Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. | Thurs. Sept. 25
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Foundation is selling limited-edition t-shirts — featuring designs by local Indigenous artist Luke Swinson — as a new way for donors and community members to support Indigenous care at the Hospital.
The Foundation, in partnership with WRHN’s Indigenous Health and Reconciliation Team (IHRT) and Indigenous Employee Circle (IEC), will sell a limited number of orange-coloured t-shirts at all three WRHN locations – Midtown (formerly Grand River - KW Campus), Queen’s Blvd. (formerly St. Mary’s), and Chicopee (formerly Grand River - Freeport) on National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30. Navy blue shirts with the same design can be purchased online beginning Oct. 1.
All proceeds from the shirts will support the Foundation’s Indigenous Careship Fund.
The Indigenous Careship Fund supports Indigenous patients across all WRHN sites, alleviating some of the financial burden that can come with accessing healthcare. It provides financial support directly to patients when needed, to help cover expenses related to their care, including transportation, clothing, food and other resources.
“Many people don’t know about the Indigenous Careship Fund, so the goal with selling these shirts is not only to raise money for the fund itself, but also to increase awareness that it exists and that it needs community support,” says Melanie Turner, Indigenous Cancer Navigator at WRHN. “The shirts also show WRHN as a culturally safe space. We want our staff and our community members to proudly wear these shirts and increase visibility of Indigenous culture — all while funding a program that helps our Indigenous neighbours directly.”
Buying a shirt is one way community members can support Indigenous health at WRHN. While the shirts are on sale for a limited time, donors can choose to direct donations to the Indigenous Careship Fund at any time of the year.
Sales from the shirts — and other donations directed toward the Careship — allow WRHN’s Indigenous Care Team to ensure Indigenous patients have access to essential items and services that contribute to their spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being while receiving care at WRHN and upon discharge. That could mean sending them home with a clean set of clothing, giving them grocery store gift cards, or paying for out-of-town family to stay close by to better support patients in care.
“We know that many Indigenous patients are fearful of coming to a hospital and with this Careship Fund, we want to show that we are actively trying to shift their experience, and we’re investing in this work,” says Christine Peters, Manager of Indigenous Health and Reconciliation at WRHN. “The goal of the Careship is to address equity gaps and allow Indigenous patients to have healthcare experiences that are equitable, culturally safe, and of the same quality and dignity that all patients deserve.”
About the shirts
The t-shirts feature five of Swinson’s designs stacked vertically. The same artwork can be seen in its original size in the patient registration area at WRHN @ Midtown. Designed by Swinson for the Hospital last October, the original pieces are meant to serve as a welcoming for all patients.
Swinson, an illustrator and muralist based in Kitchener, focuses his art on cultural education and preservation. His work is rooted in his Indigenous heritage as a member of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
About WRHN’s Indigenous Health Team
WRHN’s Indigenous Health Team represents the Hospital’s commitment to improving Indigenous health, focusing on community-identified priorities. WRHN aims to provide a culturally safe space for First Nations, Inuit, Metis and urban Indigenous people to receive care. One example is respecting and enabling Indigenous healing practices at the Hospital, including smudging ceremonies, cedar baths, access to Elders and knowledge keepers, and other ceremonial practices, when requested by Indigenous patients.
The Hospital has two Indigenous Patient Navigators – regional roles that have helped roughly 100 Indigenous patients across Waterloo and Wellington area hospitals. The navigators support patients during their care – with many patients needing repeat Hospital visits – and follow up as necessary after discharge.
“It’s really important for us to look at each patient, not just from a Western lens but from our traditional lens as well, and know when to step in to bridge both sides,” Turner says. “A cancer patient, for example, may need chemo or radiation, but they also may need time with an Elder. All of that plays a huge role in the outcome of an individual — and that’s why it’s so important to have this Indigenous Careship Fund to help us bridge those gaps when needed.”
Images available for download. Please credit: Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation
WRHN Foundation media contact:
Melissa Couto
Communications Specialist
About Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Foundation raises funds to support life-saving care at Waterloo Regional Health Network. WRHN Foundation works in partnership with our community to help elevate the healthcare experience of WRHN patients and staff.
Thanks to generous support from donors, we raise funds for vital equipment, programs and resources at WRHN that are not covered by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Learn more at WRHNF.ca
About Waterloo Regional Health Network
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN, pronounced wren) represents the merger of two Hospitals into a single, integrated healthcare organization. Built on over 90 years of partnership, WRHN is home to seven regional programs and comprehensive healthcare services to meet the current and emerging needs in Waterloo-Wellington and beyond. WRHN is redefining the healthcare experience through collaboration and innovation, addressing barriers to access, advancing care delivery, and setting new standards in compassionate, empowered, community-driven healthcare. At WRHN, every patient is at the centre of everything we do as we strive to improve lives, inspire healing, and build healthier, stronger communities.
Learn more at wrhn.ca
