Recipe Corner...

Hawaiian Ginger-Chicken Stew 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or canola oil 1 pound chicken (breast), cut into 1-inch pieces 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks or mince 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 cup rice or white wine vinegar 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon chili sauce, or to taste 1 bunch mustard greens, or swiss chard or spinach stemmed and chopped (6-7 cups), or 2 cups frozen. Heat oil in a Dutch oven (cooking pot with tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Next, add ginger and garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add sherry or rice wine vinegar and cook until mostly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, chili sauce and mustard greens (or chard) and cook until the greens are tender, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with brown or white rice.

Community Newsletter ~ Port Colborne-Wainfleet Site

Winter, 2012

Bridges Community Health Centre (CHC) is pleased to present its inaugural community newsletter, a tri-annual publication for our communities. Each newsletter offers a feature article, health tips, a healthy recipe, event highlights and information on our community programs. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please email us at info@bridgeschc.ca or contact us by telephone at 289-479-5017.

The Real Costs of Poverty ~ Feature Article

report, governments only focus Poverty carries indirect and socieon direct costs, things that are tal costs. The indirect costs ineasy to measure and understand clude some of the most expensive (e.g. social assistance and tax public services such as emerbenefits for low income earners). gency wards, police services and However, there are significant the court system. For example, if indirect and societal costs assoa parent cant afford good food ciated with poverty that are not and medicine for a sick child, the being taken into consideration. family is more likely to use hospiA recent report by the National In other words, our system for tal emergency services to treat Council of Welfare (2011), titled, understanding the costs of povthe child. The child may also beThe Dollars and Sense of Solv- erty are terribly narrow and come more seriously ill and suffer ing Poverty offers critical inshort sighted. longer-term impacts. Using this sights into the actual costs of example, (continued inside...) poverty. According to the
What if we were to tell you that our current system for making decisions on how much money to spend on addressing poverty in our communities is flawed? Now what if we were to say that we need to invest more in reducing poverty immediately in order to save in the long-term?

Holiday Health Jingle12 ways to be healthy!

The first way to health, BRIDGES said to me, wash hands to be safe and healthy The second way to health, BRIDGES said to me, bundle up for warmth The third way to health, BRIDGES said to me, manage stress The fourth way to health, BRIDGES said to me, don't drink and drive The fifth way to health, BRIDGES said BE SMOKE-FREE The sixth way to health, BRIDGES said to me, fasten belts while driving The seventh way to health, BRIDGES said to me, get exams and screenings The eighth way to health, BRIDGES said to me, get your vaccinations The ninth way to health, BRIDGES said to me, monitor the children The tenth way to health, BRIDGES said to me practice fire safety The eleventh way to health, Bridges said to me, prepare dinner safely The twelfth way to health, BRIDGES said to me, eat well and get moving, prepare dinner safely, practice fire safety, monitor the children, get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, BE SMOKE-FREE, don't drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth, and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

C h e c k o u t o u r n e w w e b s i t e : w w w. b r i d g e s c h c . c a
Bridges Community Health Centre recently celebrated the grand opening of its new Port Colborne-Wainfleet site, located at 177 King St in downtown Port Colborne. Pictured to the left are: Russ Wilson, President of Bridges CHC Board of Directors; Taralea McLean, Executive Director, Bridges CHC; Mayor Vance Badawey, City of Port Colborne; Cathy Wight, a client of Bridges CHC; Mayor April Jeffs, Township of Wainfleet; and Bill Millar, Board Member, Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN.
Fort Erie Site 1485 Garrison Rd. Fort Erie, ON L2A 1P8 905-871-7621 Port Colborne Site 177 King Street Port Colborne, ON L3K 4G5 289-479-5017

PORT COLBORNE-WAINFLEET COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMSWINTER 2012

