History

Where We Started

The program was created and launched on April 27th, 2009 by Helen Boyd, Registered Nurse and Mental Health Therapist who identified this gap in our community.

Since the inception of our organization in 2009 we have served more than 4690 different people ranging in age from 2 -86 years in age. When we began our innovative project it was the only one of it's kind west of Calgary. It only took one year and 20 days from inception of the project to the actual launch date.

Comox Valley has one of the lowest rates of rental vacancy, province wide. There are a great deal of marginally housed individuals as well as a more hidden homeless population living safely unnoticed in the wooded areas surrounding town. The Society emerged as a grassroots health response to this crisis and since 2009.

We continue to operate as a grassroots organization, driven by a volunteer workforce with health and social development expertise. Our services are oriented toward inclusion and recognition of diversity while providing health care to the most vulnerable populations in our community. The Care-A-Van mobile health unit maintains a schedule of 3 weekly predetermined stops at 6 geographic locations in our catchment area. Due to funding from Cumberland Village we have been able to offer community pop up Health Promotion and Harm Reductions events in the Village of Cumberland in 2022 & early 2023.

Our unique mode of service delivery has not only served high numbers of clients but drawn awareness to the concerns we address in the community.

Traditionally; from 2009 to 2022 we have not received a steady source provincial nor federal government funding. We are happy to announce Health Canada will fund our Substance Use and Addictions program services for 2023 to 2025.

All volunteers, funding, and donations to the Care-A-Van are contributed by the organizations and community members of Comox Valley.