address chronic disease prevention and promote healthy living services across the province, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced today.

“Chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and asthma are leading causes of illness, disability and poor quality of life,” said Irvin-Ross. “This team-based approach will allow highly skilled wellness specialists to help Manitobans guard against disease and increase awareness of healthy living initiatives that can reduce the risk of chronic illness.”

Funding has been provided to each of Manitoba’s regional health authorities to create community teams across the province. In total, approximately 44 new health professionals will be hired across Manitoba to strengthen disease-prevention services and boost healthy living awareness.

The new teams will deliver a range of services including:
· enhancing regional and community capacity for healthy living initiatives including physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation and mental health;
· expanding regional diabetes assessment and treatment programs across the province including First Nation and Métis communities;
· working with high-risk groups to promote chronic disease prevention and wellness;
· supporting prevention and health promotion initiatives such as Manitoba in motion, Healthy Schools, Get Better Together! and the Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative.

“Teams of health-care providers will work with patients to provide a wide range of information about disease prevention and management,” said Kathy McPhail, chief executive officer of the Central Regional Health Authority. “I know this team will work together to help individuals and communities in our region better understand how they can make healthier choices in their lives and better maintain their health.”

The minister also noted the province is providing $300,000 over two years to the Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital to co-ordinate and support the delivery of the Get Better Together! program across the province.

“Research has shown that programs like Get Better Together! give people with a chronic disease needed information and supports so they can maintain their health and manage their condition,” said Irvin-Ross. “These kinds of programs result not only in better health outcomes but also improved quality of life for people with chronic conditions.”

“People with multiple chronic conditions face real barriers to making healthy lifestyle choices. If you are in pain or chronically fatigued, it’s that much more difficult to be physically active,” said Carrie Solmundson, chief operating officer of Seven Oaks General Hospital. “The good news for health care is that the positive steps participants of the Get Better Together! program make to take charge of their health have been shown to prevent hospitalization. That’s good for the participants and good for efficient use of health-care resources.”