As a community hub, The North Grove is committed to bringing as many services to Dartmouth North as possible. That’s why we’ve created a staff position focused on building and maintaining partnerships that will benefit The North Grove community.
"The more partnerships we have, the more services we are able to provide," says Caralee, Manager of Hub Services at The North Grove. "We are very thoughtful about the partnerships we invest in and work hard to ensure they are meeting the needs of the community."
As of December 2023, we have more than 20 active partnerships with community organizations that share The North Grove's commitment to building a thriving community. Whether it’s a one-off workshop or event, an ongoing volunteer partnership or a weekly program, there are so many ways organizations bring additional services and support to this community.
Strengthening Relationships Through Volunteering
Throughout 2023, we partnered with organizations like Dartmouth Adult Services Centre (DASC), The Bangladesh Community Association of NS (BDCANS), John Martin Junior High and Bedford Forsyth Education Centre to provide more than 150 people with meaningful volunteer opportunities.
We hosted several community groups in our kitchen, where volunteers came in to cook a culturally relevant meal. For instance, when volunteers from the Bangladeshi community cooked a meal more than 80 people from the community came to The North Grove (many of them for the first time).
"Strengthening relationships both at home and within our community ultimately shapes our life," says Golam Kibria Talukder, member of The Bangladesh Community Association of NS. "This can help to strengthen a sense of cohesion and solidarity within the community."
In 2023, we also expanded our partnership with John Martin Junior High, creating a summer volunteer program, which gave students hands-on opportunities in all our program areas, from community meals to child development and more. As a result of this ongoing partnership, many of the students are now regular volunteers at The North Grove!
Supporting Diversity Through Partnerships
The Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Nova Scotia Sisterhood offer free programs for Black and African Nova Scotian people to access health care in the community to improve overall health and well-being, and they play a vital role in preserving the health of Black and African Nova Scotian people within Nova Scotia.
The Nova Scotia Brotherhood has partnered with The North Grove since 2021, offering Anger Management and Barbershop Talks sessions. When the Nova Scotia Sisterhood launched in 2022 it also held programs like Salon Talks at The North Grove.
The Brotherhood and Sisterhood hosted more than 40 program sessions at The North Grove this year. So, when it came time to open a new Community Health Clinic, The North Grove was a natural fit. The clinic is set to open in the new year.
"The North Grove is a place many people are already comfortable with; it’s a place that people already trust, it’s open and accessible and it’s on a major bus route," says Ashley Preston, Community Liaison with The Nova Scotia Sisterhood.
We’ve also partnered with the Nurturing Strong African-Nova Scotian Families program, developed for Black and African-Nova Scotian parents and caregivers in response to the lack of culturally specific parenting programs that address the realities of the parents and children. Starting in February, this program will be offered to The North Grove community with two of our staff members trained as facilitators.
Expanding Support Through Partnerships
Often, when people come to The North Grove they are looking for more than just food, family support and community. Whether it's legal advice, support with taxes or housing, we have several partnerships that allow us to better serve our community.
For example, through our partnership with Welcome Housing, we are able to provide people with housing support. One of these people is Sam, who came to The North Grove a few years ago during a difficult time when she was housing insecure. Getting connected to a housing navigator from Welcome Housing was a key first step for her in finding reliable housing. Over the last year, we provided more than 60 people with housing support through our partnership with Welcome Housing.
"During this stressful time, we attended our first Family Playgroup at The North Grove and an employee and friend suggested that I meet with a housing support worker through Welcome Housing," says Sam. "After so long of feeling lost and like I was failing as a mother he made me feel validated."
You can listen to Sam's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkMqnOwr-s
We also partner with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, who come in every month to provide legal support for family law and child protection issues. This year, through our partnership with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, we provided 25 people with appointments, giving them access to free legal support. We also helped more than 86 people with their taxes through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
In June, we started a partnership with Nova Scotia Health's Community Health Teams to provide Wellness Navigator Drop-in Appointments. We've been offering these appointments monthly during one of our drop-in meals, and these appointments allow people to talk about their health needs and get connected to other supportive resources in the community.
Thanks to all the amazing organizations that are part of The North Grove community:
Bedford Forsyth Education Centre
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
Dalhousie Legal Aid
Dartmouth Adult Learning Centre (DASC)
Dartmouth Learning Network
Dartmouth North Public Library
Direction 180
Flaxmobile Project
Feed NS
Forsyth Education Centre
GEO Nova Scotia
Harbour View Elementary School
John Martin Junior High
MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning
Mental Health and Addictions Program
Mobile Food Market
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Nova Scotia Brotherhood
Nova Scotia Sisterhood
Nova Scotia Legal Aid
NSCC Achieve Program
Nurturing Strong African-Nova Scotian Families
United for Literacy
Welcome Housing & Support Services
Help The North Grove meet the growing need this holiday season with an end-of-year gift. Your end-of-year gift makes so much possible - for so many. It provides hundreds of people with healthy meals every week, keeps our farm and market running and creates a warm and welcoming space for parents and children to connect and learn from one another.
Donate before Dec. 31st and your gift will be matched - doubling your impact this holiday season.