SIRCH History

    2023
    2024

    SIRCH started a community consultation process to develop a way of housing and supporting women experiencing abuse. At the time a woman who left an abusive partner would have to go to Peterborough to find the nearest shelter – which meant taking the children out of school and missing work.

    View More
    2020

    The beginning of COVID-19. During the pandemic, SIRCH was considered an essential service because of the meals we prepare, freeze and distribute to individuals and families who are ill, frail, disabled, grieving, or are without resources.

    View More
    2019

    Two training programs, Cook It Up and Ready For Retail, were offered in the spring. Cook It Up trainees prepared free meals at Molly’s Bistro Bakery, while Ready For Retail trainees were placed in local businesses.

    View More
    2018

    Participants of CAPC and CPNP in Haliburton and City of Kawartha Lakes participated in making a video which illustrated the impact that the groups have on moms and their children. The video was distributed across Ontario.

    View More
    2017

    SIRCH continued to provide CAPC & CPNP, food initiatives, a variety of training opportunities, and Bereavement Support.

    View More
    2016

    SIRCH received funding to pilot two more training programs: Works of Wood in Bancroft taught trainees basic carpentry and they built a variety of harvest tables and other reclaimed pine products. Chic & Unique in Haliburton taught trainees how to upcycle furniture. The upcycled products were revealed at a show

    View More
    2015

    SIRCH opened “SIRCH Central” down by the river in Haliburton. It was used for bereavement groups, food services training and was also available for other organizations to use by donation.

    View More
    2014

    Hospice services were divested to HHHS (along with Community Care and the VON Adult Day program) after 20 years. SIRCH piloted Volunteer Match, a concept which posited one point of entry for volunteers who want to volunteer in the community. For a variety of reasons that concept was not readily

    View More
    2013

    SIRCH started a new service called Need a Hand, which matched volunteers and registered workers with people who needed assistance with things like home repair and maintenance, respite, packing and moving, yard work, etc. Need a Hand was a “pay as you can” model, where a those who pay subsidize

    View More
    2012

    SIRCH participated in a LHIN driven integration process (over a two year period) to look at ways to improve access to health care programs. Transitional planning began for a model in Haliburton County that: 1) merged Community Care and Haliburton Highlands Health Services; 2) transfered SIRCH’s Hospice Services and VON’s

    View More
    2011

    The Volunteer Dental Outreach opened, and like other programs and services started and divested by SIRCH, continued to impact the community in very important ways.

    View More
    2010

    SIRCH facilitated community planning around a model of “residential” Hospice that had SIRCH Hospice volunteers supporting Hospice beds at HHHS. Hike for Hospice and ‘In SIRCH of a Perfect Christmas’ fundraisers were focused on raising money for Community Hospice.

    View More
    2009

    SIRCH piloted a cottage craft industry, called “Sew Resourceful” which increased employability skills and gave trainees a way to increase their income.

    View More
    2008

    The Healthy Children Program was created under the CAPC umbrella in response to concerns about nutrition and food security. It included several innovative activities: a Chef of the Month Challenge (where chefs tried to cook for a family of four for a day on $6.99 – the amount that many

    View More
    2007

    SIRCH was introduced to the Innovation Synergy Centre of Markham. The non-profit matched mentors with businesses to help grow them. ISCM took on School’s Cool.

    View More
    2006

    The Ministry of Education funded the translation of School’s Cool, which had been revised and updated, into French. Province-wide funding was received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to assess the School’s Cool in Kindergarten model.

    View More
    2005

    The Community Hospice Program received a much-needed infusion of funding. Hospice partnered with the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough and Area to provide dementia supports in the County. SIRCH helped to found and organize the Central East Hospice Network.

    View More
    2004

    The much anticipated Fourth Annual School’s Cool Conference was held, with Charles Coffey as our Keynote speaker.

    View More
    2003

    SIRCH Consulting provided evaluation services for 52 School’s Cool programs across Ontario & Manitoba. The Third Annual School’s Cool Conference was held in Haliburton.

    View More
    2002

    More resources were developed in affiliation with CAPC: “Connect With Your Baby” (to help parents interact with and intellectually stimulate their infants, and “Getting Ready for K” (to help parents prepare children for the entry into kindergarten). SIRCH also provided these manuals and training to other organizations across Ontario.

    View More
    2001

    Resources for fathers of young children were developed by SIRCH and distributed across Ontario.

    View More
    2000

    A number of School’s Cool resources were created: puppets, math and literacy kits, and training to accompany them. School’s Cool was delivered for children in Haliburton County, for the first time (it had been piloted in Lindsay and other larger urban areas).

    View More
    1999

    SIRCH Consulting provided consulting services in the region.

    View More
    1998

    SIRCH applied for expanded federal funding for CAPC (Community Action Program for Children) & CPNP (Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program). Our population didn’t warrant additional funding, but our neighbours to the south, Victoria and Northumberland Counties, did not have CAPC/CPNP services and no new counties were being funded. SIRCH spearheaded a

    View More
    1997

    A book, “From Dream to Reality,” written by Lon Duncombe about the Women’s Emergency House model, was published and launched in Toronto.

    View More
    1996

    SIRCH successfully applied for funding for a Pregnancy Support Program, a federally funded program called the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program. It focused on helping ensure healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes for women facing conditions of risk. The program included Birth Companions, a Special Delivery Club (group support) and a phone

    View More
    1995

    Women’s Emergency House was a phenomenon! The shell of a six bedroom shelter was build by a generous landlord. Local and national businesses offered furnishings, building supplies, and appliances. For several weeks, hundreds of volunteers came into the House to plumb, wire, drywall, paint, furnish and otherwise ensure that the

    View More
    1994

    A busy, busy year for SIRCH! SIRCH applied for funding and was successful in a bid to deliver the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC). The program was in partnership with CHACE Place (which eventually amalgamated with the Ontario Early Years Centre, Haliburton Victoria Brock). CAPC provided services to families

    View More
    1993

    SIRCH started a community consultation process to develop a way of housing and supporting women experiencing abuse. At the time a woman who left an abusive partner would have to go to Peterborough to find the nearest shelter – which meant taking the children out of school and missing work.

    View More
    1992

    Three years before Big Brothers & Sisters would move into Haliburton County, SIRCH identified the need for supports to children of single parents who didn’t have relatives or friends nearby, and started “Big Buddies.” It matched screened men and women with girls and boys who needed support, mentoring and a

    View More
    1991

    SIRCH started the Haliburton County Counselling Centre, an adult mental health centre. Therapists were hired who did individual and group counselling at the Haliburton site. Previous to this, there was no local mental health counselling available in the county. (This program was later divested to Haliburton Highlands Health Services and

    View More
    1990

    Recognizing that parents who raise children with special needs (for example autism, developmental delay, serious illness or disease), need a break every once in awhile, SIRCH set up a “Volunteer Host Family Program”. It gave children with special needs the opportunity to stay for an overnight, weekend or longer in

    View More
    1989
    1989

    This was the year SIRCH (Supportive Initiative for Residents in the County of Haliburton) became incorporated and the year it started Parent Support Services Program. This program provided counselling, support and advocacy to parents with children up to 18 years of age. The underlying philosophy was one of encouragement and

    View More

     

    Scroll to Top