By Yvonne Yorke - October 2021 - - Every year, Halloween is celebrated as a fun-filled finale to October that delights children and adults alike. Because of the pandemic, Toronto Public Health was not able to support the traditional door-to-door trick or treating in 2020 and as of our print date for [...]
By Shirley Roberts - October 2021 - The World Health Organization recognizes October 10th as World Mental Health Day. In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) established World Mental Health Day in an effort to promote education and advocate for people experiencing mental health issues. This year’s theme, set by the [...]
By Nina Badwal - September 2021 - - Suicide intervention is one of the emerging priorities in St. James Town according to the St. James Town Service Providers’ Network (SJTSPN). The SJTSPN is a group of agencies that promotes equitable social and economic development initiatives and provides informal economic opportunities and population specific [...]
- By Yvonne Yorke - - This mural is approximately 10-years-old. Have you ever wondered what Article 26 is about? If so, here is the answer: Article 26 is from the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights: Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary [...]
By Nina Badwal - July 2021 - Residents waiting in line at a pop-up clinic in St. James Town to get their COVID-19 vaccination shot. More than 150 people came out on a sunny Saturday in St. James Town to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. A pop-up clinic offering the [...]
- By Nea Maaty - Since the onset of the pandemic, affording food has become more difficult, particularly for people living in low income communities. Food insecurity is still one of the major issues in St. James Town especially after the economic drop that has affected many people due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Although [...]
- By Aarti Sharma - Can you bend, fold, and stretch like a 5-year-old? Well, if that idea appeals to you then roll out a yoga mat to roll in flexibility, fitness, relaxation and much more. With the 7th anniversary of International Yoga Day on June 21st, let us take a peep into [...]
Jane Lee, a certified yoga teacher, shares her personal experience with practicing yoga and meditation for 18+ years. Can you tell us about yourself and what inspired you to teach mindfulness meditation? A couple of years ago, I was blindsided by an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis while pursuing fertility treatments trying to have a [...]
By Shirley Roberts National Nursing Week annual celebrations take place May 10-16, 2021, the same week as Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12. Nightingale (1820-1910) was a social reformer and widely credited with being the founder of modern nursing. The theme this year #WeAnswerTheCall was developed by The Canadian Nursing Association to showcase the many [...]
By Shirley Roberts The St. James Town (SJT) neighbourhood has been hit hard by COVID-19. Our densely populated community has been dealing with high numbers of the virus and the associated consequences of illness, anxiety, and grief. A recent uptick in the number of cases associated with new variants of the virus has [...]
Nalini Pandalangat, Director of Newcomer Health & Specialty Services, Sherbourne Health, is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, and has extensive experience leading projects and programs in the community health, hospital and international development sectors. Her PhD was on cultural influences on help-seeking, treatment and support for mental health problems in the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Her research and program interests are focused on immigrant mental health, gender and health, cultural competence, health care access and health equity. Currently she is part of a core team working on the development and dissemination of a refugee mental health framework.
