Services and Programs
Services
We offer services to organizations and institutions that build on SPRC Hamilton’s strong history of helping and supporting the community and non-profit sector through its social planning and community development activities.
Research and Analysis
Storytelling is an important part of our work – think of it as storytelling through data and research. These participatory community maps become the stories of our community. Using Geographic Information Services (mapping custom data including service locations, client information and demographic trends), data analysis on social trends, we can identify issues, strengths, solutions and develop community action plans.
Program Evaluation
Innovative non-profit organizations are continually looking for ways to improve their services and respond to current and emerging needs. This is important work, yet they often don’t have the internal resources to thoroughly evaluate their programs, and this is often best done using an experienced third party. Program evaluations that centre client and participant experience and are rooted in best practices are an effective tool to measure individual and community impact. Our team works alongside organizations to develop an evaluation workplan that meets the needs of funders, organizations and key stakeholders. We can support this process in a variety of ways including: providing an overview of best practices, developing effective surveys, facilitating participant focus groups, analyzing community demographic trends, and analyzing and preparing evaluation reports.
Systems Planning and Facilitation
Facilitating broad conversations on community issues with a neutral stance and voice, we identify service needs and strategic directions within organizations, and convene service providers and other key informants to promote effective, efficient, and responsive services.
We currently provide a systems planning role with the Women’s Housing Planning Collaborative and the Street Youth Planning Collaborative.
TESTIMONIALS
“We really enjoy working with SPRC Hamilton – so much so that we just started another five-year project with them. The team there understands what funders are looking for and can conceptualize what we need. They find ways to help us through the process and come up with strategies and tools that are practical and useful.”
“We find working with SPRC Hamilton to be so positive. It is one of the few resources in our community that offers a critical relevancy through its cultural responsiveness – picking up on nuances that other researchers would miss. SPRC Hamilton also allows us to stretch our resources and our access through acting as a bridge to larger institutions.”
Programs
SPRC Hamilton operates programs for individuals which support our goal of developing a sustainable, accessible and equitable Hamilton, by focussing on meeting the fundamental needs of people in our community.
Tastebuds Student Nutrition Collaborative
Tastebuds Student Nutrition Collaborative is a partnership of community agencies and community members that supports and facilitates local student nutrition programs for children and youth in Hamilton. The vision for Tastebuds is that all students in Hamilton can access healthy food in their schools and community locations, with the quest to improve readiness to learn, improve student success, support healthy growth/development, and support healthy habits for a lifetime. Tastebuds volunteers serve more than 25,000 students at 109 schools and locations in Hamilton every single day.
Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
The Hamilton CAPC provides supports and programs to families with children aged newborn to six in east Hamilton, with a focus on assisting families in the areas of child health, parenting strategies and community engagement. Programs and services are provided through partnerships with ten child and parent programs, and SPRC Hamilton is the sponsoring agency for Hamilton. The CAPC is an idea that grew out of the 1990 United Nations World Summit for Children and the Government of Canada’s Child Development Initiative (CDI).
CAPC’s priority areas are Mental Health Promotion, Injury Prevention, and Healthy Weights. Eligibility area is east Hamilton with area boundaries of Lake Ontario (north), 50 Road (east), Mud Street (south) and Strathearne Road (west).
Financial Empowerment Program
Being financially aware and empowered is a critical step to a healthier life. Our Financial Empowerment Hamilton initiative is a year-round, poverty-reduction program that supports people with a low income. The commitment to year-round service ensures people can access much-needed government benefits.
Our Financial Empowerment Program provides free, year-round financial problem-solving services including: help completing government forms to access benefits; financial literacy education; tax filing services; and system navigation.