Care A Van, Comox Bay Care Society

Comox Bay Care Society is a non-profit organization with a well established track record. If you have seen the Care-A-Van mobile healthcare unit on the streets of Courtenay and Comox you know that we are on duty. Since the start of the program on April 27th 2009, over 850 individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness have received healthcare services aboard our van. We are sensitive to the inequities in our society and recognize that there is no better way to reach someone than to go to them. Our skilled team of 33 volunteer nurses, doctors, pharmacists, optometrist, dentists, and drivers are there because they care. We are giving back to our community with our professional skill set. Often stigmatized by a society that blames the person who is homeless for the situation they find themselves in, challenged by having to navigate a healthcare system fraught with paperwork and bureaucracy, our interventions are simple but meaningful. Our aim is to overcome barriers to accessing healthcare services. The informal nature of this program contrasts with the high degree of competency offered as it breaks through the stereotypes and allows professionals to meet the individual in their own environment.