Social & Community Services Organizations in Halifax

Kids Help Phone is a Canadian service and world leader known for our expertise and continuous innovation as Canada’s only 24/7 counselling and information service for young people. Since 1989, our trained, professional counsellors have been listening to kids, often when no one else can or will. We are always there – supporting young people wherever and whenever they need us most. Our free and anonymous service supports young people as they build the skills and abilities they’ll need to improve their emotional health and well-being. In addition to an array of counselling options, we offer young people a wide range of online resources and we work tirelessly to share young people’s perspectives on a societal level – locally, nationally, and globally. We could not do this important, life-changing work without the generous support of our donors and sponsors. Kids Help Phone raises the majority of our revenue from foundational, corporate, and individual donations. Thanks to our generous donors we can always be there, proudly supporting the 6.5 million young people in Canada between the ages of five and 20 in both English and French.

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French. We began in 1989 as a unique telephone counselling service, launched to provide free, accessible support to any young person reaching out from coast to coast to coast. Our focus was supporting young people experiencing abuse, but almost immediately, young people let us know they needed more from the service than one focus and one way to reach us. For over 30 years, we’ve evolved our response and offerings. We concentrate on staying relevant to youth, recognizing the complexity of issues they face, and we help to ensure our professional counsellors and volunteer crisis responders are ready to address young people’s continuum of emotional and mental health needs, from crisis situations to the everyday concerns of growing up.

Kids Help Phone is a charity, known for our expertise and continuous innovation as Canada’s only 24/7 professional counselling, information, and referral service for young people. Since 1989, we have offered kids, teens, and young adults a critical lifeline of hope and support through our free, anonymous service, which research shows significantly improves youth mental health through our phone, Live Chat and Always There chat app. But technology is changing, and so must we – to create a future where every young person will access the support they need, in the way they need it most. That’s why we’re preparing to launch a 24/7 Texting Service using trained volunteers.

Love Caravan is a nonprofit organization from Vancouver with the goal of bridging the generational gap between youth and seniors. This summer we are going on a cross-country tour of senior residences to provide live entertainment and interactive activities from youth volunteers. For more details, please contact lovecaravanpr@gmail.com

Love Caravan is a nonprofit organization from Vancouver dedicated to bridging the generational gap between youth and seniors. This August, we’re embarking on a nationwide tour to senior communities and homes all over Canada. Our groups consists 10-15 students and the event will have an hour of performance followed by an hour of interactive activities. We’d love to know if you have any volunteers that may be interested in performing or partaking in general volunteer activities at a senior home in Halifax anytime on August 31st, or the morning of September 1st. We're specifically looking for musicians and dancers among other general volunteers.

Make-A-Wish Atlantic Provinces grants wishes to Atlantic Canadian children between the ages of 3 to 17 who are living with a life-threatening medical condition to enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy.

March of Dimes Canada is a leading national charity committed to championing equity, empowering ability, and creating real change that will help the more than six million people living with disabilities across the country unlock the richness of their lives.

March of Dimes Canada is a community-based rehabilitation and advocacy charity for people with physical disabilities. Our goal is to enhance the independence and community participation of people with physical disabilities every day through a wide range of programs and services across the country. We strive to create a society inclusive of people with physical disabilities, maximizing independence, personal empowerment, and community participation, providing services and programming tailored to the needs of both the individual and the community.

Halifax Meals on Wheels has been delivering fresh, nutritious meals for almost half a century. Dedicated volunteers deliver meals to those in Halifax who are unable to prepare a meal for themselves. Volunteer teams consisting of a helper and a driver deliver fresh chilled meals and warm hearts while providing peace of mind for our clients and their families.

Delivering balanced meals to any person who is unable to provide for themselves due to reasons of illness, accident or other disabilities, with special consideration for seniors to help them maintain independence and proper nutrition. Sackville-Bedford Meals on Wheels was founded by two nursing students in 1986, who recognized a need for meal delivery in the area. With the help of community members, the first Board was established and the Royal Canadian Legion became the main sponsor. Originally part of the Cobequid Multi-Service Centre, Sackville-Bedford Meals on Wheels now operates as a separate organization, serving Sackville Bedford and surrounding areas. While Halifax County Correctional Centre initially provided meals, restaurants, nursing homes, and individuals have also had the role of cook, with meals currently being made by a team at the Sackville Legion. Our main office is located at the Cobequid Health Center. Over the years, many organizations have donated time, money, and resources to support Meals on Wheels. Many of our volunteers and staff have each dedicated more than a decade of their time and expertise to Meals on Wheels. However, fundraising to keep meal prices affordable remains a challenge.

In the early 1970’s the city of Halifax was concerned about the rising costs of social assistance, and the increased dependence of more and more people on it. On December 13th, 1977 a non-profit organization (Human Resource Development Association, now MetroWorks Employment Association), “was launched by the city of Halifax largely through the efforts of the municipal social planning department to provide learning, training, and employment for people on social assistance as an alternative to welfare.” At a time when funds were limited we understood that new solutions needed to be found to better use existing resources and turn them into sources of growth. We pioneered the use of welfare funds to capitalize businesses that hired persons facing persistent multiple barriers to employment. Our approach would change how North America, and the world, looked at poverty reduction, the rising costs of social assistance, unemployment, and economic development. Forty years later our idea of creating hybrid business structures (for-profit and non-profit) continues to drive transformational change encouraging people to work across traditional fields of responsibility to develop new ideas (products, services, models) to tackle the rising needs of: - individuals living with mental illness and ability differences - individuals living on a low or fixed income (social assistance) - single parent households - individuals who are under-employed or unemployed Through our hybrid business structures we have ensured a continued link between economic development and the goal of increasing social equity and individual dignity. Our organizational structure and mandate has been described as “one of the most imaginative initiatives in North America.” For over thirty years (1982 – 2013) our activities were referenced in numerous books, reports, and case studies gaining us international recognition. In Canada, we were selected by Carlton University’s Community Economic Development Technical Assistance program as a “host provider.” A study released in 1993 (and validated by KPMG) determined that the net benefit to government during our first fifteen years of operation totaled $7 million. Over the past 40 years we have operated 14 social enterprises, including: - Stone Hearth Bakery (in operation for 35 years) - Stone Hearth Café and Catering (in operation for 3 years) Recent recognition and awards include: - 2017 Halifax Business Awards: Gold in Small Business of the Year and Silver in Innovative Business of the Year - 2017 Champion of Mental Health: Named by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health - 2017 Great-West Life, London Life, and Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award: Honourable Mention MetroWorks has persevered to create innovative solutions to close the gap between work and welfare. Our organization is a bridge and safe place for individuals from all backgrounds to access the support they need. We are a place where the general public, businesses and government can learn and understand the societal concerns we address. We are proud of our accomplishments, and that we have been able to clearly demonstrate that individuals facing persistent multiple barriers to employment would rather work for a living than depend on social assistance.

The Mobile Food Market is a 21-week pilot project that sells fresh and affordable fruit and vegetables in communities across the Halifax region. Every Saturday, a Halifax Transit bus is transformed into a mobile fresh produce market. The Mobile Food Market stops in 5 communities; North and East Preston one week and Spryfield, Fairview and North End Halifax following week.