Perth County Paramedics Respond to Community Needs With Support For Local Food Initiatives

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STRATFORD, ON – Perth County Paramedic Services’ Community Care Fund is pleased to support The Local Community Food Centre (The Local) with a donation of $2,500 to support the ongoing Fruit Basket Program.

Perth County Paramedic Services’ Mobile Integrated Health Team (MIH Team) has worked alongside The Local from the beginning of the Community Paramedicine Program. The MIH Team hosts clinics that support vulnerable individuals on a weekly basis throughout Perth County by bringing multiple resources to one site to provide wrap-around care.

As the relationship has grown, The Local has provided food in the form of meals, fresh fruit, and even cookies which the MIH Team are able distribute through their clinics throughout Perth County. The ability to distribute food alongside the support services has allowed the MIH Team to build relationships and rapport with vulnerable clients.

“The Local has been an incredible resource and connection point for our MIH Team in the community.” said Debbie Hunter, Deputy Chief of Mobile Integrated Health. “It became clear that supporting the distribution of fresh fruit and food at our clinics was an important way to connect with the community. The whole Paramedic Team is thrilled to be able to support The Local so we are able to continue providing this service to our community. Our MIH program, and the people in our area are consistently supported by the generosity of the Local. The fruit bags are one we can give back to the incredible programming!”

“We are grateful for the donation from the Perth County Paramedic Services Community Care Fund!” said Julie Docker Johnson, Community Connector with The Local Community Food Centre. “The partnership with the MIH Team allows us to reach more people and ensure that there can be access to some nutritious food to support their health and wellbeing.”

About Perth County Paramedic Community Care Fund

The Paramedic Community Care Fund was established by Perth County Paramedic Services in 2015 as a way for community members to support local paramedics. Community members often would like to provide tokens of appreciation as a way to thank Paramedics for their service. Instead of physical gifts to Paramedics, the fund encourages residents to “pay it forward” by donating to the fund to help community members in need — especially in situations where paramedics encounter social or financial barriers to health. Paramedics recognized that many calls for service highlight needs beyond immediate medical care, such as:

• Patients who refuse hospital transport due to ongoing financial strain.
• Arriving at a home with an empty refrigerator, indicating food insecurity.
• Homeless individuals needing basic supports, like meals, more than emergency care.

These experiences inspired the creation of the fund so that donations could directly support vulnerable residents, improving health outcomes and social wellbeing. The Fund supports initiatives that reflect a “hands-of-caring” philosophy — recognizing that healthcare isn’t just clinical, but also social. All donations are eligible for a tax-receipt, and funds are used to assist residents in the community with needs that traditional healthcare services or social supports might not immediately address. The fund is managed through Perth County; donations are made to the County of Perth Paramedic Community Care Fund.

About The Local Community Food Centre

The Local CFC is a part of network of 15 Community Food Centres across the country and as part of Community Food Centres Canada we work together with an additional 300+ Good Food Organizations across North America to influence provincial and national policy makers to develop more equitable and just social policies. Open doors and accessible low cost or free programs create a dynamic and mixed community where people interact and learn from each other in an accepting and caring environment.  There are no means tests, no questions asked and no barriers.  Everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

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About Perth County: Perth County is a vibrant upper-tier municipality located in Southwestern, Ontario and is home to a regional population of 81,565 residents. This rural region is comprised of 4 lower-tier member municipalities. To find out more information about our services, visit: www.perthcounty.ca or follow us on Facebook and X.

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2026-01-22 - NEWS RELEASE - Perth County Paramedic Community Care Fund Supports Local Food Initiatives