CAREGIVER SUPPORT NETWORK: If you are caring for a loved one and are feeling stressed out, or in need of some personal support, drop-in to our monthly caregiver support network the second Friday of every month from 1:30-3:00pm. No registration required. CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT: A six-week workshop series for people living with chronic pain to learn and use new coping tools or strategies. The program will run every Tuesday, from January 31st to March 6th, from 1:30-3:30pm. Please call us to register. CRAVING CHANGE: This how-to program is focused on changing your relationship with food. You will learn to understand why you eat the way you do; how to comfort yourself without food and to change your thinking so you can change your eating. The six-week program will run this winter, date/time TBD. Please call us for more information. DIABETES BINGO: A free & fun way to learn more about diabetes - lots of prizes! The next session will be held on Wednesday, February 15th at 1:30pm. Please call us to register. DIABETES HOT TOPICS: Monthly group session covering diabetes related topics such as managing your blood sugar, nutrition and complications of diabetes. The sessions will be held on the following dates: Thursday, January 19th, Thursday, February 23rd, Thursday, March 22nd and Thursday, April 19th; all sessions run from 1:30-2:30pm. Please call us to register. GROCERY FOOD STORE TOURS: Discover how to make healthy foods choices, read food labels and shop on a budget at Grocery Food Store Tours led by Bridges Community Health Centres Registered Dietitians. The tours are scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 10:30am and Thursday, March 15, 10:30am. Please call us to register. MINDFUL LIVING: A Mindfulness-based approach to coping can be of benefit to anyone, and is proven to be very helpful for people with chronic pain, anxiety or depression. To learn more, an information session will be held on Tuesday, April 10th from 1:30-3:00 pm or 6:30-8:00pm. Full program starts in May! Please call us to register for the info session. PRE-DIABETES PRESENTATIONS: For people who have pre-diabetes or a family history of diabetes, this presentation will focus on nutrition & lifestyle management to prevent/delay the onset of diabetes or symptoms. Sessions will be held on Thursday, February 2nd, 10:0011:00am and Thursday, April 5th, 10:00-11:00am. Please call us to register. QUIT SMOKING GROUP PROGRAM: Thinking about quitting smoking or cutting back? Join our three week You Can Quit program and learn how to quit for good. The program will be held on Monday, January 16th, 23rd, and 30th, two timeslots 1:00-2:00pm or 6:00-7:00pm. Please call us to register. QUIT SMOKING DROP IN SUPPORT GROUP: A drop-in mutual support group for people who are thinking of quitting smoking or have recently quit. The group meets the first and third Wednesday of every month from 1:00-2:00pm. No registration required. TAKE CHARGE: If you are searching for ways to live well with an ongoing health problem, register for this six-week program focused on helping you learn to manage your health condition and live life to the fullest. The program will run every Tuesday, 1:30-4:00pm, January 10th February 14th at Friends Over 55, 554 Fielden Ave, Port Colborne Please note: To register for the program please call toll-free 1-855-333-2376 or e-mail TakeCharge@hhsc.ca

Feature Article Continued

taxpayers would be better off directly enabling parents to buy good food and medicine, but thats not the way our current system works. Societal costs are the loss of potential contribution and strain that poverty places on individuals and families. For example, people who live in poverty spend a lot of time finding enough food to eat, staying safe, getting to part-time jobs and following the rules of bureaucracy. Once again, these costs are rendered invisible and go unacknowledged. Our approach to saving money and responding to fiscal constraints involve cutting social assistance rates, or negligible one percent increases that enable people to survive in poverty with less public spending. This short sighted view of analyzing the cost of poverty is costing us in more ways than we know. The much higher indirect costs of poverty such as added stress, unsafe neighbourhoods and the need for emergency health, as well as the loss of potential contributions need to be part of the equation. So what do you think? Do we focus on a one sided approach and save money in the short-term, or do we invest in our society and communities to save in the long-term?
Reference: National Council of Welfare. (2011).Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty. Ottawa: Queens printer Press. Retrieved from http://www.ncw.gc.ca/l.3bd.2t.1.3ls@-eng.jsp?lid=433

Healthy, Safe and Strong ~ An Exercise Program for Seniors

Bridges Community Health Centre is a host site for Healthy, Safe, and Strong, an exercise program for seniors delivered by Niagara Region. Classes run on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30am. To register, please call 905-984-2630.

Support Needed for Bill C-233, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada

Nearly 3.2 million Canadians continue to live in poverty and Canada continues to be the only G8 country without a national poverty reduction strategy. Bill C-233, Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada, is a private members bill recently introduced by NDP MP Jean Crowder. Bill C-233 would require the federal government to consult with anti-poverty groups and people living in poverty, and then draw up a plan that includes targets and timelines for reducing poverty. This bill would lay the groundwork for real action, but needs much support. We need to let our Members of Parliament know that this bill is important and necessary! Bridges Community Health Centre has a printed copy of the petition available in its waiting room areas available for signing throughout December and January. Feel free to drop by and sign. We will be delivering the petition to our local MPs and will ask them to present it in the House of Commons. You may also download a copy of the petition on our website (www.bridgeschc.ca) and gather signatures yourself to present to your MP!

Save the Date!

Does your agency provide social or health programs & services for residents of Port Colborne-Wainfleet? Bridges Community Health Centre will be holding a forum for front-line staff called Putting the Pieces Together on Tuesday, March 27th from 8:30-12:00noon. Watch for more details in the new year or contact us for more information.