Another Successful Year!

• That’s a Wrap 2022!

• A year of tremendous growth, some challenges and opportunity amongst it all.
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• Giving – What we do best!


• Through the delivery of the Edmonton EMS Wellness programs we have collectively delivered to date:
• ·     113 recognition gifts to EMS members who have celebrated the birth of a new child
• ·     50 individualized benevolent gifts to practitioners who are going through their own trials and tribulations. May it be a new medical diagnosis, the loss of a child, a motor vehicle accident, heart surgery or a variety of other scenarios.
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• We have stood by our beliefs in the importance of recognizing and acknowledging these life moments. Some of the very meaningful gifts we have been able to share are those that have made it to retirement. For most industries this may seem as a given, however maybe people are not aware that the retirement rate for EMS has been documented as low as 4%. So, when these practitioners meet this milestone in their career; a career in which they have offered up so much of themselves for, it is a huge accomplishment. We love seeing the smiles on everyone’s face when offering them a retirement gift that is as unique and as beautiful as they are. The quilts are all crafted by our wonderful partners at Quilts for Everyday Heroes.
• ·      EMSPSWS has held three Alumni Breakfast as a conduit to continue to build new relationships and create opportunities for those already established to grow deeper. We also love to recognize members accolades at these events too.
• ·     Zen Den @ Fort Road- We are delighted to share we have sponsored the second Zen Den for an EMS Station. This space allows a tranquil, relaxing space for EMS members to decompress in. The rooms are filled with art therapy, aromatherapy, mediation and yoga for each practitioner to enjoy.
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• Receiving – What keeps us going!
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• We have continued to be so blessed with another year of growth and opportunity. EMSPSWS was successful at obtaining operational funding through the Government of Alberta’s Community Initiatives Program (CIP) grant. This has helped us bring on a bookkeeper to transition us to a QuickBooks accounting system that meets our needs as we grow. As well as earlier in the year the City of Edmonton’s Living Hope a Community Suicide Prevent Plan also offered funding for the existing programs established through Edmonton EMS.
•  Aside from grants we have had a rally of support come from our third-party fundraisers, as well as individual and corporate donations. It truly warms our hearts to be recipients of these gifts and drives us forward more determined than ever at creating meaningful change in our first responder professions.
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• Looking to the Future…
  
• We have big plans for 2023 and the potential it holds. We will continue to find innovative ways to help our first responders and encourage organizations to implement and ignite their own formal peer support programs to internally support their practitioners. We will be scanning neighboring organizations to identify potential support avenues we can offer.

  Additionally, we will focus our efforts on growing our awareness and avenues of direct front line support. We wish to thank everyone near and far for your kind words of support and encouragement as we continue this journey.

  We would also like to acknowledge our sponsors and community support, because without you these moments of change would not be possible.

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• From our homes to yours, all the best to you and your families in 2023!
• Sincerely,
• Your EMS Peer Support & Wellness
• Solutions family!