Alberta Innovates- Health Solutions

Angie Dedrick and Evelyn Garneau

Building Healthy Communities

Following the launch of health restructuring in Alberta, Ms. Dedrick and colleagues responded to one community that felt directly threatened by the then-impending closure of its area hospital. That community was Glenwood, the neighbourhood flanking Edmonton's Misericordia Hospital. Ms. Dedrick helped the citizens of Glenwood develop an inventory of health care resources at their disposal, an initiative that quelled panic, fuelled optimism, and established the first model of asset-based community building, community capacity building and asset mappingd. The Misericordia was not closed in the end, but its community had found a new beginning.

Using theories derived from adult education, first nations community liaison work, the Asset-based Community Development Institute and community Development, the team crafted a philosophy of community building, which says each citizen, community, organization, and business has gifts to share with others. The team used their workshop-based model over and over again to rave reviews and results from community participants. But exactly how it worked puzzled them.

"We'd been working with and sharing the model for a couple of years and then the opportunity to join the SEARCH program came along. I jumped at the opportunity because I knew I would learn practical research methods that would help us answer valuable questions about our work," says Angie Dedrick.

The SEARCH training helped them develop a tailor-made community centred research approach called "Listen and Learn" to identify what worked best, all the time. "The 15 communities that participated helped us see that the key elements of community building are 'RAFF', which stands for relationships, reactions, food and fun. We have enhanced our workshop with this discovery so that other communities can benefit from this collective community insight."

"It is a great way to meet great people," says Evelyn Garneau, a resident and business owner in Glenwood. She became involved when she attended a brainstorming session at the community league facilitated by Angie Dedrick. "That session led to the Glenwood guide, a listings and coupon book. It introduced me to every business in the area. Now we have the Jasper Place Gateway Foundation that organizes special community events and public awareness.

I have real positive feelings about where this area is going to be in ten years' time, it won't happen overnight but it will happen."

Angie Dedrick and the Community Development team have held workshops in communities all over Alberta, Canada, and the U.S. On April 1st, they are launching their own company called Community Building Resources. For more information, please call Angie Dedrick at 484-9045. Website: www.cbr-aimhigh.com.

SEARCH I and II are AHFMR-funded programs organized in collaboration with Alberta Health, the provincial health authorities, the provincial mental health advisory board, and with the valuable participation of the University of Alberta and University of Calgary. For more information about SEARCH, please call AHFMR at (780) 423-5727 or check our website at www.ahfmr.ab.ca.