Who We Are
Meet the IMPACT team.
Our local community members that form the IMPACT team are from: AHS-Addiction/Mental Health, Early Intervention, Public Health, Dietician, Spiritual Services, Wainwright on Wellness, Family Resource Network, Wainwright and District FCSS, Town of Wainwright, Children’s Services, Healthy Families, Primary Care Network, Wainwright Adult Learning, Wainwright Association for Community Living, Catholic Social Services, VIBE, Wainwright Public Library, Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre/Personnel Support Program, Walking Through Grief, Blessed Sacrament School, Blessed Sacrament Outreach School, Rural Mental Health Project, Wainwright Fire Department, Wainwright RCMP/Victim Services, Wainwright Elementary, Wainwright High, Wainwright Chamber of Commerce.
Our Story
The IMPACT coalition goes back to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s (when we were called WASAC – Wainwright and Area Social Action Committee) in response to the harm brought on by crystal methamphetamine in our province. The group applied for funding for health promotion and substance use prevention under the Safe Communities umbrella which was championed by Colleen Klein. WASAC was one of the 75 coalitions across the province that developed and delivered community initiatives and programs to address the growing issues surrounding substance use. We brought expert speakers, funding from the Health Canada Drug Strategy Community Health Initiatives Fund to deliver a regional Development Assets project in partnership with the Vermilion coalition, funded and support to the Walking Through Grief Society, who continue to provide support to our communities, to provide services and support groups for those struggling with grief and loss to the Wainwright area. Also jointly held a youth conference which sparked interest and involvement by youth in the community. WASAC was instrumental in community wellness initiatives.
The group took a break for a few years and returned to the table in the fall of 2017 as the need to come back to the table was evident. We talked about overall wellness including addiction prevention and mental health promotion. The opioid crisis was being with overdose deaths being reported across Canada and as we know an epidemic had begun. As we came back together the legalization of cannabis was in the planning stages and citizens were wondering how this was going to work. Property crime was on the rise in many parts of Alberta and Wainwright was not exception. There were many other concerns shared around that table and it was clear it was time to return. The goal was to involve as many services, agencies and people to start to address these issues in a collaborative way and return to providing positive initiatives to our community. As we continued to meet and focus on overall wellness, which influence addiction prevention and mental health promotion, we decided it was time for an update. IMPACT was born which stands for “Information Mentorship Prevention Action Community Team”. We are here for everyone in the community to help support overall health and wellness. Anyone is welcome to the table and we want to hear from anyone in the community in regards to community needs, priorities, gaps and how we can work together to bring awareness, understanding and wellness to the community. There are power in numbers, and when we get together we can do great things!!
Defining IMPACT
Information
Create awareness of community events, initiatives, organizations, and available supports. Provide evidence based resources and education.
Mentorship
Develop and foster positive relationships with partners and community members to encourage healthy lifestyles.
Prevention
Enable people to increase control over and improve their health through up stream intervention and education with a focus on resiliency.
Action
Plan, develop, and implement initiatives to support the needs of the community.
Community
Supporting Wainwright and area to create a healthy, connected, resilient community.
Team
Work collaboratively with partners towards shared objectives, programs and initiatives.