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The Community Spoke

From April 2022 – March 2023 we conducted extensive engagement with external and internal stakeholders by attending community events, conducting interviews with stakeholders, and engaging community members on social media.


We are excited to share the results of that engagement. Highlights include:

  • The HCC will enhance and support, not duplicate existing services. With many organizations experiencing funding and staffing challenges, it is crucial that the HCC focuses on providing services that fill existing gaps.
  • Childcare that meets the need of shift workers, as well as short-term, drop-in childcare options (i.e., for people to attend programs and go to appointments) is still a high priority need for the community.
  • In addition to having to adjust to public health measures due to the pandemic, several organizations experienced turnover in key positions, funding cuts, and/or changes to their mandates – all of which made identifying current service gaps challenging.
  • While some organizations have effective community-wide referral services, others struggle to figure out who to call to help clients, and this is a gap the virtual HCC can help fill.
  • The HCC will establish clear governance structures and clarify roles and responsibilities for all participating organizations. Part of this process will be to develop a continuum of support and involvement that includes opportunities for organizations looking for space and those who will support the HCC through referrals and participation in the virtual commons.