Forging community linkages where like-minded organizations help one another is an important role that Fabienne has played in both her professional and volunteer capacities.
Fabienne first became aware of the Snowsuit Fund (SSF) while leading the Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC) at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health from 2015 to 2016. This project had a common goal of promoting children and their families’ health through physical activity and healthy eating. The first theme: “Run. Jump. Play. Every day.” focused on increasing physical activity among Indigenous children in Ottawa year-round including winter. In some cases, children had difficulty accessing adequate warm clothing, which prevented them from being able to safely play outside on cold days. Naturally, the Snowsuit Fund was the solution.
Though she had not intended to continue with the Snowsuit Fund beyond the Healthy Kids Community Challenge project, Fabienne was ready for more once she moved into a public service role. Knowing how much she enjoyed giving back to the community, she reached out to the Snowsuit Fund and inquired about helping out at the Depot. She’s been involved ever since.
As Fabienne puts it, “The Snowsuit Fund aligns very much with my personal values and my passion for public health and giving back to the community. Knowing families may experience hardships in their day-to-day lives which have led them here, pushes me to strive to offer them the most enjoyable experience, even if for only 5-10 minutes. There is no better feeling than knowing that you have made a difference in the day, week or life of a family just by offering them a pleasant experience getting a snowsuit.”